This is a short 19-minute documentary about recycling and waste in the U.S. Base on the book of the same name by Heather Rogers. The film has great facts and funny archive, it exposes the often magical (but false) feeling we get from ‘helping the earth’ by ‘recycling’ It also points out the real problems, over production and industrial pollution. Plus it explains corporate greenwashing and our economic system of ‘built-in obsolescence’.

Dan Kenney
Chair of Stop the Mega-Dump
5/20/10

We met with the attorney, George Mueller, on 5/20/10. We have some important facts about the process to share with you and we have some very hopeful information to share as well.

First of all Mr. Mueller told us the last two cases in which he represented a citizens’ group before the Illinois Pollution Board both case were won on the issue of fundamental fairness. He said the 5 member Illinois Pollution Control board is very sensitive to issues where the citizens have not been treated fairly in the process. He said that the proof of unfairness is “built one brick at a time” meaning that many examples of how the public was kept from the process or where the citizens were hindered in any way is considered unfairness.

He said he will file the appeal around June 10th. The hearing with the hearing officer from the Illinois Pollution Control board will be held here in DeKalb County probably in early August.

What we need from you to help win this appeal.

1) If you tried to get a copy of the WMI application please write up about what that experience was like for you. Also let us know if you talked with a CB member about the expansion. Please contact us with any other information related to access problems or instances when you felt the county had already made up its mind. When you felt it was a “done deal.”

2) KEEP THE SIGNS UP! Continue to spread the word. The hearing with the hearing officer is a public hearing. Everyone will have at some point a time to talk about issues related to the application process and to the first public hearing.

3) We want to pack the hearing room, so start spreading the word. We would like to get over 200 out for the hearing. Mr. Mueller said that large numbers of citizens upset about this will get back to the board. It does make a difference.

4) Thank you to everyone who has made a financial contribution. Please consider making a contribution if you haven’t made on yet. And pass the word to others as well.

Together lets make this the summer we beat Waste management and averted an ecological disaster for our county and for our children.

Stop the Mega-Dump now has a YouTube Channel. Subscribe to our channel to get videos of the meetings, rallies, and events around our efforts to stop the DeKalb County Board and Waste Management.

Visit our YouTube Channel

STOP THE MEGA-DUMP RALLY
SATURDAY MAY 1ST
We will be at the Cortland Town-wide Garage Sales, handing out signs, playing music and educating the public about the Landfill Expansion Proposal. Come out to Cortland and see us. We will have signs as well.

STOP THE MEGA-DUMP RALLY
SATURDAY MAY 8TH
2 to 4 PM
In the park on the corner of North 4th Street and Lincoln Hwy DEKALB (With the Gazebo and Fountain)

There will be music and information.

Help send a strong message to the County Board that the citizens of this county do not want a mega-dump. We want to be good stewards of the county for future generations not leave them with a mountain of garbage and a potential environmental nightmare.

Please feel free to download flyers:




Landfill Expansion Issues of Concern



Ten Key Talking Points-UPDATED




Hydrogen Sulfide Fact Sheet

Last Public Hearing on Mega-Dump
Time:1:00PM Thursday, March 11th
Location:Jenkins Auditorium at Kishwaukee College, Malta IL

This is the last scheduled public hearing on the mega-dump that if approved will straddle the Union Ditch near the headwaters region of the East Branch of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River. It is located within 1/2 mile of a public elementary school that taxpayers just paid some $15 million to build.

The site is …contaminated. Contamination was confirmed on both sides of the Union Ditch. It was confirmed that H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) has leaked from the site. It is a toxic gas, heavier than air and travels in invisible plumes along the ground.

The traffic study did not take farm traffic into consideration. The routing plan is unenforceable.

Every single witness called by WMI was paid by WMI and testified that their “expert opinion” always supported whoever paid them to testify. The Town of Cortland was paid to not object to the siting application. They were paid not to assist any party objecting to the siting application. The county is being paid a tipping fee and is already spending the money BEFORE the public hearing even took place.

The County Board was placed on a gag order by County Administrator, Ray Bockman…

Get the picture?

DeKalb County residents have the opportunity to right this ship before it set sails for disaster. Come to this last public hearing. Come at 1, come at 2, come at 3… try to get there by 5. Come to show support. Come to tell the Board what you think. Bring your letter and hand deliver it to the Board. We cannot let the Board think that this is a non-issue with voters.

Please stand up and make a difference.

The landfill expansion and its potential impact on the Cortland Grade School will be on the school board meeting agenda tonight at 7:30pm. Here’s the agenda: Agenda

Interested people need to plan to come this Monday, and speak at the Public Hearing. The County Board is under the assumption that we want them to bring in 2,000 tons of garbage a day from areas to our East, so that we can have a new jail. Is this what YOU want? Please plan to come and speak.

Waste Management of Illinois, Inc., a Delaware corporation, whose address is 720 East Butterfield Road, Lombard, Illinois 60148 filed an application on November 30, 2009 requesting local siting approval for an expansion of the existing DeKalb County Landfill, which is located at 18370 Somonauk Road, DeKalb County, Illinois (“Application”).

The public hearing will be held at Kishwaukee College, 21193 Malta Road, Malta, IL 60150 in the Jenkins Auditorium beginning at 9:00 a.m. on March 1, 2010. The public hearing will be conducted by the DeKalb County Pollution Control Facility Committee (“Committee”) and will be conducted pursuant to applicable provisions of law, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/39.2, as amended, the Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq., DeKalb County Pollution Control Facility Siting Ordinance, Ordinance No. 2007-12, September 19, 2007, and Articles of Rules and Procedures, Resolution R2007-65, September 19, 2007 and August 19, 2009. The hearing may be continued from time to time for the purpose of receiving all relevant evidence. Parties wishing to testify or cross-examine witnesses at hearing must register with the County Clerk at least seven days before the hearing begins, or by the close of business on February 22, 2010. Members of the public wishing to speak during the public comment time of the public hearing are not subject to the pre-registration requirement, but the hearing officer may set rules and designate specific times for oral public comment during the hearing.

The Application is on file and available for public inspection in the Office of the DeKalb County Clerk, 110 East Sycamore, Sycamore, Illinois and the Office of the DeKalb County Board (“County Board”), 200 North Main Street, Sycamore, Illinois. Copies of the Application may be obtained from the Office of the County Clerk or the County Board upon payment of the actual cost of reproduction and proper request as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. Any person may file a written comment with the County Board concerning the appropriateness of the proposed facility for its intended purpose. In making its final determination whether to approve the Application, the County Board shall consider any such comment received or postmarked after the date the County Board received the application and not later than thirty (30) days after the date of the last public hearing thereon. Said written comments must be sent or delivered to the Office of the DeKalb County Board, 200 North Main Street, Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Such comments shall become a part of the record of the proceedings of the Committee.

Public Hearing –Waste Management of Illinois, Inc., Monday, March 1, 2010
* Host Fee Final Draft (pdf)
* Attachment D-2 Final Draft (pdf)
* Pollution Control Facility Siting Ordinance (Adopted 9/19/2-007) (pdf)
* Articles of Rules and Procedures — Pollution Control Facility Committee (Adopted 9/19/2007 Modified 8/19/2009) (pdf)