71-01 - Gedney SPR pt 21
• ' SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES RE WASTE TREATMENT
at
i M. A. GFUDNEY COMPANY, CHASKA, MINN.
May 20, 1964 Chaska disposal plant unable to cope with Gedney waste.
July 24, 1964 Gedney describes situation re above to Board of Health, to the /
effect that Chaska is at fault for issuing contract to Gedney
for use of sewer plant not designed to carry Gedney load.
Dec. 5, 1964 Gedney retains Valley Engineering to study problem and submit
engineering report. Report submitted to Board of Health.
Feb. 12, 1965 Preliminary waste treatment system presented to Board.of Health
for their comments and questions.
Feb. 17, 1965 Valley Engineering submitted answers to Board of Health questions
regarding work hours, flow rate, completion dates, metering
method, communication with Chaska.
Apr! 15, 1965 More detailed plans for waste treatment system presented to
-Board of Health. Board of Health inspected site and approved it
June 23, 1965 Plans approved and construction permit granted by Board of Health.
Nov., 1965 Pond "A" completed.
Nov. 30, 1965 River Class._Stds. adopted (WPC 5 & 7).
Dec. 10, 1965 Request for operating permit submitted to Board of Health.
Jan. 3, 1966 Board of Health sent permit application forms to be completed
and returned only after Pond "B" had been completed and working
satisfactorily.
May 3,.1966 Final drawings and plans for Pond "B" submitted to Board of Health.
Jan. 6, 1966 Board of Health informs us that we are in violation of Sections
10 and 11 of'WPC 5 & I. (Liquid storage, and discharge into
Chaska creek.) Applies to salt stock storage areas in two locations.,
(Sept.14, 1966) :(Permit for use of Liquid Storage Site granted by Board of Health.)
Jan. 28, 1966 Application for permit to operate waste treatment system by Valley
and Gedney.
Sept. 92 1966 City of Shakopee complained to Bd. of Health re odor.
Gedney took corrective measures.
Sept. 19, 1966 Gedney informed Shakopee and Bd. of Health of corrective measures.
No further complaints.
Feb. 28, 1967 Federal WPCA conference with Minn. WPCC regarding Summary and
pollution abatement recommendations for Upper Mississippi and
major tributaries.
Required 50 PPM B.O.D. in our' reach of river.
page 2
M. A. Gedney CQ.
Apr.
27,
1967
Statement before WPCC hearing re outline of our activities to•
construct waste treatment.facilities, and supporting contention
that required expansion of our facilities had taken place.
May
5, 1967
Monitoring data of system submitted to Bd. of Health, supporting
approval of application for use permit.
Summer,
1967.
WPCC abolished and MPCA (Minn. Pollution Control Agency) created
by legislature.
Aug.
1t,
1a67
MPCA (Smith) pointed out sections 3, 11 and 12. No inference
that we were in violation, but we did.not have copy of "recommendations.
There was misunderstanding on our part as to what the letter meant.
Jan.
9,
1968
MPCA (Badalich) sent follow-up on Aug. 4 letter.
Jan.
16,
1968
Meeting between Gedney'and MPCA re Jan. 9 letter.
Feb.
28,
1968
Hearing on Effluent Stds. Gedney presented statement urging
retention of variance clause.(See Jan. 26 letter) WPC 19 - 25 PPM
B.O.D. for our reach of river.
May
282
1968
Conference with MPCA re conformance with WPC 19. Three alternative
plans suggested (see Gedney letter June 14, 1968).
Summer,
1968
Aeration equipment installed to reduce odor and B.O.D. Lab
experimentation to explore biodegradability of our waste performed_
in our lab in conjunction with P.P.I.
Oct.
19,
Nov. 30
Gedney on strike.
.Nov.
6,
1968
Gedney received draft copy of abatement order, along with unnecessary,
adverse newspaper publicity. 15-day deadline for objections.
Nov.
27,
1968"
Gedney calls in H. Orin Halvorson to help design degradation system.
Nov.
29,
1968
Request for 15-day extension of time granted by MPCA.
Dec.
6,
1968
Gedney submitted plan for research and development resulting in
Federal Grant to build demonstration plant. Requests variance from
standards of effluent while plan is being carried out (Dec. 31, 1973).
Dec.
31,
1968
Meeting with MPCA (Koonce) re plan. Koonce will prepare the
variance permit to be submitted to MPCA for approval.
Jan.'6,,1969,..
Abatement Order issued by MPCA.- Deadline: June 17, 1971.
Jan.
9,
1969
Request for variance re -submitted.
Jan.
152
1969
Bio-degradation experiments begun in special laboratory under the
advice and guidance of Dr. H. 0. Halvorson.
Page 3 M. A. Gedney Co.
CONTINUATION OF SUMMARY OF POLLUTION CONTROL ACTIVITIES
at
M. A. GEDNEY COMPANY, CHASKA, MINN.
April ?, 1969
Meeting with PCA staff, including counsel for M. A. Gedney
Company (Horace Hitch) and PCA, discussing possible "stipulations"
arising out of request for variance which PCA might impose.
George Koonce, who had stated privately, prior to the meeting,
that the request for variance was prepared in draft form, said
in the meeting that no such draft or statement had yet been pre-
pared.
April 17, 1969
PCA hearing on requests for variances. M. A. Gedney Company
stated that it intended to be in conformance by the due date.
(Withdrew its request as "prepared" by George Koonce, because
it didn't know what was going to be put in the request.)
1969 - 70
Continuation of biodegradation studies and preliminary design
of aeration ditch treatment facility by Dr. Halvorson.
Informal discussion with American Crystal Sugar Company on pos-
sibility of joint facility. Additional biodegradation experi-
ments made on American Crystal waste mixed with our waste. Re-
sults positive.
Feb. 5, 1970
Informal discussion with Richard Dougherty re Metro Sewer Board
handling Gedney waste. He suggested pre-treatment in our lagoons,
then constant discharge to Chaska Treatment Plant. He informed us
that this plant will be taken over in September by Sewer Board.
April 2, 1970
"Preliminary Report on Waste Treatment for M. A. Gedney Company"
submitted to MPCA for approval prior to applying for Federal
Grant. It was approved.
May 15, 1970
Application for R & D grant from Government submitted to MA
for final approval.
Cost - approximately $290,000. Grant requested - $160,000
June -
Discussion and meeting with Dr. Stewart of American Crystal
July, 1970
Sugar Company, resulting in our proposal to share $10,000 re-
search cost to assure feasibility -of joint treatment facility
on August 3, 1970.
June 22, 1970
Grant application submitted to AdQA.
Aug. 282 1970
Received indication of turndown on R & D grant.
Sept. 4.9 1970
American Crystal Sugar Company notified us that they didn't
want to pursue joint treatment.
Page 2
M. A. Gedney Company -
Sept. 18, 1970
Meeting with MPCA staff: .
MPCA - George Koonce, Mr. Kabel, one other person
Gedney - Gedney Tuttle, Dr. H. 0. Halvorson, Floran Peters
They want to know whether we will make the June 17, 1971 dead-
line. Also, if we will get the R & D Grant. We said we can't
meet the deadline in any case. They want us to establish a new
schedule and deadline - also alternatives if R &.D grant is turned
down. This would involve signing a legal agreement called a
"Stipulation". They claimed we had waived our right to request a
variance from the standards by not requesting one in the beginning.
Our position was that our statement to the MPC at the hearing was
made in good faith, based on reasonable expectations, and that
failure to realize these expectations through no fault or neglect
of ours should not bar us from requesting a variance.
A meeting was set for October 9,;1970. By then we should have a
new timetable for them.
Sept. 25, 1970
Kenneth Dostel, MQq, called to say that R & D grant would not be
approved.
y
CCNTINUATIC1T `S .OF"� WARY .OF POLLUTICN CONTROL AC1_ ZTIES AT
M. A. GEDNEY COWANY, CHASKA, MINNESOTA
July 311 1969 Chaska. requests us to give them our sewer line.. Request was
denied.
Sept. 21 1969
May 71 1970
Oct. 5, 1970
Octw. 9, 1970, 3
City requested that we sell the line to them for reasonable
cost to be negotiated.
Council agrees to buy Bcwer line from Gedney for $12,300 less
$4,086 back assessment to Gedney as benefitted user.
Plans submitted by Halvorson for two alternative treatment so-
lutions
1. Pump to Metro Sewer Plant in Chaska
2. Treat ourselves utilizing ponds for pre-treatment
Meeting with Dick Miller, MPCA. He said we should request
extension of abatement deadlin. Also, no PCT approval required
to hook into Metro Sewer Plant.
Dec. 1970 City of Chaska notified informally of proposal to divert in-
dustrial waste to Metro Treatment Plant and asked if they had
any comments to make regarding line capacity. They answered
that engineering survey was being made of City system and
capacity of line in question would be included in the report.
At no time was ever a request made to the City for permit or
approval since we already had a contractual right to use the
system.
Jan. 18, 1971 Sewer Board approved of plan to discharge to their plant in
Chaska subject to 8 conditions, which did not include requirement
that we receive a permit from the City of Chaska.
Feb. - June, 171 Plans prepared for installiig forcemain from lagoons to pipeline -
to Chaska Treatment Plant.
June 4, 1971 City requests to petition for detachment from Chanhassen then
annexation to Chaska in connection with its use of Chaska Sewer
line.
June 1971 Informal meeting with City Council, Ivan D. Kittel present, where
we were told we should annex to City for "ethical" .reasons,
Aug. 20, 1971 City of Chaska letter saying no connection can be made until
we are annexed to the City.
Aug. 25, 1971 Construction of forcemain begun.
Sept. 29, 1971 Construction completed and all Sewer Board conditions complied
with. Pumping into system commenced.
Oct..199 1971 Chaska files legal action to stop us from using their system.
Oct. 26, 1971 Meeting in Gedney offices with Chaska, Sewer Board, and
Chanhassen represented. Chaska agrees to dismissal. of legal actio
pending peaceful resolution of dispute. Gedney agrees to 30-day
discontinuance of discharge plus 30-day extension [f negotiations
are proceeding satisfactorily..