Agenda - Council - 02/10/1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Ramsey 15153 NOWTHEN BOULEVARD N.W., RAMSEY, MINNESOTA 55303 · (612) 427-1410 February 5, 1981 Honorable Chairms-n Charles Weaver Metropolitan Council Metro Square Building 7th and Robert Streets St. Paul, Minnesoba 55101 RE: Choosing Sewage Sludge Disposal Sites: Criteria and Volume Dear Chairman Weaver: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the Net Council's above refer- enced report. Due to the controversies involved in selecting sludge dis- posal sites, we feel it is extremely important to keep local governments and the general public informed and educated on the need and criteria for selecting disposal sites. We also feel it is very important to obtain public input throughout the entire siting procedure. In review of the proposed criteria for selecting candidate landfill sites we basically agree with the criteria with exception of groundwater. The direction of the groundwater for a desirable site shotbld be away from rather than towards areas of extensive current or future usage. In review of the proposed criteria for selecting candiate landspreading sites of sludge at agronomic rates we also basically agree with the criteria ex- cept for groundwater. We would recommend that areas that are recharge areas for a major aquifer or areas with groundwater flow direction towards current or potential potable water supplies especially in areas of very coarse or gravel soil textures be deleted from the suitable category of landspreading sites. In conjunction with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, we would also recommend that the MWCC work on expanding and refining its sludge landspread- ing program on private farmland and research other potential markets for sludge, grit and ash products. The sludge landspreading program could result in a substantial savings to both the M~VCC and the farmers since the need for commercial fertilizers is reduced and the MWCC would benefit from a reduction in fuel required to incinerate the sludge. Refinements to the landspreading could include charges to the farmers to recover transportation and spreading costs and also long term leases or agreements with farmers could eliminate the need for land acquisition of land spreading sites by the }~WCC.