The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2.c. 3M Cottage Grove Incinerator Permit Modification4ROSEMOUNTEXECUTIVE SUMMARY CITY COUNCIL City Council Worksession Date: July 14, 2010 AGENDA ITEM: 3M Cottage Grove Incinerator Permit Modification AGENDA SECTION: Discussion PREPARED BY: Eric Zweber, Senior Planner AGENDA NO. 2.C, ATTACHMENTS: E -mail from Lisa and Paul Schoonover APPROVED BY: Qaj RECOMMENDED ACTION: Discussion Only SUMMARY 3M has operated an incinerator in Cottage Grove since 1970 to burn hazardous waste generated from 3M manufacturing facilities across North America. The incinerator can be powered by wastes that contain high BTUs like solvents but the amount of solvents generated by 3M has decreased over the years. This has required 3M to purchase natural gas to help maintain the temperatures in the incinerator. 3M is requesting to modify their air emissions and hazardous waste permit to allow solvents and other high BTU waste to be brought to the facility from hazardous waste generators other than 3M to power the incinerator. 3M is not requesting an increase in the permitted amount of air emissions or hazardous waste. DISCUSSION Staff has contacted Howard Blin, Community Development Director of Cottage Grove and Greg Kvall, principal reviewer for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) to understand 3M's request and the review and approval process. Mr. Blin stated that 3M has a conditional use permit (CUP) from the City that was issued in 1970 and that the 3M request does not require a modification to that CUP. 3M has been working with the City of Cottage Grove as a courtesy and to mitigate any comments that the City may offer to the PCA. 3M approached Cottage Grove in early 2009 to discuss the requested permit modification. In the summer and fall of 2009, Cottage Grove established an environmental task force to review the proposal. Mr. Blin stated that the outcome of the task force was a ban on commercial incinerators and a recommendation to limit the waste codes that 3M can accept to those high BTU waste like solvents. 3M has stated that they will accept the additional wastes without charge because of the savings to 3M because they would not have to purchase natural gas. For that reason, 3M is being classified as a commercial incinerator. 3M does not have to get any official approvals from Cottage Grove for the permit modifications and 3M has not been on any City Council agendas. A group of residents identifying themselves as the Coalition of Concerned Cottage Grove Citizens have attended a number of Council meetings to speak at the public comment period of the agendas and have e- mailed to elected officials of neighboring communities. Cottage Grove has not decided if they will comment to the PCA regarding the permit modification. Mr. Kvall has stated that he has received the applications from 3M regarding the air emissions and hazardous waste permit modifications but that the PCA has not released these permit modifications for the 45 day public comments period. Mr. Kvall stated that the PCA is waiting for comments and recommendations from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before they schedule the public comments period. Mr. Kvall has stated that the EPA will not commit to a timeline in which they will provide their comments and recommendation so it is unknown when the public comment period will begin. After the comment period ends, the PCA's Citizens Board will conduct a hearing in which they will approval or deny the permit modifications. Mr. Kvall stated that the 3M request does not exceed the amount of waste incinerated or the amount of air emissions allowed in the existing permits and only changes the sources in which the wastes are coming from. Mr. Kvall stated that his analysis of the change from the current incinerator operation to that of the requested permit modification would result in an increase in air emissions equivalent to that of one two - cycle lawnmower being operated by a resident during a typical summer. RECOMMENDATION Determine if the City of Rosemount needs to have a position on or comments to the 3M permit modification for their Cottage Grove incinerator. 2 From: Schoonover [mailto:schoonik @comcast.net] Sent: Sun 6/27/2010 6:28 PM To: myronbailey @aol.com; olsenforcg @aol.com; councilmembeden @aol.com; rice883 @msn.com Cc: katiesieben @gmaii.com; rep. karla. big ham @ house. mn; pthorkelson65 1 @comcast. net; fredluden @comcast.net; aalongi @ci.hastings.mn.us; jbalsanek @ci.hastings.mn.us; tnelson @ci.hastings.mn.us; dell ingschultz @ci.hastings.mn.us; Mslavik @ci.hastings.mn.us; City of Hastings; gtourville @ci.inver- grove - heights.mn.us; bklein @ci.inver- grove- heights.mn.us; rpiekarskikrech @ci.inver - grove - heights.mn.us; vgrannis @ci.inver - grove - heights.mn.us; dmadden @ci.inver - grove - heights.mn.us; mayorhicks @ci.hastings.mn.us; Droste, William; Bills, Kurt; DeBettignies,Mark; Shoe - Corrigan, Kim; Weisensel, Jeff D.; city@stpaulpark.org; timghty@yahoo.com; pschott53 @yahoo.com; tingemann @comcast.net; billsumner_newport@yahoo.com; corbretired @live.com; council @ci.woodbury.mn.us; MayorCouncil @southstpaul.org; mcnamara, rep Subject: Interested in understanding the Council's position on the 3M incinerator permit We are writing today to ask a very simple question of you as an elected official of Cottage Grove: When will the City Council publicly state their position and take action regarding the 3M request to change their 'use permit' for hazardous waste incineration? The voice of our citizens needs to be heard and it doesn't appear this is happening and we are very concerned the health of our citizens is not being considered. We have a right to know your position. A group of Cottage Grove (and surrounding areas) citizens paid out of their own pocket to have an independent survey conducted by Decision Resources and the results are very clear regarding how the citizens feel. Here are just a couple of highlights from the results of the survey: • By almost a two to one margin, city residents oppose 57% to 30% the changes to the permits to allow 3M to burn non -31VI hazardous waste in the Incinerator. • Among city residents not working at 3M - 59% to 27% opposed the proposal. Just these two statistics prove the view of your constituents. I'm asking you to PLEASE listen to and represent us. This issue goes beyond Cottage Grove, Minnesota. If there were any type of disaster at the 3M incinerator like the horrible events in the Gulf Coast region with BP - the broader area that would be impacted would go well beyond the city limits of Cottage Grove. Residents of Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, St. Paul Park, Newport, Woodbury, South St. Paul, Rosemount and even into Wisconsin would be impacted. There is an opportunity here for you to be leaders amongst our neighboring communities to also help protect their residents. We urge you to stand with the citizens. According to the survey results, the only group that was in support of this permit expansion were those individuals who are employed by 3M and reside in Cottage Grove. Anticipating our neighboring communities may not be familiar with this topic, we have included as many of their elected officials as we could in the "cc" listing of this email. We are also attaching a copy of the survey results from Decision Resources as supporting /educational documentation for their benefit. In addition, this topic is extremely important and warrants public education of our citizens by the leaders of our city — you, the City Council Members. We are surprised this topic has not more recently appeared in the monthly Cottage Grove Reports publication that is sent to all residents with their utility statement. September 2009 was the one and only time this was referenced. It's time to educate and communicate to your constituents. When we ask people about this topic - they are stunned and say to us, "I didn't even know this was an issue" - and that is then followed by a pretty consistent response of "I wish our city would keep us informed." While the survey results indicate 62% of the survey respondents were aware - we need to keep in mind that the survey was conducted with 306 randomly selected adult residents in Cottage Grove. Many places within the publications and web site there were statements that the City Council wants to "keep Cottage Grove beautiful and livable" and "ensure Cottage Grove remains an attractive and safe community ". It is our hope that you see the importance of this issue and that you WILL stand with the citizens that elected you to be their voice and say NO to the 3M permit modification. The alternative is that we may need to obtain a new "Welcome" sign that would include language or visual images that truly indicate citizens who live in Cottage Grove (and surrounding communities) are here at their own risk and we may want to invest in alternative breathing masks to live with the hazardous waste (lead, cadmium, and heavy metals) that 3M burns from all over the country. The new slogan could go something like this... Cottage Grove — the city that accepts the burning of lead and other hazardous waste for its citizens to breathe — live here at your own riskl Respectfully submitted as concerned residents for the well being and health of the children and other residents of Cottage Grove and surrounding communities, Lisa & Paul Schoonover Pine Coulee /Cottonwood Residents in Washington County, MN