Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-12-15 PACKET 04.A.i.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # DATE 12/15/10 INKIZIMIMMITm- F010111M U01 V lei 10 M 9 11 Lose] .0. I ffi RUN "oward • 9 ' Q01 1 1 2 0 4 Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meetings on July 14, September 8, and October 13, 2010. Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meetings on July 14, September 8, and October 13, 2010. BUDGET IMPLICATION: $N/A $N/A N/A BUDGETED AMOUNT ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION: DATE REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ PLANNING ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ El ❑ ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ El ❑ ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ El ❑ ❑ HUMAN SERVICES/RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ENVIRONMENTAL 12/8/10 El ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS: City Administrator Date COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: MAPPROVED DENIED OTHER Environmental Commissio City • Cottage Grove Wednesday, July 14, 201 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on July 14, 2010, in the Council Chambers and telecast on Local Government Cable Channel 16. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Rita Isker, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, David Olson, Matthew Porreft Members Absent: Christopher Lethgo, Matthew Loyas Others Present: Justin Olsen, City Councilmember Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Mfln-1154= McLoughlin opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. He introduced David Olson, the newest member of the Environmental Commission. zumm��� UIP I I III I � I • , 1 11 6 0 0 11�11IM� 1 11 1 I i I I I I I 1 • [• f =_ ZM=l I 2330= Blin reported that for the past few months, the City and 3M have engaged in discussions about installing an air monitor at the 3M plant site that would periodically test the air for various pollu- tants including heavy metals and VOCs. 3M has offered to pay for most of that monitoring. There are still questions about what would be monitored for what length of time. At the last City Environmental Commission July 14, 2010 Minutes Page 2 Council meeting, the Mayor read a statement summarizing the City's position on the incinerator. They also announced that the City Council will hold a public forum on August 4 at Cottage Grove Middle School with representatives from the MPCA, 3M, the City, and the Coalition of Concerned Citizens. The intent of the forum is to provide information and answer questions re- garding the proposal. McLoughlin asked that at least one person from the Environmental Com- mission attend the forum. A question was asked if the old permit continues indefinitely. Blin responded that as long as a company has applied to the MPCA for renewal, they can continue to operate under that permit. The City has had extensive discussions with the MPCA about air monitoring. There was a question about if the MPCA would operate the air monitoring station even if it was funded by 3M. Blin responded that the City would install and operate the equipment that would be provided by 3M. The testing would be done by a consultant under contract to the City. The Commission asked for a copy of the response to the June 16 memo regarding the annual air monitoring network plan. Levitt stated that they only provided a verbal response, not a written one. The Commission requested a written response was requested by the Commission. A question was asked about comparing the current air quality with the air quality after the permit is amended. Levitt stated a baseline would be established before outside waste was brought in. In response to question regarding cost of the monitoring, Blin stated that it would be about $60,000 to $80,000 a year. Levitt responded to a question regarding location of the testing station ex- plaining that the key focus is to reduce the amount of outside influences on the air monitor, so it would be better to have it the closer to the source. Blin explained that the City is asking for sampling of various heavy metals, particulate matter, and VOCs. 3M has resisted paying for testing for VOCs because the incinerator is a very small source of VOC emissions, which the City confirmed with PCA data. He stated that there are other emission sources at the 3M campus that have higher levels of VOC. Blin stated that the City does plan to measure for VOCs. He noted that there is an agreement that the testing would be done for three years. Environmental Commission July 14, 2010 Minutes Page 3 documented. Olson asked if an alternative could be that the City request participation in that process rather than financing air quality control tests. Blin responded that the PCA is currently reviewing those tests, and they could share their reports with the City. Levitt noted that the City's consultant randomly pulled dates and reviewed 3M's data and did not find anything out of com- pliance. Isker stated that it may be beneficial for Olson to tour the incinerator. There was a comment expressing concern that 3M is unwilling to open their land use permit to add a guarantee that the incinerator would not become a commercial operation. Isker pointed out that that the VOC emissions from 3M were minute compared to any other industries around the area. It was noted that there could be other components emanating from the 3M campus that could contribute significantly to pollution levels and there are VOC emissions from the other operations that far exceed what comes from the incinerator. Isker asked about the amounts of VOCs in the toxic release inventories for the overall site. The response was that compared to the rest of the facility, around 5 percent of total VOCs come from the incinerator versus the rest of the operations. All ••.-R-3 Me I C I i i 1 .2 1 , 7M, Levitt stated that last meeting the Commission toured the 3M Cottage Grove facility to view their remediation efforts in removing the contaminated from Cells D1, D2, and D9, and saw where their initial barrier wells were installed in the East Cove. After the tour, 3M gave a presentation on the pumping change they were proposing at the Woodbury site. The Woodbury disposal site is located just to the north of the City's border, and the plume containing PFCs coming from that site has direct impact on our municipal water supply. She noted that Cottage Grove municipal wells do not have PFC chemicals above health based values. 3M wants to reduce pumping from two wells to conserve water and because they don't believe it adds any additional capture zone to the contaminated zone of material. The Mayor sent a letter to the MPCA Commissioner on June 16 opposing that reduction in pumping, but asking that they give strong consideration to a letter from the Department of Health that outlined specific guidelines and testing if they wished to proceed with a reduction in pumping. Isker asked if any of that water was being reused. Blin stated that the incinerator is a large consumer of that water. • ml I inw—nignmimp! �1:1 • Environmental Commission July 14, 2010 Minutes Page 4 place. Blin responded they are mostly policy issues that would need to be adopted. It was asked if the best practices already established • is the Commission going to help develop those. Blin responded that some are established and some will be developed as this program goes along. I) was the consensus of the Commission to recommend this but they want more information prior • starting the program. There was also concern expressed about the amount • staff time speni • this program. Commission members asked that a copy • the presentation be e-mailed to them. It was suggested that this program could be used to recruit businesses and developers to the city. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes from the May 12, 2010 meeting of the Environmental Commission. The minutes were declared approved. Blin provided an update to the Commission on the Public Safety/City Hall facility project. There was a question about the plan for the current City Hall site. Blin responded that the land would be sold to a new user. A question was asked about the age of this building. Blin stated that the original building was opened in 1968 and it has been expanded over the years. Gibson asked if there are plans to widen County Road 19. Blin responded that eventually, probably 10 years or more, CR19 would expand to four lanes and 85th Street would be extended to the east to tie in with the Parkway. Levitt explained that turn lanes will be installed on CR19 as an interim meas- ure. Staff displayed roadway and trailway plans to the Commission. Blin explained the future land uses in the areas adjacent to the site. McLoughlin stated that there is a conflict with due to a City Council meeting on that date and The next meeting will be on September 8. August 11 Environmental Commission meeting it was suggested that this meeting be canceled. F_'• A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m. M Environmental Commission City • Cottage Grove Wednesday, September 8, 2010 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on September 8, 2010, in the Council Chambers and telecast on Local Government Cable Channel 16. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, Rita Isker, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, Matthew Porrett Members Absent: Christopher Lethgo, David Olson Others Present: Justin Olsen, City Councilmember Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Porreft opened the meeting at TOO p.m. [07=7 r4=1 I Lgmyamatj " A t Ifl -IH,A • ,A Environmental Commission September 8, 2010 Minutes Page 2 view of what the network is and their plans for improving the network. MPCA has been talking with city staff about potentially locating some additional monitoring sites in the Cottage Grove area. The overview included what ambient groundwater quality monitoring is all about, how their agency interacts with others in groundwater quality monitoring issues, an overview of the current network and plans for improving it, and provided some of the details associated with putting a monitoring well in and sampling it. There was a question about when the wells would be in- stalled. Kroening stated that they have an agreement with a well driller to install the wells but they need access agreements in place before they can do so. They are hoping they get access to install this fall, and the installation procedure takes a couple days. It was asked if the selected wells are tested for emerging concerns, and is that where the health department comes in. Kroening responded that the MPCA works with the health department on the data, they also have a program on contaminants of emerging concern and are very interested in this data be- cause the analytical capabilities for analyzing these compounds in water has progressed a lot further than just determining the toxicological effects of these compounds. They are prioritizing which chemicals they are going to be able to research to determine what the human health ef- fects are. It was asked if the new wells, during their first round of testing, get treated as a se- lected well and then standard monitoring after that. Kroening responded that right now they are trying to focus on the areas where they would expect to find contaminants of emerging concern most frequently, so the wells that would most likely be analyzed first are located in residential areas that use septic tanks for their wastewater treatment. They also locate some within a sewered residential area. Levitt asked if the data would be available online. Kroening explained that their environmental data access system would have all of the inorganic and VOC data on- line. They have a contract with another federal agency for the contaminants of emerging con- cern so those take longer for them to post. All the data will be publicly available. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approving the access agreements to the sites for ambient groundwater monitoring program. Motion passed unanimously. Len-T 4 U2 = Z 17 T I a = A motion was made and seconded to recommend to the City Council that the City apply for de- signation as a GreenStep City. Motion passed unanimously. Environmental Commission September 8, 2010 Minutes Page 3 Councilmember Olsen provided an update on the 3M incinerator. He stated that after ongoing negotiations between the City and 3M, common ground was found on an ambient air monitoring station proposed to be placed on 3M property. The site was to be selected by 3M staff and the City's consultant. The City Council unanimously (5-to-0 vote) accepted the ambient air monitor- ing agreement about a month ago. The monitoring station is going to be installed within the next month to gain baseline figures to provide comparison to the types of emissions that are currently being generated by the incinerator and what would be the result of the Ws proposal to bring in hazardous waste from an outside vendor to fuel their incinerator. The volatile organic com- pounds (VOCs) that will be measured are funded by the City. The agreement is approximately three years, the City will fund the VOC testing for that period of time, and the remainder of the material being tested will be funded by 3M for around $290,000 which includes the cost and in- stallation of the monitoring station. Levitt stated that the equipment has been ordered and is scheduled to arrive in late September; it is anticipated that sampling would begin in the first part of October. Blin stated he believes the IVIPCA permit process will begin around the first of the year; it is be- ing reviewed by at the EPA right now. It was asked if the goal is to have the monitoring station operational sometime in October to get a few months of data for a baseline. Blin responded that there should be between three to six months of data. Olsen stated that once the permit process begins through the IVIPCA, there will be multiple open meetings for citizen input and the City was assured that one of those meetings will be held in Cottage Grove. Those meeting dates will be set once the MPCA receives the permit application from the EPA and the City will announce those dates through various means, including the Bulletin and the City's newsletter that goes to all households each month with the utility bills. Environmental Commission September 8, 2010 Minutes Page 4 There was a question about the location of the monitoring station. Blin responded that it is lo- cated on the 3M campus, within 1,000 feet northwest of the incinerator. It is fairly close to the incinerator; all of the technical experts stress that the key is to get as close to the stack as possible, generally in the prevailing wind direction. It was asked if it will be geared mostly toward capturing what's coming out of the incinerator. Blin responded that it will also capture the rest of the campus but it is focused on the incinerator. A question was asked if all the monitors in the state are monitoring for the same chemicals. Levitt stated that we are using the exact same protocol for how things are analyzed, collected, and for the same constituents, so we will have very comparable data with the rest of the state. LOT 71--M Blin reminded the Commission about the joint meeting with the City Council a week from tonight. Staff will notify the members not in attendance this evening to remind them of that meeting. FIN rWM A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Environmental Commission City • Cottage Grove Wednesday, October 13, 201 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on October 13, 2010, in the Council Chambers and telecast on Local Government Cable Channel 16. Attendees Members Present: Barbara Gibson, David Olson Members Absent: Christopher Lethgo, Rita Isker, Patrick Lynch, Patrick McLoughlin, Matthew Porrett Others Present: Justin Olsen, City Councilmember Howard Blin, Community Development Director Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer John McCool, Senior Planner Gibson opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. She noted that due to the lack of a quorum, this will be an informational meeting and no formal actions will be taken. WTMM�� = Olson made a motion to approve the agenda. Gibson seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Olson asked what the official start time is for Environmental Commission meetings. Blin re- sponded that the meetings start at 7:00 p.m. McC•• l summarized the staff memo regarding the Environmental Impact Statement for Nelson Mine located on Lower Grey Cloud Island. He introduced Jeff Lee from Barr Engineering, who has been the lead consultant for the preparation of the EIS, to provide an update • the process of the EIS, what studies were reviewed, some of the environmental issues that were identified in the review process, and the timeline for the EIS process. Olson asked for detail • the coarseness • the material. Lee explained that the material is about 40 percent gravel that is about a quarter inch to half inch in size, and the remaining •0 percent is a like beach sand. This material was deposited by the glaciers. Olson asked if they use all • it. Lee responded that they are mining for the gravel and the sand they don't take is used to fill in the pit. Environmental Commission October 13, 2010 Minutes Page 2 Lee explained about the archeological surveys that were conducted. Blin asked if the DEIS ad- dresses the fact that Pool 2 is an artificial artifact of the dam in Hastings, clarifying that when it is not a natural environment for the mussels that were studied. Lee stated that the report does talk about the whole history of the area, including that it had been dry land that was flooded when the dam was constructed. He stated that one of the environmental benefits of this project is that currently Aggregate Industries transports its material by barge to St. Paul/Minneapolis, and the aggregate shipped by barge is the equivalent of 60,000 trucks on the metropolitan highway system every year. He stated that the biggest impacts include losing wetlands over 20 years, impact on the mussels, lost the vegetation, change in water quality, and reduced recreational opportunities. The applicant has to propose mitigation as part of the EIS. The impacts that need mitigating include construction of islands for water quality, fisheries, and wildlife; relocation of some mussels to quality habitat locations; development of a plan to monitor water quality; con- struction of a canoe launch on Grey Cloud Island that would be open to the public; erosion con- trol measures; development of wetlands; and vegetation restoration around the site. Lee stated that once the comments are received from the agencies, the document will be re- vised and put it out for public comment, which will be around November 16. At the end of November, they will publish it in the EQB Monitor and the Corps of Engineers will publish it in the Federal Register, which starts the 45-day public comment period. The public meeting will probably be held the first week of January. After the comment period ends, they respond to all the comments and the document is put out for public review again. When all the comments have been addressed, which should be in April, the comment period would be finished and the Corps of Engineers makes an adequacy decision on whether the document answers the questions, talks about permitting requirements, and sets out the mitigation requirements. The City will make their decision on the EIS in June and the Corps of Engineers in August. Environmental Commission October 13, 2010 Minutes Page 3 Levitt reported that on Thursday, October 7, the air monitoring stations were set up at 31TI and the first test was done on Monday. The City is finalizing the quality assurance process with the PCA to ensure that our data is valid. Gibson asked how long after the sampling is done would the results • available. Levitt stated that staff is still working • the time frame and reporting procedures. Olson asked if the results will be shared at the Environmental Commission meet- ings. Levitt responded most likely the data will be shared • a quarterly basis. Eel MW I ? to "a- W= Olson made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Gibson seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:54 p.m.