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County Commissioner Fields said he was pleased that the Minnesota Health Department is getting involved. Mayor Gamec said he didn't believe it all together because even if they get an answer that it is safe, the residents probably won't believe it. He said he didn't think the problem would ever be completely solved there and maybe those homes are inhabitable and the people shouldn't live there. M~. Art Dunn, Anoka County Sanitarian, said it appeared the original problem was that it was leechage that was allowing the trees to die. He said he found a light odor when he was out there. He did detect combustion gases at 1" below grade when he went up and down the west side of the property and those areas were within 10 feet of the property lines and there were some minor concentrations closer to the houSes but not at the explosive levels. Mr. Farb, Bart Engineering, said methane gas will take the path of least resistance and how fast the gas is moving would have to be monitored. He said if the basements are sealed~ there is less chance of gas getting in, but concrete blocks allow gas in. If the concrete blocks are coated on the outside with asphalt, gas will be blocked out. Ms. Ritchie said gas can still move through the asphalt, however, but at a much slower rate. Mr. Ralph McGinley, County Administrator, s&id he would like to summarize the County's position'in terms of'what they can do.~ The county does have a responsibility for'landfills and has an Environmental Services Department. He said the County feels they have a very adequate team to deal with the long- term and short-term aspects of'the problem. He said he felt they do have a very adequate assemblage of'expertise and cooperation from the landfill operation to package a solution to the problem of the methane gas. What he could pledge from the coUnty's perspective .is that they will do everything possible to technically s~tisfy the concerns of the residents. Whether that does finalize the resident's concerns is~omething that he could not answer at this time. He said the County would officially ask Waste Managements to document their short-term and long-term plans forthe problem and the County would get copies of the doeumentation'to the homeoWners and the city would also participate in this. He offered Don Farb, Barr Engineering, and the representatives fmom the State Health Department to assist the residents with their questions in this matter. City Administrator'said when he was out at the landfill and it was raining, he observed a swale. He said he was told that no Water should be ponding at this landfill. He Said he felt what is really needed is someone who will be constantly on duty to see that everything is being done that the public agencies feel should be don~. Mr. Gerald Stahnke, MPCA, said if there is water at the landfill, there will be leechage and as long as there is decomposition~ there will be methane. Mr. Don Otter, Waste Management, said he was unaware of any ponding at this time and they did take care of'the one area that was bronght to their attention a short time ago. Special coUncil August 15, 1980 Page 5