10-31-11
The Kankakee County Planning Department is working on updating the Kankakee County Solid Waste Management Plan . To see the Planning Department's Solid Waste Management Plan Approval Process, click here. They are at the first step which is the Subcommittee Meeting Review.
Many things are on the table for discussion including the three landfill (garbage dump) options below.
1) No further landfill development and rely upon transfer stations.
2) Keep Solid Waste Management Plan wording as is which targets Otto Township as a dump site.
3) Open to private industry on "suitable land" for a garbage dump.
There are two garbage transfer stations in the county, Allied in Momence and United in Bradley. They are hauling our garbage to dumps outside of the county. This system has been working with no problems for several years since the old Waste Management dump south of the fair grounds and the airport closed after failing to get approval for a 302 acre expansion. Another dump proposal in Otto Township west of the fairgrounds was also defeated after an 8 year battle.
Unfortunately there are a few people at the county level who still want to make our community a mega garbage dump site. It is their idea of economic development. OUTRAGE could not disagree more. Garbage dumps are not positive economic development and they create few jobs.
Over the coming decade garbage dumps are going to be a thing of the past do to the new high tech garbage-to-energy technologies. It takes hard work and cold calling to bring in quality economic development to the area. Putting out the welcome sign to garbage dump developers yet again is taking the easy way out because garbage is always looking for a place to be piled up into mountains with few takers.
The next County Solid Waste Management Plan subcommittee meeting is Tuesday, November 15, 6:00 P.M. at the county administration building on the corner of Schuyler Ave. and Court Street in Kankakee. The meeting will be in the 4th floor board room. OUTRAGE supports Landfill option One which is "No further landfill development and rely upon transfer stations."