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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-15 PACKET 04.A.i. REQUEST OF CITY GOUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL A��N�A MEETING ITEM # � ' DATE 7/15/15 •�„� . PREPARED BY: Engineering Jennifer Levitt ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT STAFF AUTHOR * * * * * * :� * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * � * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * � * COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST: Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meeting on May 13, 2015. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Environmental Commission's meeting on May 13, 2015. BUDGET IMPLICATION: $N/A $N/A N/A BUDGETED AMOUNT ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION: DATE REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ PLANNING ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ HUMAN SERVICES/RIGHTS ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ❑ ❑ ❑ � ENVIRONMENTAL 7/8/15 ❑ � ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: ❑ MEMO/LETTER: ❑ RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: � OTHER: Approved minutes of Environmental Commission meetings on 5/13/15 ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS: ;J� ��c� 7�� /.S� City dministrator Date * * * * * � * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * � * * * * * * * * * * * * * COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: ❑ APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER City of Cottage Grove Environmental Commission Meeting May 13, 2015 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in the Council Cham- bers at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway South. Call to Order Vice Chair Klug called the Environmental Commission meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. Attendees Members Present: Ryan Fleming, Rita Isker, Joseph Johnston, Shauna Klug, Brandon Smith Members Absent: Rosemary Palmer Others Present: Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer Emily Schmitz, Code Enforcement Officer Dave Thiede, City Council Liaison Approval of Agenda A motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously(5- to-0 vote). Open Forum/Additional Agenda Items None Unfinished/New Business 5.1 3M Cottaqe Grove Environmental Compliance Document File Review Jennifer Carlson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, summarized the 3M Cottage Grove Envi- ronmental Compliance Document File Review. Also in attendance to provide information on this document were Ray Bissonnette, Industrial Hazardous Waste Compliance at MPCA; Jeff Travis, Senior Program Manager at Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment; and Girard Goder, Supervisor at Washington County Department of Public Health and Environ- ment. She stated that the information that they found in their file review seems accurate. She noted that 3M is very transparent in their reporting of deviations and excess emissions, and they also did some self-reporting. She reported that there are no outstanding violations at this time as they have taken corrective actions to ensure that all noted violations would not occur in the future. She reviewed the tables listing the violations and corrective orders. She stated that during excess emissions events from the corporate incinerator, the control equipment for all other pollutants are never bypassed so their particulate matter emissions are still controlled during these events; it is usually just one pollutant where they were out of compliance. Isker asked if the failure for the specialty additives compliance was because a new product was being run. Carlson responded that while this was not her enforcement case, she has the case Environmental Commission Minutes May 13, 2015 Page 2 of 4 development form that explains the background of the violation, which was a total particulate matter test for a new micro-particle based media, and during that test they failed and shut it down; they were required to submit a signed document stating that they weren't going to use that prod- uct. She explained that the permits state that you can use these types of fuels or operate under these types of circumstances and if they want to change that, they have to do an engineering test and record emissions while fine tuning and any violation that is discovered during that test. Fleming asked if those types of tests typically need approval prior to them being run or can com- panies run those tests and then report the violations after the fact. Carlson believes they are able to run engineering tests without sending a test preapproval, but she would have to check. Smith asked about the emission excess report, the notice of violation, and what would bring that to an administrative order, noting that it seems there are three different levels of findings. A rep- resentative from the MPCA explained that every permitted facility in Minnesota has to submit an excess emissions report if they have systems that can document excess emissions; if they don't have these monitors, then they submit a deviations report. Those are things that are discovered through recordkeeping. Once the PCA receives it, they review it to check for noncompliance, and if there are excess emissions, they look at why and how those instances occurred over that period of. When they decide there is something that needs to be addressed, they go into the enforcement realm. The levels of enforcement starting at the bottom are: letter of warning, notice of violation, and penalty order. Smith asked what size particulate matter they looked at. She responded that this test was considered total particulate matter, which is a larger particle. She is not able to be specify size. SMith asked with regard to some of the violations that are noted for abrasive systems division it looks like some of the corrective actions involved just having the permit amended and asked how the limits are set and in what circumstances the corrective action is to have the permit amended versus some other corrective action like new control technologies. She stated that when a facility applies for a permit, whether it is a new construction or installing new equipment or running a new process, the permit engineer works with the facility to come up with emission factors and to un- derstand how a facility is going to process or make their product, and then they come up with a fair limit. Sometimes with new processes or new fuel types, PCA is not exactly sure if that emission limit is going to work. In this case, they were able to address their NOx limits and stay within the "keeping the environment clean" levels and didn't trigger any additional federal levels. If there is no special type of operation and this is what the emissions are, PCA can adjust the permit so they are in compliance. Smith asked overall how the hazardous waste compliance status is at the site. Jeff Travis, Envi- ronmental Health Division ManagerforWashington County Public Health and Environment, stated that she summed up the overall compliance for all the different environmental issues in that there were some minor violations but no major violations and there were no releases that impacted the environment. It is a very large and complicated facility. There is a book of regulations on it so they feel comfortable that the general overall compliance is very good at the facility. Smith stated that the opening of the presentation noted that it has been three years since a compliance evaluation of this magnitude was conducted and asked how this summary compares to previous reports. Travis responded that they have not done that type of comparison, but based on his experience, he would characterize this three-year period as typical. Levitt pointed out that when the City did the in-depth analysis of the corporate incinerator, one of the key components that the Commission and City Council had requested was that Washington Environmental Commission Minutes May 13, 2015 Page 3 of 4 County conduct unannounced inspections. She referenced Table 6 that shows those unan- nounced inspections were conducted by the County. She also stated that during the review of the corporate incinerator taking outside waste, at that time it was estimated that there would be about 2.5 tankers per day of solvent being brought into the facility and 3M reports that they take in about 10 tankers per month. She reported that 3M does reject loads from their outside supplier if they are not in compliance with their very stringent specifications. One element of the permit modifica- tion was in regard to law enforcement waste and they have taken 17 containers from 10 different agencies amounting to 453 pounds of law enforcement waste. Mike Dana, Site Director for 3M Cottage Grove, commented that sustainability is a big part of what they do at 3M at all levels of the company, focusing on reducing their footprint on different envi- ronmental aspects. He provided a summary on their program called "Pollution Prevention Pays" or 3P, which has been around since the early 1970s and has had a lot of success in reducing 3M's environmental footprint. At 3M Cottage Grove over the last two years, from a cumulative project standpoint, they have had projects that have saved a total 100 million gallons of water; saved 1.3 million BTUs of energy; and prevented 1,060 tons of waste, 259,000 metric tons of CO2, 4,000 tons of water pollution, and 52 tons of air pollution. Smith asked since it was noted that they are accepting less outside waste than what was originally projected, does the potential still exist that they would accept the higher volume. Dana stated that the potential does still exist but it is very unlikely. The only reason they bring in the bulk solvent is as a way to reduce the natural gas usage in the kiln. They don't accept any compensation for it or pay the shipping to get it to the incinerator; it is just a way to reduce the energy necessary. They are using the BTUs of the solvents. The solvents have value and because 3M does not pay for it, the suppliers can find another disposal route where they can generate more revenue. Smith asked how turning away solvents that are not in compliance with the standards enter into how much 3M accepts from outside sources. Dana stated that the standards were set during the permitting process but it is not a very significant amount of rejection. 5.2 Climb Theater Summarv Schmitz provided a summary of the Climb Theater performances at the City's six elementary schools during March and April. The perFormances were held for approximately 1,400 students in kindergarten through second grade as well as some pre-K classes. Climb Theater presented the play "Totally Turtle," which addressed water quality issues in local lakes and streams and taught the kids things that they can do in general to keep the water quality great in the community. 5.3 Strawberrv Festival Booth Schmitz reported that the Environmental Commission will have a larger tent at this year's Straw- berry Festival. For giveaways, staff is ordering string backpacks and a paperback book entitled "Berenstain Bears Go Green." Giveaways also will include items left over from last year including pencils, bracelets, and wheat grass growers. There will be pamphlets on topics including rain gardens, rain barrels, document shredding, and Made in Minnesota incentive program. There will also be a drawing for a rain barrel. In addition, one of the tower gardens from Pine Hill Elementary will be displayed in the tent; the students are working hard to grow strawberries in it for Strawberry Festival. She reminded the Commission to sign up for a time slot to help staff the booth on Satur- day, June 20. Isker asked how the tower garden will be transported. Schmitz responded that staff will work with the teacher at Pine Hill to get that brought over. Environmental Commission Minutes May 13, 2015 Page 4 of 4 Approval of Environmental Commission Minutes of April 8, 2015 Fleming made a motion to approve the minutes from the Environmental Commission Meeting on April 8, 2015. Klug seconded. Motion passed unanimously(5-to-0 vote). Reports 7.1 Citv Council Update Thiede reported that at the May 6, 2015, meeting, the Council appointed Smith as Chair of the Environmental Commission. He talked about the Earth Day presentation of the Sustainability Award to Pine Hill Elementary School for their tower gardens. At the April 15 meeting, the Council approved submitting an application to host a GreenCorps member, the comment and response document for the East Ravine AUAR and authorized its distribution, and the American AGCO expansion. Thiede reported that there was a groundbreaking for the expansion at Werner Electric. He also noted that there will be a lot of activity in the business park as Renewal by Andersen and Up North Plastics are also expanding, a new industrial building will be constructed near the rail marshaling yard intended for companies that might need access to the rail spurs, 97th Street will be completed, and Leafline Labs is near completion. Isker asked if there wil Ibe a Kwik Trip in the city. Thiede responded that there is no new information on the proposal. Klug asked if there are any other businesses expanding that the Environmental Commission should be concerned about. Levitt responded that each time a business expands, the City does a thorough site plan review and explained what is is reviewed including stormwater, sanitary sewer, groundwater, and traffic. She stated that the 3M track where they conduct testing of different materials for reflectivity properties are being expanded. Isker asked how many new jobs are being created as a result of all these expansions. Thiede responded over the next two to three years it could be as high as 500 jobs. Smith stated.about the environmental award presentation he was able to stop by for that presentation and he wanted to let everybody know that the City Council and staff did a great job putting that presentation together. 7.2 Response to Commission Inquiries None 7.3 Environmental Commission Comments and Requests Smith commented that he saw an article in the Pioneer Press regarding communities in the East Metro area revising regulations regarding backyard farming, specifically on beekeeping, which raised some attention for him given that local food production is enhanced by all of those types of practices and one of the tenets in the GreenStep program and asked if we can get a summary for the Commission on what the current practices that are allowed in Cottage Grove and possibly making adjustments to encourage those practices. Adjournment Isker made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Klug seconded. Motion passed unanimously (5-to-0 vote). Meeting adjourned at 7;50 p.m.