Dive Brief:

• Two Midwestern landfills — the Waste Management-owned Will County, IL landfill and Mahoning Landfill in New Springfield, OH — have both received tentative approval for expansion.
• Waste Management's 150-acre expansion proposal will double the size of the current landfill and extend its life by 10 years, according to Chicago Tribune. Waste Management must now apply for permits from the Illinois EPA; if received, WM will be able to use the new expansion of the space by 2018. 
• The Mahoning Landfill — also operated by WM — will be expanded to accept up to 4,000 tons of MSW per day, significantly increasing its capacity from its current 2,500 ton limit. The landfill will also be expanded by 51.6 acres.

Dive Insight:

As projected in August, landfill expansion is one of many major, ongoing trends that defined the industry in 2015. As population and trash production increase, local landfills are reaching capacity — causing landfill owners to scramble for a solution.

While there sometimes tends to be opposition to landfill expansions, the Will County expansion was reported in the Chicago Tribune as "compatible with the surrounding area."

Will County board member Judy Ogalla supported the effort, saying "This is a major, needed improvement for this area."

While the Mahoning Landfill expansion stirred some concern regarding methane gas emissions, as well as its effect on ground water and well water in the area, the Ohio EPA addressed these concerns in a report. It assured that permits require maintenance of a methane gas control system, as well as monitoring of ground water and well water. "Any adverse impacts to ground water, whether from construction activities or future waste disposal, would first be detected in one or more of the onsite monitoring wells," according to the report.