Dive Brief:
- Waste Management filed an application last week to officials in Will County, IL, seeking the approval of a 606-acre expansion to the Laraway Road landfill site.
- The goal of the site expansion is to add 10 years of life to the existing site, allowing it to stay open until 2031.
- Waste Management plans to relocate the north side entrance of the existing site in order to clear potential traffic congestion. Overall, the effect on traffic will be minimal due to off-peak hours of site-generated traffic.
Dive Insight:
Waste Management will be able to receive about three million tons of waste annually from Will County and neighboring communities once the site is expanded. The company hopes to begin expansion in 2018.
As other landfills across the nation slowly began to reach capacity, companies like Waste Management are desperately looking to expand their landfills in order to maintain operation. Chrin Bros. Sanitary Landfill in Williams Township, PA, has also recently filed an application for expansion of 33 acres to their site. However, due to issues such as traffic congestion, odor, and toxic exposure, these expansions are not always approved by local government officials.
