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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-08 Holly Myers November 8, 2024 Subject: Opposition Comments for the City Council Meeting on November 12, 2024 Agenda Item #5 Timber Creek Recycling Hearing H-2024-0032. Dear Meridian City Council, Timber Creek Recycling previously agreed they could cease operations within 30 days of a Certificate of Occupancy within 1,000 feet of their Locus Grove site. I have been following the City Council meetings and correspondence and I still don't understand why Timber Creek can't abide by their original agreement. Timber Creek has had two other continuation agreements (2016 [Murgoitio LLC — Inst. #2016-007075] and 2019 [L&G Murgoitio, LLC # H-2018-0042 and MDA — Inst. #2019-053058]) and they will continue to request continuances and move the goalpost unless City Council gives them a firm NO. Timber Creek 's new proposed Phased Transition Plan for the Meridian Compost Site is disappointing and should be scrutinized. Timber Creek says they came up with this after meeting with the neighborhood residents. However, this plan does not reflect the totality of resident's requests. As you can see from the numerous letters and in-person testimony, residents are pleading for Timber Creek to abide by the original timeline. Referencing the proposed Phased Transition Plan for the Meridian Compost Site document, I would like to address the following: Reference Phase #1 & 4 Odor: 1. By specifically calling it "cheese" WAS and not WAS, Timber Creek is either misleading City Council or downplaying the hazards of the WAS. (i.e. we will stop accepting Cheese WAS but not other types of WAS.) a. The odor was especially pungent on October 14, 2024 around 8pm. I was walking my dogs and only made it a few houses down before my throat burned and eyes watered, I had to turn around and go home. I felt lightheaded all evening. I've never experienced something like that in the air. It smelled like death. This is likely from the WAS processing. This is a health hazard that needs to cease immediately. Timber Creek has been well aware that new homes are becoming occupied close to their site. 2. They state they will stop regularly receiving WAS on weekends, but they are already closed on Sundays. So, they will just take additional shipments M-F. What about our health the other days of the week? 1 3. They want to continue to accept WAS up until December of 2027. This is just unacceptable. Reference Phase #1 & 2 Dust: 1. No more concrete is accepted at the Meridian site by November 1, 2024. This is excellent. However, they say the final crushing of concrete won't be complete until December 2025. They are going to pollute our lungs with cancerous silica for a full year! a. The crushing of concrete and other like materials (creating hazardous silica in the air) has to stop immediately. December 2025 is not good enough. Timbercreek CAN immediately move these materials to Nampa to pound down if they wanted to. I have had a cough since moving here in May and I can't help but think this is the reason. I have been to urgent care and my primary care doctor and we cannot get this cough to go away. Some days it is worse than others and I can only wonder if it is because of the air quality around me. I didn't cough at all when I left the state to visit Arizona. b. As of today, Timbercreek is still accepting concrete as displayed on their website and a physical sign on their entrance at the Locus Grove location. They are already in violation of their own proposal: "no more concrete is accepted at the Meridian site by November 1, 2024" Reference Phase #4 Volume: 1. Timber Creek plans to wait until the last minute of their proposed extension (2027) to sell or transfer their remaining inventory. Referencing the Modified DA Redline and Clean Version 11-5-2024 document Section 9.5: 1. Timber Creek proposes consequences to violations of the agreement, which is a step in the right direction. However, they propose a fine of $5,000 for the first offence, which for a company of Timber Creeks' multi-million-dollar revenue is like a penny drop in the bucket. It's insulting. I suspect Timber Creek's attitude would rather be to pay for the violation than actually be in compliance. City Council should add another zero to ALL their proposed consequences in section 9.5. If Timber Creek sincerely plans on being compliant and sticking to their plan, why not have the first violation be $50,000? The second $75,000, third $100,000, and fourth $150,000. Then they would get serious about complying. 2 2. Delete the phrase, "no additional penalties will be assessed against Timber Creek for the same default." If there is a violation on one topic multiple times it should count as multiple violations. Timber Creek's past record of continuations and insultingly low proposed penalties demonstrate that they are not taking this seriously and do not care about residents' quality of life. I urge City Council either make additional modifications regarding the drawn-out timeline and cheap penalties sections or to deny the modification request in its entirety. Sincerely, Holly Myers Pinnacle Resident Hollylynn222@gmail.com 3