‘More trash buried there than we thought’: Cleanup work stopped at former landfill at 36th and Koch’s Lane

QUINCY — Cleanup work at a former landfill at 36^th and Koch’s Lane has been halted as city officials determine what to do after more trash was discovered than first thought.

Director of Public Works Jeffrey Conte said after Monday’s meeting of the Quincy City Council that the property, the site of what once was called Municipal Landfill No. 1, was sold in 1976. The property has been transferred through a couple of owners, and the current owner wants to build on the property.

“When he started digging for his foundations, he found municipal trash,” Conte said. “It’s our liability. We put the trash there.”

Information on the Adams County GIS map shows the property is owned by ASL Properties, LLC, of Quincy.

Conte said ASL Properties was loading city trucks, and city employees drove the trucks to the landfill in La Grange, Mo., to dispose of the waste “according to the regulations that are in place today.” Contaminated water was discovered, and after crews spent approximately a week at the site, Conte called a halt to the cleanup work.

Dirt was put on top of the trash while city officials determined their options.

“There’s more trash buried there than we thought, so it’s turning into a much larger project,” Conte said.

He said “about 100 truckloads” of trash weighing approximately 13 or 14 tons still need to be removed from the site.

“We’ve spent this money, and we’re not even halfway done,” Conte said. “We’re talking to the landowner and seeing what we can work out and what’s going to be the most cost-effective. The trash that was removed is our trash. Someday it was going to be removed, so it’s not like it’s wasted money. We got rid of a bunch of trash. It’s now in a properly permitted landfill.”

Steve Homan spoke to aldermen about the trash removal project during the public forum at the beginning of Monday’s meeting. He believes the city spent between $55,000 and $60,000 last week.

“And now, all of a sudden, we cease to do it. We stopped,” Homan said. “I have water samples and soil samples from out there, and I’ve contacted (the Environmental Protection Agency) over in Springfield, and I want to know some answers. All that sewage and seepage water out of that landfill is going into a creek over there. How long has this been going on?

“There was no liner put in that landfill. I’ve done my research on this landfill, folks, and I think I’m probably getting into some uncharted territory here where we don’t want to go.”

Homan told aldermen he has a friend in Oklahoma who is “just like this” (holding two fingers together) with environmental activist Erin Brockovich. She was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company involving groundwater contamination in Hinkley, Calif., in 1993. The lawsuit was the subject of the Oscar-winning film “Erin Brockovich” in 2000.

“You don’t want Erin Brockovich to come to Quincy, Illinois, to do an investigation, so I suggest that we get something going on here and get this checked out,’ Homan said. “It’s not just me complaining. I want to make sure that the citizens of Quincy are safe. If this is going in some stream, where’s it going to?”

Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said he met with Conte Monday morning about the cleanup efforts. He said Conte was preparing a report but wasn’t prepared to share it with the City Council on Monday.

“I know he’s making some contacts, and we’ll have some information available later this week,” Troup said.

As Homan started to return to his seat, alderman Richie Reis (D-6) said he learned about the cleanup through a post on Homan’s Facebook page.