On April 29th, Waste Management, Inc. will host a mandatory Title V Air Quality Permit meeting. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requires WM to host semi-annual meetings at which citizens (you!!) can comment on the air quality 'round Riverbend Landfill.
As you know, despite WM promises to the contrary, the dump continues to smell. Many of you have been diligently reporting odors to Gary Andes from DEQ (andes.gary@deq.state.or.us). Thank you! On April 29th, a large gang of you can comment in person. It is very important that people turn out for this.
It's all about the numbers for DEQ -- not whether the dump is damaging the neighborhood or the quality of life of people who live and work there. DEQ has its own bizarre rules about what constitutes an odor report. For example, a person cannot file more than one report a day even if the odor is distinctly different, at a different time, and in a different location. On the other hand, if a person compiles odor reports from a several-day time period but sends them in together, DEQ will count all the reports as one.
The exception is if you use DEQ's new odor reporting form. If you fill out a separate form for each day you smelled the dump, then each form counts as a single report even if you send in several together.
Numbers are important to DEQ because the Department has decided that an odor doesn't warrant a DEQ investigation unless several different people are offended by the odor on several different occasions. Unfortunately, DEQ is more focused on the number of reports than on the cause of the odor.
The bottom line is, the more comments, the better. Without significant numbers of these comments, our plight here will get no attention from DEQ.
The Stop the Dump Coalition will be inviting County Commissioners to attend the April 29th meeting so they can hear first-hand how the community feels about the stench emanating from Riverbend. More citizen input is needed!
WHAT: Title V Air Quality Permit Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29th; 6:00 PM for Pizza: 7:00 PM for meeting
WHERE: McMinnville Senior Center, 2250 McDaniel Lane, McMinnville
WHY: Without public comment, nothing will change....ever. We need YOU!
- Ilsa Perse, President, Stop the Dump Coalition
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