Minutes - Council - 07/27/1988 - Special

Home

in mechanical engineering with research in air pollution control and he has served on A~TM committees. Incineration is not just a Ramsey or Minnesota or U.S. problem; it is an international problem. The questions raised by MPCA, Ramsey's consulting engineers and area residents have been asked for decades and are still unanswered by the world committee. Atlas wants Ramsey to pass the responsibility onto MPCA, who they expect will do their job. Mr. McClurken stated that he knows how well the EPA did with their Superfund clean-up -- it was a 5 billion dollar disgrace. Ramsey City Council has the power and responsibility to deal with this issue now and is under no obligation to rush this issue. Once Ramsey passes the issue onto MPCA, the day might come when the City Council will look back on Ramsey and see a wasteland. ASTM is a national standards organization that set the standards for testing the space shuttle and it blew up. Mr. McClurken stated that he is an expert and he doesn't trust experts, and much less State agencies; don't be fooled into thinking that MPCA is protection enough. Glen A~stin - 14905 Willemite - Stated that Ramsey already has a landfill and doesn't need an incinerator. Stated that he doesn't know whose power it is to grant or deny Atlas' request for a conditional use permit but he feels that a community issue should be put to a vote of the people. John Heinen - 6370 143rd Lane - Stated that the STERN Committee was formed by Sharon Dahlgren, his wife and others. That Committee has obtained 900 signatures on a petition for a vote against Atlas' incinerator and bring this issue to a close. Mr. Heinen stated that he and several people attended three Planning and Zoning meetings and were promised that questions would be answered. Mr. Heinen stated that those questions were never answered and he is very unhappy. The STERN Committee has gathered information from the University of Minnesota and throughout the U.S. and were blessed this evening to have a doctor speak on their behalf. The members of STERN have lots of literature that they gathered for the citizens and City Council should take the time to read it and then base a decision on those facts. Mr. Heinen stated that he feels there is a place for everything and Atlas' proposal doesn't even provide a buffer zone. Mr. Heinen stated that the people or Ramsey don't need or want Atlas Incinerators; let the people vote on it. Mr. Heinen saluted the hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours STERN has spent on this issue. Mr. Heinem stated that some of the citizens also believe there is a conflict of interest; the Chairman of the Economic Development Commission has an interest in the land being sold to Atlas. As an officer of that Conm~ission, he should have stepped aside and perhaps this could be made into a lawsuit. Mr. Heinen inquired as to the whereabouts of Councilmember Cox this evening; that he heard Waste Management bought Councilmember Cox's land which abuts Atlas' site; inquired if this means there will be more incinerators there in another 10-20 years. Mr. Heinen urged City Council to table this case and take the time to use the information STERN gathered to make a decision. Mr. Heinen then noted the buffer zone NSP has acquired for it's plant that burns 400 tons per day. Mr. Heinen questioned why Atlas needs a test and research incinerator burning in Ramsey 24 hours a day to prove they can burn clean when they already have 128 operating incinerators in the metro area. Mr. Heinen stated that Atlas doesn't have to burn day in and day out but he has to breathe day in and day out. City Council/July 27, 1988 Page 4 of 9