PERHAM — Members of the Otter Tail County Board approved a permit modification for the new transfer station project in Henning during their meeting on Feb. 28.
The permit modification was required by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency whenever projects like this are changed during the design process, explained Steven Branby, assistant solid waste director for Otter Tail County.
"The MPCA requires that permit modification to reflect the improvements at the facility," said Branby, during the meeting. "A few things to note ... there are attached architectural designs of what the facility is at this stage."
The new designs will add more than 61,000 cubic yards of demolition landfill space to the Henning facility and could extend the landfill's lifespan more than nine additional years, based on current rates, Branby said in a memo to the commissioners,
While the tipping floor of the new facility will be three times bigger than the existing structure, the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department plans to keep the old building and re-purpose it for storage, or other uses, he added.
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"We're going to continue to utilize the existing facility on-site during construction of the new building, as well as keep that for storage for some of our items out there, and possibly a re-use program that we are hoping to implement," said Branby. "It's going to allow for us to manage more efficiently and effectively."
He added they will also be installing a compacter on the east side of the building to assist with single-sort recycling; a household hazardous waste collection and re-use room; and a concrete bunker for waste shingles.
The shingles are removed and grinded by Ideal Construction to be used in making asphalt for roadways.
"They take those shingles, re-purpose them, grind them up into road bits," he said. "This concrete bunker would allow for a cleaner product ... ultimately utilized in the road projects."
Following Branby's presentation, Lee Rogness, commissioner for District 5, asked Branby if modifying the permit would open up the project to "unforeseen forces" coming out in opposition to the transfer station project.
"I don't believe so,"Branby responded. "I think what we're doing here is, we're doing a major modification, so any improvements we make at this site we just need (MPCAs) blessing, which is what we're looking at today."
Rogness then voiced his support for the project as a whole.
"(The improvements) make good sense," said Rogness. "We get a longer life at the site, but I'm just wondering if (the MPCA) will see it that way. We have to do it, I understand that, but I've just become suspect of some of these opening up of some of these permits."
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Commissioners approved the permit modification unanimously.
The Trust Project
