Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-05-19 PACKET 04.A.ii.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # DATE 5/19/10 f PREPARED BY Community Development Howard Blin ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT STAFF AUTHOR COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meetings on January 13, February 23, March 10, and April 14, 2010. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meetings on January 13, February 23, March 10, and April 14, 2010, BUDGET IMPLICATION $N /A BUDGETED AMOUNT ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION ❑ PLANNING ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ HUMAN SERVICES /RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ❑ ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ❑ MEMO /LETTER: ❑ RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: $N /A N/A ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ® ❑ ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: ® OTHER: Approved minutes of Environmental Commission meetings on 1/13/10, 2/23/10, 3/10/10, and 4/14/10 ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS } City Administrator Date COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: [APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER Minutes of the City of Cottage Grove Environmental Task Force Tuesday January 13, 2010 The Environmental Task Force met on Tuesday, January 13, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Christopher Lethgo, Matthew Loyas, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, and Chair Matthew Porett Members Absent: Rita Isker Others Present: Justin Olsen, City Council Liaison Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer Chair Porett opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Council Liaison Olsen announced that it is the intention of the Council to convert the Task Force into a standing advisory commission. This will likely be accomplished in the next few months. 1. Recap of City Council Action on 3M Incinerator Blin, Levitt, and Olsen described the City Council action of November 4, 2009 when the rec- ommendations of the Task Force on the 3M incinerator proposal were considered by the Council. It was reported that the recommendations were incorporated into an adopted resolu- tion which will be forwarded to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as the City's comments in the review of the 3M request. Review of the proposal will be part of the renewal of the air and hazardous waste permits for the 3M incinerator. It was also reported that the City Council directed the Planning Commission to prepare a Zoning Ordinance amendment to prohibit commercial hazardous waste incinerators as an al- lowed land use. The Planning Commission will consider this amendment in January. Task Force members discussed topics for future study. Porett noted that there has been much focus lately on water quality issues in Cottage Grove. This could be a topic for study. Levitt de- scribed the remediation of buried PFC wastes required of 3M called for in the decision docu- ment between the MPCA and 3M. Environmental Task Force Minutes January 13, 2010 Page 2 Porett stated that the Task Force should prioritize which topics it should tackle over the next year. He is happy to see a liaison from the City Council which allows closer direction of activities. Task Force members discussed drinking water quality issues, the health based standards for PFC's developed by the Minnesota Department of Health, and how private wells are moni- tored. The Task Force also discussed ideas for reuse of water pumped from barrier wells at the Woodbury Landfill site and 3M Cottage Grove. Olsen suggested possible topics including: the impact on the Mississippi from dredging, re- search on where Cottage Grove stands on air and water quality standards, and overall emis- sions from 3M Cottage Grove. Levitt suggested future water supply and wellhead protection issues could be addressed. Porett suggested looking at water quality issues, but more than just PFC related issues. McLoughlin suggested that the Task Force start with PFC issues then broaden to other water issues. He also suggested that the Friends of the Mississippi be asked to provide information on the river, Earth Day, etc. The Task Force directed staff that at the next meeting, information on PFC's be provided. It was determined that the next meeting would be on February 23. The meeting adjourned at 7:25 PM Submitted by Howard Blin Environmental Commission City of Cottage Grove Tuesday, February 23, 2010 The Environmental Task Force met on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Matthew Loyas, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, and Chair Matthew Porett Members Absent: Rita Isker and Christopher Lethgo Others Present: Jen Peterson, City Councilperson Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Chair Porett opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. 1. Environmental Commission Work Plan, Purpose and Duties Blin reported that the City Council adopted an amendment to the City Code establishing an Environmental Commission. Members serving on the Environmental Task Force were appointed to the Environmental Commission. McLoughlin and Isker were appointed to one -year terms, Lynch, Lethgo, and Gibson to two -year terms, and Porett and Loyas to three -year terms. Blin briefly explained that the Environmental Commission will assist and advise the City Council and City Departments in matters relating to the physical environment in Cottage Grove. Levitt suggested that the 3M PFC issue be one of the first topics to be discussed. Other topics the Commission will discuss are: • Education and outreach programs concerning conservation and environmental issues. • Study the effectiveness of de -icing equipment on the city's plow trucks for the 2009 -2010 winter season. • Review and provide recommendations on the City's Water Conservation Plan. • Review and provide recommendations on the City's Wellhead Protection Plan. • Review air permits issued by the MPCA for various businesses in the community. • Review National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the MPCA for businesses in the community. Chairperson Porett suggested that the Water Conservation Plan should be reviewed soon so any ordinance amendments the Environmental Commission recommends to the City Council can be finalized before residents start irrigating their lawns and landscaping. Environmental Commission February 23, 2010 Minutes Page 2 A question was asked if firewood vendors are required to have a permit or license from the City in order to deliver firewood to various retailers or consumers in the city. This issue will be re- searched and the Commission will be updated at a future meeting. The Commission asked when the drinking water study will be available for them to review. Levitt stated that the study should be available in April or May 2010. Porett asked if money was avail- able for a consultant to review the study. Blin explained that the City Council would have to authorize that expenditure. Levitt offered to provide information to the Commission explaining the process in preparing the City's Capital Improvements Plan and budget. Commission members expressed an interest in these topics. Councilperson Peterson suggested that the Planning Commission and Environ- mental Commission have joint meetings to discuss and review these types of topics. 2. PFC Groundwater Contamination Levitt explained that a packet of information on the PFC groundwater contamination issue in southern Washington County was included in the Commission's packet. This packet included the following: • Numerous publications from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency • MPCA's 2008 PFC's Progress Report • 3M's Quarterly Progress Reports 1 thru 9 • Minnesota Decision Document dated August 28, 2009 • 3M's Feasibility Study Work Plan; June 2007 • Boring Logs identified as Appendix A.1 thru A.6 by 3M's consultant Weston • Extraction Well Data identified as Appendix B.1 by 3M's consultant Weston • Settlement Agreement and Consent Order between 3M and MN PCA; May 2007 • MPCA's Metro Lakes Fish PFC Data for years 2007, 2008, and 2009 • Summarized results of PFC sampling of groundwater and leachate at landfills. Levitt reported that a complete feasibility report and corresponding appendices can be found at MPCA's website. Mayor Bailey thanked the members for their work as Environmental Task Force members and welcomed them as appointed members on the Environmental Commission. The scope of services proposed by Progressive Consulting Engineers, Inc. to assist the City in preparing a report on water issues relating to the 3M PFC contamination and the MPCA Deci- sion Document was discussed. Porett recommended that the professional services proposed by Progressive Consulting Engineers be accepted. McLoughlin moved to accept this proposal. Porett seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5 -0 vote). r•. • • • - r. • • •• '•. • •. McCool reported on Aggregate Industries annual mining permit for the Nelson Mine and their Environmental Impact Statement application to expand mining operations in the backwaters of Environmental Commission February 23, 2010 Minutes Page 3 the Mississippi River. Current and proposed mining operations within the Nelson Mine were described. McCool stated that the Planning Commission reviewed the annual mining permit application on February 22 and recommended to the City Council that the permit be approved, subject to certain conditions. City Council's final decision on their mining permit will be made at their meeting on March 3. McCool also updated the Commission on the EIS application and reported that the draft EIS document is scheduled to be completed sometime around September 2010. Commission mem- bers were told that representatives from state, regional, and federal agencies have been serving on a Technical Advisory Committee for this project. Their participation has provided valuable in- put and technical information for completing a draft EIS document. A copy of the draft EIS will be distributed to the Commission once it is available. 4. Approval of Minutes for the January 13, 2010 Meeting Gibson moved to accept the minutes. McLoughlin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5 -0 vote). 5. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 7:53 p.m. Submitted by John McCool City of Cottage Grove The Environmental Task Force met on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Matthew Loyas, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, Chair Matthew Porett Members Absent: Rita Isker and Christopher Lethgo Others Present: Jen Peterson, City Councilmember Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Call to Order Chair Porett opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Background on PFC's Jim Kelly, Minnesota Department of Health provided background on studies regarding the effects of PFC's. He stressed that when looking at these types of effects on workers, there are other things that could produce those effects, and it is hard to conclusively state whether one is related to the other. Gibson stated that she is an occupational medicine physician who lives in Cottage Grove and works for 3M. When she reviews these studies, she looks for statistically significant associations. As a physician she can say that they are really not clinically significant. Those associations may be statistically significant but not relative on a medical standpoint. Porett noted that on one of the slides referenced a study regarding sludge from waste water and asked if that is being drawn from waste water in this particular area. Kelly responded that it is part of a larger effort being looked at nationally and they can be found at any wastewater treatment plant. As part of an ongoing study the Environmental Protection Agency may collect samples from places where wastewater treatment sludge has been applied here in Minnesota to see where that material ends up and if that is another source of these chemicals in the broader environment. Doug Weinstein, Supervisor in the Remediation Division, Superfund Area, for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, stated he has the responsibility for all the clean up being done at the 3M disposal sites. He explained the PCA's investigation and assessment process for the Woodbury and Cottage Grove sites, how the remediation plan was approved, and provided an update of the work to date. In summary, excavation has begun at both 3M Woodbury and 3M Cottage Grove disposal sites, ground water extraction and /or the treatment systems are being Environmental Commission March 10, 2010 Minutes Page 2 designed or installed, the East Cove sediment removal design work is ongoing with removal taking place in calendar year 2011. Porett asked about the nature of the disposed materials at the Woodbury disposal site. Weinstein responded that it was an industrial waste site that consisted of shop debris and cardboard. In the late 1960s the site was intentionally set on fire with the idea of burning all the waste to get at the volatile organic compounds that were first detected in the nearby well. Porett then asked how many options for remediation were submitted. Weinstein responded that there were probably three options for each one of those main areas. Lynch asked if the Cottage Grove extraction and treatment system could be operated like Woodbury's where water is pumped, used in the facility, and discharged in the river without filtration to remove the PFCs. Websteen responded no, because as part of their settlement agreement and consent order with 3M, all of the contaminated groundwater has to be treated prior to discharge. There are uses for this water in the facility but before being discharged it has to be treated. As part of the remediation activities, there will be additional groundwater extraction wells installed but the exact number is yet to be determined. All of that water will be treated before discharge. Lynch asked if the Woodbury barrier well water is currently pumped down to Cottage Grove and eventually makes it way to the river without treatment for PFCs. Weinstein stated that is correct. Paul Hoff, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, stated that he is the supervisor of the Environmental Reporting and Special Studies Unit. He explained that they look at other places where PFCs have been showing up in Minnesota. He summarized some of the studies that his unit had done regarding PCFs, including where they are found, what the sources are, how do they move around, and how the concentrations they are finding are of concern. Gibson asked which PFCs were found in Cottage Grove municipal water. Kelly responded that PFBA, the four carbon one, has been detected in all the city's wells. Intermittently, several other PFCs have been found in a few of the wells, and three of the wells that are in one location has had low levels of PFHXS and PFBS detected. Other Business None Approval of Minutes for the February 23, 2010 Meeting Gibson moved to accept the minutes. McLoughlin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (5 -0 vote). _. IT . The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. • s s City of • r. Grove Wed nesda Ag 1 14, 1 The Environmental Task Force met on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Rita Isker, Matthew Loyas, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, Chair Matthew Porett Members Absent: Christopher Lethgo Others Present: Jen Peterson, City Councilmember Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Call to Order Chair Porett opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Approval of Agenda A motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously. Open Forum No one spoke. Presentation on Metropolitan Council Master Water Supply Plan — Chris Elvruam Chris Elvruam, Metropolitan Council, summarized the Metropolitan Council Master Water Supply Plan that was recently approved by the Met Council, which has the lofty goal of ensur- ing a sustainable water supply for current and future generations. Porett stated that in the commission packet there was a letter written by the mayors of Cottage Grove and Woodbury regarding the 3M remediation sites noting that Cottage Grove and Woodbury combined have a 6.5 million gallon per day winter draw from the Jordan and the 3M remediation plan calls for 7.4 to 9.3 million gallons per day. He asked if that figure was factored into Met Council's mod- eling of drawing from the aquifers. Elvruam stated no as they did not have that information but that could be added; the modeling is only based on what has been withdrawn in the past. Lynch asked if there is any language within the plan that prohibits the export of water from within the metro area to outside the metro area. Elvruam stated there is a state law that prohi- bits transfer across basins. Blin asked what trends they see in demand in per capita water usage. Elvruam responded that historical demand is up and down with weather; during dry years there is a higher demand. Loyas asked if this model is based on current infiltration prac- Environmental Commission April 14, 2010 Minutes Page 2 tices or were future improvements in mind. Elvruam responded it is based on current land uses; they used the Soil Water Balance Model from the United States Geological Survey, which takes into consideration land use, topography, soils, and climate. Loyas asked about lo- cating wells from surface water features. Elvruam stated that wells could be moved around to help protect those surface water features, but the potential adverse impact versus the extra cost should be looked at. Councilmember Olsen asked if the Met Council has a strong rela- tionship with all the various groups in this state that are responsible for water manager includ- ing the Board of Water and Soil Resources, the DNR, the Department of Health, and the PCA. Elvruam responded that one of the things that the legislature required was that the Council look at the roles of these agencies in the metro area. The Health Department is responsible for ensuring drinking water standards, the DNR for ensuring that the withdrawals and appropria- tions are permitted and do not impact natural resources, the PCA is involved with remediation, the Board of Water and Soil Resources is involved with land and water management, and the Met Council is involved with planning. He believes the coordination between agencies is vastly improved over the last several years. Water Conservation Ordinance Amendment Porett explained that at the last meeting, the Commission asked staff about drafting an ordin- ance amendment regarding watering restrictions during certain times of the day to help further water conservation efforts. He presented the draft ordinance for discussion. Levitt explained that the City is looking at opportunities to enhance education related to water conservation, especially as it relates to our appropriations for future wells. She stated that education out- reach efforts are going to be increased. The Commission asked about current enforcement mechanisms. Levitt responded that the Public Works Department is very conscious of the odd /even watering ban, so if Public Works staff notice people are watering not on their day, most times it is a courtesy knock and a discussion about the city's policy. They have had to use community service officers in the past for enforcement, though not in the past few years. Levitt explained that in the current ordinance requires the city council to impose emergency regulations pertaining to the conservation of water. The DNR has noted that by the time the city council can be convened, the water shortage could become too critical. The DNR has rec- ommended to cities that the public works director or someone with a similar position have the ability to issue a water emergency so restrictions can be immediately posted and enforced. Porett stated that this ordinance amendment would be tabled until next the meeting. Cottage Grove Event Update Levitt reported that there are upcoming events in the city that have some environmental focus to them. The Arbor Day event is Saturday, April 24, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Cottage Grove Public Works facility. A variety of vendors will be there to talk about different landscap- ing items, maintenance related to trees, emerald ash borer, and free paper shredding. The an- nual Spring Clean -Up & Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday, May 1 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Public Works. The City's Volunteer Tree Planting Event is on Saturday, May 8, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at Highlands Park. .. . . . ',. Environmental Commission April 14, 2010 Minutes Page 3 Levitt stated that included in the packet was a letter sent to the Department of Natural Re- sources, PCA, and the Department of Health from the Mayors of Cottage Grove and Woodbury regarding the establishment of a work group to look through the remediation efforts that are underway and requesting those agencies' participation along with a variety of the agencies in- cluding the Met Council, additional cities, 3M, South Washington Watershed District, and Washington County. The work group will look at water conservation, options for the pumped out water after it is treated, if there is some other use, the concentration of discharge of the treated pump out water being proposed to be discharged in the Mississippi, and the request from 3M for a pumping reduction rate at their Woodbury disposal site. She updated the Com- mission on a workshop with the City Council held at their last meeting where they gave direc- tion to request additional time from the PCA beyond the 45 days to thoroughly review this request and verify there is no impact to our drinking water supply, which is downstream from this site. The first meeting will be held in mid -May. Other Business Porett reminded the Commission that the next meeting will be a tour of the 3M remediation sites at 5:00 p.m. in the 3M administration building. The regular meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. Box lunches will be available. Olsen stated that Levitt summarized the items related to the Environmental Commission that the City Council discussed. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.