Evanston officials host tours of Church Street Waste Transfer Station

City officials and residents in Evanston have conducted tours of the Church Street Waste Transfer Station in an effort to increase operational transparency. Led by Alderpersons Krissie Harris and Bobby Burns, the tours aimed to address long-standing concerns from residents in the surrounding historically Black communities regarding noise and odors emitted by the facility.

Waste Management officials described the site as a “clean floor facility,” where municipal solid waste is dropped off, inspected, and transported to landfills outside of Evanston on the same day. While some officials noted that the tours helped demystify the process, some neighbors expressed continued dissatisfaction regarding the impact of the station on their neighborhoods.

The facility has operated near residential areas since the 1970s and was grandfathered into legality in 1987 despite state rulings regarding proximity to residential zones. Since 2017, the city has collected tonnage fees from the station, totaling approximately $500,000.