Documents received by Regional Radio News, the Illinois Attorney General's Office responded to concerns expressed by members of WATCH Clinton Landfill. In a clear and emphatic way, the Attorney General's Office, using evidence provided by the Illinois and United State's Environmental Protection Agency, dispelled concerns brought forward by the local group.
The 13-page letter was addressed to Bill Spencer, President of WATCH, DeWitt County Board Members Sherrie Brown and Terry Hoffman, and former Board member George Wissmiller.
The letter says quote-"we note that your concerns are not shared by the US EPA".
WATCH raised several concerns in a letter written in May of this year to the Illinois Attorney General. Those concerns included degradation of landfill liners, the proximity of the Mahomet Aquifer to the landfill's chemical waste unit, and coal combustion waste.
In its response to the AG about the protection liners, they cite an evaluation of the landfill done by the US EPA, and according to the US EPA quote-"given the highly redundant and conservative nature of the liner system, leakage of leachate into the substrate is not expected."
Additionally, the EPA says the Mahomet Aquifer is at least 170-feet below the base of the chemical waste unit and is well isolated and protected by watertight clay that is continous and capable of maintaining an artesian head of approximately 110 feet.
They add, quote-"favorable conditions for continued use of the Mahomet Aquifer for drinking water are know to exist".
The Attorney General's letter also states fluids will not get into the Mahomet Aquifer "even under the worst hypothetical scenarios" and "without migration, there is no way for drinking water risks to develop".
In the last year, the Clinton Landfill has withdrawn their application to store PCB's (polychlorinated biphnyls) despite the US EPA giving them permission. Clinton Landfill, INC. has also ceased it's pursuit of manufactured gas plant waste above the regulatory limits.
In February or 2012, the Attorney General's Office issued concerns to the EPA about the types of wastes that could potentially be stored at the Clinton Landfill site.