ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES LAWSUIT OVER FIRES AT HARBOR VIEW WASTE FACILITY

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES LAWSUIT OVER FIRES AT HARBOR VIEW WASTE FACILITY

August 07, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today filed a lawsuit against Stony Island Reclamation Co., Land and Lakes Co., and J.L.W. Trucking LLC, which operated the facility under the name of Whole Earth Compost, alleging that the companies endangered the environment and public safety by allowing fires to break out at the Harbor View waste facility, a closed landfill site.

Raoul's lawsuit, filed in the Cook County Circuit Court, details how the companies allowed fires at the site and created an explosion risk at the facility that threatened the health and welfare of nearby residents. The facility, which was closed in 2003, is located on the Southeast Side of Chicago in an area of environmental justice concern. The lawsuit also alleges that composting operations at the site violated permitted conditions and that unlawful open dumping and illegal air pollution occurred at the site.

"The danger this site presented to its neighbors is unacceptable," Raoul said. "The defendants needed to have addressed the fires sooner and must prevent the conditions that caused them, plus ensure that the site operations comply with Illinois' environmental laws moving forward. I want to thank the community members and advocates who met with my team about the environmental concerns facing the Southeast Side of Chicago and promptly alerted us to the issue. I will continue to protect all Illinois communities by ensuring that companies are held accountable when they break environmental laws."

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) inspected the Harbor View facility in April 2026. IEPA inspectors observed large piles of waste and litter smoldering at the site. Fires were observed near an existing gas extraction well designed to remove landfill gas that contains methane, which is a highly flammable gas.

Though the fires were extinguished, Raoul is asking the court to order the defendants to, among other things, prevent future fires at the site, control litter and cease any open dumping, in compliance with the requirements of applicable permits, as well as all federal and state regulations.

The lawsuit is based on a referral from the IEPA.

"I appreciate the local residents who notified the agency of their concerns with this facility, and the Attorney General's partnership in ensuring that fires were extinguished for the safety of surrounding communities," said IEPA Director James Jennings.

The Attorney General's office enforces Illinois' environmental protection laws. Attorney General Raoul's Environmental Enforcement Division, which enforces civil environmental laws, has recovered millions of dollars from polluters and required companies to undertake environmental improvement projects in communities impacted by pollution. Raoul encourages residents to report environmental justice and other environmental concerns to his office by emailing [email protected].

Assistant Attorneys General Cara Sawyer and Christina Scanlon are handling the case for Raoul's Environmental Bureau.