Yeoman Creek Landfill is a 70-acre former dump in Waukegan, Illinois that accepted municipal and industrial waste from 1958 to 1969. It sits within wetlands and the flood plain of Yeoman Creek. Because the landfill has no bottom liner and the soil below is permeable, contaminated leachate has been seeping into the creek since at least 1969. Landfill gas has also migrated into nearby buildings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal roster of the country's most contaminated sites, in March 1989.
EPA has identified 31 contaminants of concern found in leachate, groundwater, landfill gas, soil, sediment, and surface water. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, trichloroethene, and vinyl chloride, heavy metals including arsenic, lead, and zinc, and other hazardous substances like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pentachlorophenol. The risk assessment found that future residential use of groundwater near the site would pose an unacceptable health risk. Before cleanup, landfill gas also posed an explosion hazard, and wildlife in the creek and wetlands may have experienced significant harm.
Cleanup has been carried out by potentially responsible parties under EPA oversight. Major construction was completed in September 2005 and included removing contaminated sediment from the creek and wetlands, consolidating wastes under a protective cap, and installing landfill gas collection systems. Between 2013 and 2016, additional protective measures were added at the nearby Terrace Nursing Home, including basement sealing, methane detectors with automatic fire department alerts, and a parking lot venting system. Methane concentrations have dropped to well below concern levels since February 2017, and the active gas collection system was switched to passive operation in February 2018. Routine monitoring of landfill gas, groundwater, surface water, and sediment is ongoing. The site's fourth five-year review, completed in August 2022, found that the current remedy protects human health and the environment, with no complete exposure pathways to contaminants. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Redevelopment is underway. Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, the primary landowner, selected BQ Energy to develop a solar farm on part of the site. Zoning restrictions and other institutional controls remain in place to prevent uses such as residential development that are not appropriate given the site's cleanup level.
Community members can get involved or find more information in several ways. The EPA has published a Community Involvement Plan for City of Waukegan Sites. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources maintains a Yeoman Creek Landfill portal. The Waukegan Public Library at 128 North County Street also serves as a public information repository for site records and can be reached at 847-623-2041. Direct questions can go to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
