Information on the County Owned Landfill

Will County was given land by the federal government to develop into a landfill to serve the residents, schools and businesses in a local and cost-effective manner.  The land was part of the former Joliet Arsenal Site, located near Wilmington, just south of Joliet.

The operation of the landfill was bid and awarded to Waste Management.  This created a Public/Private Partnership that allows the County to provide needed, local waste disposal,  fund required waste generation and diversion information and fulfill the goals of the County Solid Waste Plan, including providing special recycling collection and educational programs.

The municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal site was named the Prairie View Landfill and Recycling Facility and it accepted it's first load of MSW on January 19, 2004.  Today, the site takes in an average of 2,500 tons of MSW a day.  There is a small recycling drop-off container at the site, but no other recycling takes place.  Once the garbage arrives, it is flattened and a daily cover is placed over it to prevent wind blown debris and animal or bird scavenging.

As the material accumulates, much of it decomposes.  This decomposing process generates methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that by federal law much be piped out of the landfill and flared off.  It was always the intention of the County to add a Gas-to-Energy (GTE) plant at the landfill to turn the methane gas into electricity.  Thanks to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Will County was able to enter into a second Public/Private partnership with Waste Management to build a GTE plant a few years earlier than originally planned.

For more information on the GTE plant, click Here.