Former superfund site in illinois becomes community solar farm, delivering energy savings to low-income residents

A contaminated landfill that once posed an environmental threat to Waukegan, Illinois, has been transformed into a powerful symbol of clean energy justice. The new 9.1-megawatt Yeoman Solar Project, built on a former Superfund site, now provides affordable renewable energy to approximately 1,000 households while generating lease revenue for the local school district.

The Yeoman Creek Landfill operated as an industrial waste dump from 1958 to 1969, leaching toxic chemicals into the surrounding wetlands before being designated a Superfund site in 1989. After cleanup was completed in 2005, the contaminated land sat vacant for years with limited development options. Solar energy emerged as the perfect solution—providing economic benefits while avoiding the risks of residential or commercial construction on remediated soil.

Former workers’ rights organizer Fredy Amador has become a local advocate for the project, helping dozens of neighbors sign up for community solar subscriptions that guarantee savings on their electricity bills. Through Illinois’s Solar for All program, which prioritizes low-income communities, residents can access clean energy without installing panels on their own homes. Amador expects to save about $300 annually through his subscription.

The project represents a model for environmental justice, turning a community liability into an asset that benefits residents who have long suffered from industrial pollution. With thousands of closed landfills across the nation and supportive state policies making such projects financially viable, the Waukegan solar farm demonstrates how contaminated sites can be repurposed to advance both climate goals and economic equity.