Loading...
01-17-1989 CC MIN - SPECIAL e SPECIAL INFORMATIONAL MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER CITY COUNCIL HELD AT THE ELK RIVER SALK JR HIGH COMMONS AREA TUESDAY. JANUARY 17. 1989 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Tralle. Councilmember Holmgren. Schuldt. Dobel. and Kropuenske MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Patrick Klaers. City Administrator; Stephen Rohlf. Building and Zoning Administrator Pursuant to due call and notice thereof. the meeting of the Elk River City Council was called to order by Mayor Tralle at 7:05 p.m. Mayor Tralle opened the meeting by explaining that the purpose was to allow the citizens of Elk River additional exposure to an environmental issue and hear their concerns so that they can be research prior to the public hearing for the Elk River Landfill's request to landfill ash. At this time. Councilmember Harold Dobel stated that he was stepping down from the Elk River Landfill advisory committee. because he felt it would be a conflict of interest as a Councilmember acting on the Landfill's request. e At this time. He went into storage cell. Chris Kreger of the Elk River Landfill explained his request. detail on ground water flow and the design of his proposed ash Mayor Tralle opened the meeting to the public. Don Driesen. of 324 Main Street. Elk River. asked that if after the five year period for the proposed temporary ash disposal site. would the ash be removed. Mr. Kreger responded that his proposed temporary ash disposal site could be for more than five years; in order for the ash to be removed a permanent site would have to be located. City Administrator. Pat Klaers. questioned where the leechate collected from this ash disposal site would go. Mr. Kreger responded that the leechate would go to a Metro Waste Control site. probably Pigseye. Mr. Klaers further questioned whether or not the Elk River Landfill was looking for a permanent site also. Mr. Kreger responded that he would be requesting a permanent site. but not at this time. Sally Thompson. of Elk River. questioned Mr. Kreger on how much leechate he now collects from his currently lined mixed solid waste cell at the Landfill. Mr. Kreger responed that it was about five thousand gallons per week or one trucks worth. e Stephen Rohlf. Building and Zoning Administrator. had Mr. Kreger clarify that his current application was for a type 1 ash disposal cell within the northern forty acres owned by the Landfill. which is part of his current mixed municipal waste disposal site. Mr. Kreger confirmed this. Page 2 Elk River City Council Minutes January 17, 1989 e ---------------------------------- Mayor Tralle asked Mr. Kreger if it wasn't a waste of time to request without a specific contract from a producer of ash. explained that it would put him in a "catch 22" for the City not to request prior to a contract. It was Mr. Kreger's opinion that would not be let without an approved site. review his Mr. Kreger review his a contract Stephen Rohlf, Building and Zoning Administrator, expressed his concern that unless the Landfill could narrow down their request as to what type of ash they propose. it would be difficult for the City to review the permit feeling that different ash would have possibly different concerns that would effect the design of the storage facility. Mr. Kreger indicated that his request was for mass burn ash and RDF ash storage. Councilmember Holmgren asked how many were making application there were seven landfills in proposal for ash disposal. Mr. use ash as asphalt aggregate locked into the asphalt. many landfills were in the metro area and how for ash disposal. Mr. Kreger responded that the metro area and that only one was making a Kreger briefly explained USPCI's proposal to and that they claim the contaminates can be Rita Johnson of Elk River questioned Mr. Kreger's sorces for graphs showing different contaminates with different types of waste. Mr. Kreger responed that Donahue Engineering and MPCA were the sources of his contaminate graphs. e Sally Thompson asked Mr. Kreger if the DNR would be involved in monitoring the Rice Lake drainage. which is adjacent to the Landfill. Mr. Kreger indicated that in 1981 the DNR said MPCA would deal with the concerns and the Army Core of Engineers indicated that they did not have jurisdiction in the area. Sally Thompson stated that she felt that increasing the leechate generator from contaminates that are migrating towards responded that the liner will take care of it. the Landfill's request for ash was the site, and also increasing the the site boundry. Mr. Kreger leechate and the contaminates from Mrs. Thompson then questioned Mr. Kreger on the installation of his lysimeter to detect whether the liner was leaking and whether or not a leak could go undetected. Mr. Kreger responded that the monitoring wells around the site would be the next line of detection. Rita Johnson asked Mr. Kreger if there was a contaminate problem with his temporary ash disposal site if it would take another three years for reimmedial action to begin. Mr. Kreger indicated that the $4.00 per ton for material brought into the landfill was set aside for reimmedial action. He further explained that some of the options being looked at for the current contaminates at the site included a ground water interception system, and possibly a synthetic final Cover to eliminate 1eechate from being generated. e Councilmember Kropuenske questioned whether money is the reason that current clean up is not proceeding any more rapidly. Page 3 Elk River City Council Minutes January 17, 1989 ---------------------------------- e Mayor Tra11e asked if the $200,000 spent by the Landfill researching ash disposal would not have been better spent to clean up existing contamination problems at the landfill. Mr. Kreger indicated that he has currently spent in the neighborhood of $750,000 studying the current contamination problem and it would take another five to six hundred thousand dollars to finish that study. He indicated that the clean up itself would cost one to three million dollars and that his request for ash was to ensure the Landfill had money for this clean up. Norma Coleman, of Elk River, questioned whether there would be dust from ash disposal. Mr. Kreger responded that the site would be wetted to hold dust down. Counci1member Dobe1 questioned whether the ash would be brought to the site in enclosed trailers. He also questioned what would happen if all the precautions taken on the site to ensure no contamination is generated from ash disposal fail, and what the life expentancy of the synthetic liner was. Mr. Kreger indicated that there was a contingency fund that would help in the worst case scenario. He also responed that the life expectancy of the synthetic liner is approximately twenty years, but after that twenty years, contaminates are leeched out and collected and the site would be capped. Further stated that there is a clay backup liner besides the synthetic liner. e Tom Thompson, of Elk River, questioned why monitoring wells were only tested three times per year. Mr. Kreger went into a brief explanation of the speed of contaminates moving through ground water. Sally Thompson questioned whether or not Mr. Kreger was fami1ier with the deverse geological makeup in the area of the Elk River Landfill. She further questioned with deversity of the geological makeup whether ground water flows could accurately be predicted. There being no further questions, Mayor Tra11e closed the meeting to the public at this time. The City administrator updated the City Council on a number of recent activities. This update included the distribution of the draft feasibi1ty study of extending sewer and water to the western area of Elk River (blue cover); the scheduled 3/21/89 Chamber of Commerse meeting, which has the State of City on its agenda; the city contribution of $250.00 to the 2/25/89 2001 Conference; and National Radio Program 15 Minute Segment on the City of Elk River on Saturday, 1/21/89. ~~YMe~LMMMIER KROPUENSKE MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN ~~~~~ THE MOTION. THE MOTION PASSED 5-0. e Page 4 Elk River City Council January 17, 1989 ---------------------------------- tit The meeting of Elk River City Council adjourned at 9:35 p.m. Other than the City Council, City Staff and the Landfill Committee, there were approximately 20 citizens attending this informational meeting. Respectfully submitted, /~~ Stephen Rohlf Building and Zoning Administrator e e