Agenda - Council - 07/29/1985 - Special

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,I SUBJECT Waste Management of Minnesota, Inc. Inventory Site P Lifting of the development limitation I I ! I BACKGROUND The County has, pursuant to M.S. 473.803, prepared an inventory of possible landfill sites in the County. The Metropolitan Council (MC) has also approved the County's inventory. One such inventory site, identified as Site P, is located south of the present Anoka Landfill (see attached sketch drawing Exhibit A). M.S. 473.806 places a development limitation on such inventory sites and buffer areas. The purpose of this development limitation is to allow the comparative evaluation of sites on an equal basis (the condi- tions which prevailed at the time of inventory approval). Waste Management of Minnesota, Inc., (WMM) has requested that the de- velopment limitation be lifted on the southerly 80 acres of Site P to allow them to excavate soils for use as daily and final cover in the current, and if approve4 the expanded, operation of the Anoka Landfill. W-MM is requesting that they be allowed to removed soils from approxi- mately 48.4 acres to an average depth of approximately 8 - 9 feet (MSL elevation of 867-870). The bottom of such excavation appears to be approximately 4-5 feet above the highest known water table (June 1984 elevations: SW pond 861.6; SE pond 860.8) (June 1985 elevation: SE pond 860.9; Sunfish Lake 862.2). Attached are tables and drawings pre- pared by ~ concerning this request (Exhibits B-F). WMM has indicated that this request is being made because soil for cover material, from this off-site property, is presently needed to complete the current licensed landfill development and possible interim expansion at this site. WMM further indicates that they do not want to remove any soils from the "Schedule B" area because such mining would severely limit or affect possibilities for future commercial or industrial development of this area. I i I I I ! Staff review of this request identified several concerns for which addi- tional information was needed. These included: 1) quantity of soil needed for the current operation; 2) excavation encroachment on the water table; 3) compatability of proposed excavation with possible Site P development; 4) availability of needed soils for Site P development; 5) excavation im- pact on ground water recharge and monitoring; 6) impact of proposed exca- vation on possible non-landfill development of the property. In response to these questions kR~M has reviewed the ground elevation data and has amended their request to reduce the depth of excavation by 2.5 feet (eleva- tion of maximum excavation change as follows: 867.0 to 869.5; 868.0 to 870.5; and 870.0 to 872.5). Staff review of this request as amended and supplemented indicates the following: The final cover needs (middle and top soil) presented here for the current licensed landfill operation are larger than we had previously been advised by WMM.