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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 09-16 Examiner recommends against workhouse site for landfill THE REVIEW Page 2A Wed.,Sept.16, 1981 THE REVIEW • Examiner recommends against workhouse site for landfill By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS in his report."Adequate screening is not supplies. Staff Writer feasible,"he added. The development of any landfill at the Besides the location of the workhouse workhouse was opposed by more than The Review learned at presslime that within 50 feet of the proposed landfill, 1,000 Maplewood and Woodbury residents Melvin Goldberg,hearing examiner for Goldberg told the Review he was con- who signed petitions against it in August. the August public hearings on landfill cerned about several residences within More than 50 came to the public hearings locations in Ramsey County, has 270 feet and the overall density of the to voice their objections. recommended against the selection of the location. In a memorandum accompanying his Ramsey County Workhouse, 297 S. In regard to the second proposed land- official findings, Golberg made several Century Ave., for a landfill site. The fill site in Ramsey County,the abandoned comments about the handling of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency University of Minnesota airport in public hearing process in this case.While (MPCA),however,can still consider the Shoreview, Goldberg was more the MPCA complied with the letter of the site when it makes its recommendations favorable.While he is withholding final law in its advance publicity for the later in September. endorsement until the exact boundaries of hearings,he recommended that residents Goldberg,associate dean of academic the nearby Rice Creek Flood Plain can be close to proposed landfill sites in the affairs at William Mitchell College of Law determined,the site appears to be"in- future be advised of the hearings by mail. in St.Paul,concluded a landfill at that trinsically suitable" for a demolition He also noted that the county, which location would be too close to the landfill,he told the Review. actually did the technical work in workhouse residents to be safe.While the- evaluating the sites,should have assigned MPCA can waive the requirement that GOLDBERG'S RECOMMENDATIONS staff to attend the hearings,rather than landfills be at least 1,000 feet from oc- go to the MPCA director and nine- leaving the MPCA responsible to handle cupied dwellings, Goldberg recom- member citizen board,which expect to the public explanations of the county's mended against such an action in this make their recommendations later this work. case. month, according to Sandra Forest, a Goldberg also cautioned south '"Agency rules SW61E gives the director hydrologist with the MPCA. The board Maplewood residents from totally the discretion to waive the requirement also will review the staff report,which in relaxing even if the MPCA recommends that fill and trench areas be more than August had recommended the workhouse against the workhouse site.If the need for 1,000 feet from highways, public parks site as intrinsically suitable for either a landfill space gets urgent enough, the and occupied dwellings. To waive this sanitary or a demolition landfill.The staff workhouse could possibly be modified to requirement at Site (the workhouse site) report has not yet been rewritten to in- meet the requirements,he said. would be unreasonable because it is not elude consideration of Goldberg's'fin- possible to prevent or sufficiently dings,she noted. "The only way to arrest a dump being mitigate the adverse effects a landfill A sanitary landfill is used for the burial placed in their neighborhood is to find facility would have on area residents and of residential and commercial garbage, alternative ways of waste disposal,rather persons incarcerated at the Ramsey while a demolition landfill is reserved for than finding another dump site," he County Workhouse,"Goldberg concluded discarded construction equipment and noted.