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Fort Sheridan Landfill removal to begin soon

Published June 29, 2016
The project delivery team visited the Landfill 1 site at Fort Sheridan to discuss the site work which will take place beginning in late June.
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The project delivery team visited the Landfill 1 site at Fort Sheridan to discuss the site work which will take place beginning in late June.

An informational public meeting was held April 28 to address residents’ concerns about the landfill remediation at Fort Sheridan.
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An informational public meeting was held April 28 to address residents’ concerns about the landfill remediation at Fort Sheridan.

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At the end of June 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District will begin digging up and removing a 1.1-acre landfill on Fort Sheridan in Lake Forest, Illinois.

The landfill, which is located on U.S. Army Reserve property, was used in the 1940s and 50s as a dumpsite for the installation. Materials recovered from soil borings in the landfill included soil fill, coal cinders and ash, broken glass and miscellaneous construction debris.

“We concluded that removing all waste and contaminated soil and disposing of it at a permitted disposal facility was the best remedy to be protective of human health and the environment,” said David Dierken, USACE Louisville District project manager. “This remedy also allows for no property restrictions for future use.”

To prepare residents about the upcoming work the Corps, along with the City of Lake Forest, the 88th Army Reserve, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the construction contractor—Ch2mHill, hosted a public meeting April 28 to inform community members about the Landfill 1 remediation and site restoration.

“Our intent was to reach out to the residents and address any concerns they might have before the work begins,” said Dierken, “We understand the inconvenience this may place on residents and we’ve taken measures to reduce the impact as much as possible.”

To help prevent dirt and dust all trucks leaving the site will be cleaned and street sweepers will be used as needed to keep the roads and sidewalks dust free. The site will be sprayed with water to help prevent dust as well.

After all the waste is excavated and removed from the landfill site, sampling will be done to ensure waste and contaminated soil has been removed. Then, clean backfill soil will be used for fill. The existing parking lot and grassed area will be restored on the Army Reserve property and on the Lake Forest property the landfill will be restored as a natural ravine, consistent with the on-going ecosystem restoration project there. Additionally, native plant species will be planted to enhance the area. All work is expected to be complete in spring 2017.