12/10/1979 Board of Public Works Minutes

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279 REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 10. 1979 to his knowledge, no request that the State or EPA has made relating to operating techniques or equipment has been ignored. Mr. Paul Trost noted that all recommendations of the Health Department with regard to the operation, including the scrubber and the new stacks, have been or are being complied with and they have the assurance of Mr. Brophy that he will continue to cooperate. Dr. John Lyon said the agreement calls for reports on all incoming waste and asked if residents could see those reports. Mr. Trost said they have continuously monitored the operation and those reports are available at the site, but are not on file in the Health Department because space limitations do not permit them to keep this volume of records in their office. Dr. Lyon asked why the City entered into this lease if they are not'in the business of monitoring. Mr. McMahon repeated that the Health Department is the agency charged with monitoring and that Department has made regular inspections. He pointed out that it is the siting issue which should be reviewed. The inspection and monitoring; are functions of the Health Department. The siting is a political and administrative decision. Mr. McMahon said he supports the siting investigation and would ask that they proceed with that issue in a professional manner. Dr. Lyon questioned other conditions of the agreement and asked if there was a laboratory located at the facility for testing. Mr. Trost said the operation and facility have been monitored but some requirements are not instantaneous. A laboratory will be developed on the site for testing. There has been an increase in the stack heights at the request of the Health Department. A new scrubber has been.installed. In October, their permit was extended. The operation has increased since its' initial operation and Mr, Brophy has cooperated with any requirements asked of him. Mr. Trost said the Health Department has inspected and monitored the operation and has received appropriate responses believed to be in the best interests of the public health and welfare. He said the Health Department is aware of the fears of the neighborhood and will work to alleviate them. Mr. McMahon then noted two minor flaws in his report of last week which do not change the substance of the report. One, he listed two individuals who had been contacted at the State Board of Health - a Mr. Kearney and a Mr. Hunt. Mr. Trost has advised him that Mr. Hunt was not here at that particular time. Mr. Hunt has been here on other occasions. Secondly, he stated that all of the samples were transmitted tothe EPA and that was wrong. All samples have been transmitted to the State Board of Health. Mr. Hunt was contacted and he verified that he had taken samples from the tanks. Mr. McMahon said his report was accurate and reflects information that he has received. Dr. Lyon said Mr. Wolf had indicated his source of information was the County Board of Health. Mr. Trost said the only conversation he had with Mr. Wolf was at the meeting held here last week and a copy of regulations that was mailed, but no other contact. Dr. Lyon commented on the size of the operation and noted that some people have expressed surprise that the operation has expanded when the original agreement calls for twenty -four hours of operation. Mr. Brunner advised Dr. Lyon that the Board did anticipate that this would be a twenty -four hour a day operation. When this matter was brought before the Common Council, they were made aware of this fact. This is all a matter of record. This is all a matter of record. Those who have registered a complaint about the location of the site have -not looked into the documented history of the facility. Mr. Brunner said he has served with Mr. McMahon on the Board of Public Works for four years and he resents the implication that he has not acted in a straightforward manner. He said he felt Mr. Wolf misspoke. This is the sort of debate that should be based on the facts and issues as they are presented and the Board is trying to do that. Mr. Brunner said this Board will be