Sludge Watch ==> Chicago area- What is causing the stink?

[Maureen Reilly]

Zion odors not from us, NSSD says

November 11, 2006
By Ed Collins SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-SUN
GURNEE -- North Shore Sanitary District officials want the public to know 
that complaints about foul odors in the vicinity of Ninth Street and Green 
Bay Road in west Zion are not being emitted from the district's new sludge 
recycling plant there.

District President Stephen Drew of Waukegan defended NSSD environmental 
practices after several recent public reports suggested the district might 
be to blame.

"It's definitely not us," said Drew, explaining that former sludge landfills 
in the area are no longer used and have been encapsulated to prevent such 
problems.

Drew said the new sludge recycling facility at the site, which is in testing 
stage, is designed as a "closed loop" system which prohibits odors from 
leaving the plant.

Drew said he had no idea where the odors are coming from, but he 
acknowledged that a waste hauler operates a landfill nearby.

"I don't want to blame anyone, because I simply don't know the source of the 
problem. I just know it isn't us because we have already checked it out," he 
said.

The NSSD is in the process of opening the new sludge recycling plant on the 
site of the former Zion sludge landfill property. Using a new European 
technology, the district decided to close its long-standing landfills and 
instead process its waste sludge from its three sanitary treatment plants in 
Gurnee, Highland Park and Waukegan at the new Zion plant.

The process involves drying and melting the excess sludge into small 
glass-like black pellets which can then be used commercially as roadbed 
materials.

The plant is expected to conclude its testing phase and begin normal 
operations soon.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/132347,5_1_WA11_SMELLS_S1.article