Novato digs in over dump plan
The City Council voted unanimously early yesterday to send a letter to the county, the decision coming after midnight following a painstaking review of the topic. The council wants the county - which has final authority on the expansion - to closely review environmental issues, including potential pollution of nearby wetlands and air quality. One council member saw the expansion as a way for other counties to dump in Marin. "The expansion opens the door for regional waste," said Councilwoman Jeanne MacLeamy. Presently, 55 percent of the garbage dumped there comes from outside Marin. About 20 percent of Marin's garbage does not go to Redwood, but to dumps outside the county. Doug Diemer, general manager of the Redwood Landfill - operated by Waste Management Inc. - spent much of Tuesday night defending operations at the dump, saying the site has been in compliance with permits issued by local and state water quality, air and solid waste agencies. Diemer said the dump's original expansion plan will be pulled back 200 feet from San Antonio Creek. The existing landfill is an average of 40 to 50 feet from the creek. "We have compromised," Diemer said. The expansion would allow the landfill to continue operations until 2037. The facility is currently set to reach capacity at 2024, but without increasing its volume. The county Planning Commission is now considering a final environmental impact report on expanding the landfill up to the height of about a 16-story building. The county's public comment period on the final environmental review ended Monday, but the Novato council will be allowed to submit its resolution, officials said. Concerned about environmental impacts, a citizens' group is pressing Marin officials to halt the expansion plans, to set up an independent landfill monitoring panel and to reopen the dump's 1958, one-page land-use permit to add operating controls. The head of the group was pleased with the Novato council's action. "This is a strong statement and we hope the county pays attention to it," said attorney Christopher Gilkerson of Novato , founder of No Wetlands Landfill Expansion, a citizens' group. http://www.marinij.com/searchresults/ci_3071342
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