Meeting planned on controversial composting facility in Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove village officials will be sitting down in two weeks with representatives from the Land & Lakes Co., which operates a transfer station and compost facility at 1300 Milwaukee Ave., to discuss concerns about odors that may come from the site.
The agreement to meet came in response to a request in a letter written by Village President Elliott Hartstein to James Cowhey, the mayor of Lake Forest and the president of Land & Lakes.
"We're meeting with a couple principles of Land & Lakes and their attorneys and our village manager and our attorney, " Hartstein said at this week's board meeting. "And we're going to have an open and frank discussion.
In his letter, Hartstein states, "To facilitate cooperation and eliminate any potential objectionable odors that may emanate from composting, I would like to discuss and see if we could reach agreement as to a time frame for any continued composting and other steps that you can agree to that would eliminate any potential adverse odors."
Trustee Lisa Stone, who has raised the issue of the composting facility's safety with state, federal and village officials, said after Monday's board meeting that she had been told that Cowhey had assured a federal Environmental Protection Agency agent that Land & Lakes would discontinue composting activity after this season.
"If Jim Cowhey is willing to do this on his own - if he will voluntarily stop, that is wonderful," said Stone, who has been arguing that the village should find away to prevent composting at the site.
Cowhey and another top official with Land & Lakes didn't return a call Wednesday for comment.
The landfill was annexed into the village in 2008, with the expectation that the facility would move its operation across Milwaukee Avenue, leaving the former landfill property to be redeveloped. But the economy stalled progress on the development and in 2008 composting resumed after a three-year hiatus.
Stone said she has heard complaints from representatives of nearby businesses that the composting operation has been creating noxious odors. While state and federal environmental regulators found no major violations of operating requirements, Stone has said she still is concerned about the potential health threats from inhaling mold and fungus spores from composting, especially for people suffering from allergies or asthma.
Stone has wanted the board to consider amending the annexation agreement to outlaw composting. But a letter from the village's attorneys said any amendment to the annexation agreement requires both parties to the agreement to aprove any proposed changes. It would also require a public hearing.
Trustee Jeffrey Braiman said after the meeting that composting is a use permitted by the state on the site. He added that the site is inspected. "They are not doing anything improper that they (inspectors) have seen. The county, the state and the federal government have all said it's safe," he said.
In an earlier e-mail to Stone, he opposed placing the item on the agenda, citing the same arguments as the village attorney and adding:
"I am not convinced that it poses the health threat that you claim. My research indicates that the spores generated are not unique to compost facilities. They are found in attics, lawns, air conditioners, on wall paper, dry wall and other common locations. In fact, I believe research has shown that the level of the spores may be less in a compost facility than other, more common venues."
He added that all board members are concerned about the health and safety of the residents of Buffalo Grove. "Don't assume or imply that you are the only one who cares!"