Recent heavy rains led to a landslide at a landfill on Cottage Grove Avenue, causing sections of grass and soil to slide onto the road.
As the landslide occurred adjacent to a power line, ComEd crews hurried onto the scene to quickly handle any potential electrical issues. Meanwhile, steps were taken to temporarily close sections of Cottage Grove and 138th Street to ensure the safety of local residents and to initiate the cleanup process, according to the same ABC 7 report.
Speaking to WBBM Newsradio, Mary Margaret Cowhey, president of Land and Lakes, the family-run company that owns the landfill, expressed her belief that water infiltration into the cover system caused the vegetative layer to slide off the landfill. In her 50 years of experience with landfills, Cowhey has only witnessed a similar landslide once before.
The exact scale of this landslide is staggering – the 2-foot-tall, 100 feet by 100 feet section of grass and soil also pushed a nearby ComEd utility pole to an alarming 45-degree angle. Cowhey points out that although the landfill is still enclosed and poses no immediate environmental threat, the incident draws attention to the need for continued scrutiny and maintenance of landfills around the nation.
Cowhey and her team at Land and Lakes have sought the assistance of engineers and surveyors to swiftly evaluate and repair the plastic geo-membrane that seals the landfill. In the meantime, cleanup crews are diligently working to clear the mound of dirt and grass from the affected area, hoping to soon allow the streets to be to safely reopen.
