August 8, 2007

 

Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the North Shore Sanitary District held on Wednesday,

August 8, 2007 at 9:30 A.M. at the District Office of the Raymond E. Anderson Complex located in Gurnee, IL.

 

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

On roll call, the following Trustees were present:

 

                                Daniel M. Pierce, President

                                Stephen J. Drew, Vice President

                                John R. Paxton, Treasurer

                                James E. Swarthout

                                Effie Wroten

 

Staff members present were General Manager Brian Dorn, Assistant General Manager Dave Miller, Attorney Jay Ukena, Director of Engineering Services Jai Gupta, Director of Laboratory Services Joe Robinson, Director of Operations Gary Sowma and Director of Technology Services Pete Russo.

 

Comments from the public were as follows:

 

Bob Aitchison from Del Mar Woods wanted to know who is responsible for the sewer lateral from the home to the public sewer, the homeowner or the municipality.  General Manager Dorn stated that the homeowner is normally responsible for the sewer line from the home to the public sewer in most communities.  Trustee Drew confirmed that being true with the City of Waukegan.  He also asked what the status was of the Lake Forest Pump Station Basin Project, and was told that it was under construction.

 

President Pierce presented the Consent Agenda as follows:

 

A.            Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting held on July 11, 2007.

B.            Consideration of Bills.

                Wastewater Treatment Fund.                                            $3,108,112.56

Check Nos. 137610 through 137614, Check Nos. 137729 through 137799,

Check Nos. 137800 through 137892, Check Nos. 137895 through 138064.

Voided Check Nos. 137765 and 137777.

C.            Financial Report, June 2007.

D.            Hearing Summary, July 9, 2007.

E.             Current Status of Significant Industrial Wastewater Violation(s) in the Service Area of the NSSD.

F.             2nd Quarter 2007 Worker’s Compensation Claim Update.

G.            08/08/07 memorandum regarding utilization of rental generators as sewage treatment plant back-up power sources.

H.            Annexation Ordinance.

                1.     No. 434, Submitted by Joseph Dakis, for approximately 2.1 acres for residential use                                                       located west of Waukegan Road, approximately 500 feet south of Westleigh Road, in the                                   City of Lake Forest.

 

ANNEXATION ORDINANCE

 

                WHEREAS, the property hereinafter described is contiguous to the North Shore Sanitary District, and

 

                WHEREAS, said property is not within the corporate limits of any sanitary district, and

 

                WHEREAS, within the meaning of 70 ILCS 2305/28, the NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT has power to annex the territory hereinafter described by the passage of an ordinance to that effect, and

 

                WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the citizens of the NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT to annex the property hereinafter described.

 

                NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT AS FOLLOWS:

 

                SECTION 1:  That the property hereinafter described to‑wit:

 

Lot “B” and the south 30.00 feet of Lot “C” in Green Haven Acres Subdivision, being a subdivision of a part of the northwest ¼ of the southeast ¼ of section 6, township 43 north, range 12, east of the third principal meridian, according to the plat thereof recorded April 10, 1957 as document 946591, in book 1531 of records, page 534, in Lake County, Illinois.

 

be and the same is hereby annexed to the North Shore Sanitary District.

 

                SECTION 2:  If the property herein described was the subject of a sewer service agreement, that agreement is terminated as of the effective date of this Ordinance.

 

                SECTION 3:  That a certified copy of this Ordinance, together with a map of the annexed territory shall be filed with the County Clerk of Lake County, Illinois.

 

                SECTION 4:  This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval as provided by law.

 

I.              Correspondence.

                1.     07/09/07 letter to President Pierce from State Senator William E. Brady regarding support

                        of  Senate Bill 684.

                2.     08/01/07 letter from Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department regarding PS-7 Sewage                                           Storage Basin construction progress update presentation to Lake Forest City Council.

J.             Press Articles.

                1.     Lake County News Sun.

                        i.      ‘Legislation seeks restrictions on sewage dumping into lakes’, 07/06/07.

                        ii.     ‘Polluting the lakes’, Our View, 07/09/07.

                        iii.    ‘Protecting The Lake’, Letter To The Editor, 07/27/07.

                        iv.    ‘A lake in danger’, Our View, 08/01/07.

                2.     Chicago Tribune.

                        i.      ‘Plan would clean up Great Lakes’, 07/06/07.

                3.     Zion-Benton News.

                        i.      ‘NSSD biosolid recycling facility earns national award’.

K.            Authorize Payroll and Finance Department to issue District checks to meet expenses

                where necessary for payroll and to avoid interest and/or penalties before the next Board

                Meeting.

 

It was moved by Trustee Paxton and seconded by Trustee Swarthout that the items under the Consent Agenda be approved.

 

On roll call, all Trustees present voted “Aye”.  Motion declared carried.

 

President Pierce presented the President Report as follows:

 

President Pierce reported that Senate Bill number 684 had passed both Houses of the General Assembly and was now awaiting Governor Blagojevich’s signature.  Governor Blagojevich has until September 12, 2007 to sign the bill.

 

General Manager Dorn presented the Management Report as follows:

 

A.                  Presented City of Waukegan Request to Reduce Environmental Remediation Wastewater Fee Associated with Waukegan Harbor Remediation Project.

 

General Manager Dorn reported that the City of Waukegan is planning to conduct an environmental clean-up of the Waukegan Inner Harbor in 2008.  The dredging project will remove approximately 220,000 cu yd. of PCB-contaminated sediments from the harbor.  Water associated with the dredged sediments cannot be returned to Lake Michigan because of elevated ammonia nitrogen levels in the water which would exceed water quality standards.  The City is proposing to discharge the dredge water to the North Shore Sanitary District’s Waukegan STP.  The City estimates that 13 million gallons of water will be removed over a nine month period (approx. 40 gpm).

 

General Manager Dorn then introduced John Moore, P.E., City Engineer for the City of Waukegan.  Mr. Moore stated that the City of Waukegan was originally planning to perform a hydraulic dredging which would return the water back to Lake Michigan; high ammonia levels prohibited further consideration of that option.  It is proposed to perform mechanical dredging.  The dredged material will be stored and dewatered at the former OMC site.  Water would be pretreated by filtering through sand and carbon filters prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer system, while the dewatered sediment would be disposed at local landfills.  The City of Waukegan is requesting that the North Shore Sanitary District consider a reduction in its Environmental Remediation Wastewater volume fee from $0.10 per gallon to the residential combined flow rate fee of $1.16 per thousand gallons.  This reduction would result in a savings of nearly $1.3 million for the City.  Mr. Moore stated that funding is being provided through the Great Lakes Legacy Act, and that the only Superfund financing at the site is associated with removal of buildings.  The District Staff had researched its history of dealing with remediation projects.  The research was not able to determine any cases where the remediation fee of $0.10 gallon had been waived or reduced.  The District Attorney cautioned the Board that they will have to take careful consideration in this matter because it could set a precedent for future requests.

 

General Manager Dorn stated that in addition to the volume fee, a connection fee and administrative fee would also be charged.  Furthermore, a DCD (Discharge Control Document) would need to be issued specifying the level of treatment, sampling, monitoring and reporting requirements.  There have been no meetings between the City and the District to discuss the project in detail.

 

A lengthy discussion entailed with the general consensus being that Trustee Drew, District Staff and City Staff schedule a meeting to discuss more details about the whole project and what it would involve.  John Moore will contact the District to schedule a meeting in the near future.

 

                B.            Presented the Zion Township Landfill Sludge Recycling Facility Monthly Status Report.

 

General Manager Dorn reported that in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement with J.J. Henderson 77% of the total settlement amount has been paid to date.  General Manager Dorn expects that the remaining balance will be paid out within the next month. 

 

General Manager Dorn reported that follow-up testing of the auxiliary heater NOx emissions and continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) of the melter exhaust carbon monoxide analyzer was completed successfully and results were submitted to IEPA on August 1, 2007.

 

General Manager Dorn reported that the dryer continues to operate near its rated capacity on a consistent basis.  Dryer run time between June 25 and July 29 has exceeded 83%.  Downtime has been limited to routine maintenance, loss of ComEd power, and a scheduled four day dryer shutdown to allow alterations by ANDRITZ personnel.  ANDRITZ representatives were on site from July 10th to July 18th to supervise alterations/improvements to seal air and condensate leak sources within the dryer system.  These modifications have substantially improved the interior building odor situation.  ANDRITZ also implemented operational changes that were made to avoid bridging of particulate matter in the fines bin, along with the relocation of several level probes in the fines bin.  The dryer has not experienced a bridging problem after these changes were made.

 

General Manager Dorn reported that Minergy had been operating the melter consistently at 70-75% capacity.  Run time for the melter during the period from June 25 to July 29 was approximately 61%.  Downtime was mainly because of fly ash blockages in the primary economizer and granulate blockages in the melter feed system.  Minergy has made modifications to the roller mills to improve the size of fuel fed to the melter.  They are also making some changes to avoid blockages in the drop pipes feeding fuel to the melter and in the economizer.

 

Recently several problems have surfaced in the melter scrubber condenser system, causing carryover moisture and corrosion in downstream processes.  General Manager Dorn stated that he had met with Minergy and Donohue to discuss this problem and subsequently recommended involving Tom Card who is a consultant and an expert in the field of scrubber systems.  The District has used Tom Card in the past on the scrubber projects at the Clavey Road and Gurnee STPs.  General Manager Dorn reported that Brian Jensen of Donohue and Associates was in attendance to further explain to the Board the complexity of the problem and some of the solutions that have been discussed by Donohue.

 

Brian Jensen stated that the packing of the scrubber/condenser, which is made of stainless steel was severely corroded.  Normally, stainless steel should not corrode but in researching this problem it has been found that stainless steel at elevated temperatures does corrode in the presence of some of the compounds that could exist within the system.  Brian Jensen stated that Donohue would like to consult with Tom Card and also bring in a subconsultant, V & A Consulting Engineers of California who are experts in the field of corrosion engineering.  After finding out what the initial problem is, a proposed plan would be put together and presented to the Board. 

 

General Manager Dorn stated that a thorough cleaning of the facility is nearly complete and upon completion of this cleaning, it is recommend that the Board conduct a formal public opening of the facility.  The Board of Trustee unanimously agreed to wait after Labor Day to have a formal public opening.

 

B.                   Presented Annexation No. 433, Approximately 418 acres consisting of NSSD Zion Township Landfill Property, in the City of Zion.

 

ANNEXATION ORDINANCE

 

                WHEREAS, the property hereinafter described is contiguous to the North Shore Sanitary District, and

 

                WHEREAS, said property is not within the corporate limits of any sanitary district, and

 

                WHEREAS, within the meaning of 70 ILCS 2305/28, the NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT has power to annex the territory hereinafter described by the passage of an ordinance to that effect, and

 

                WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the citizens of the NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT to annex the property hereinafter described.

 

                NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH SHORE SANITARY DISTRICT AS FOLLOWS:

 

                SECTION 1:  That the property hereinafter described to‑wit:

 

PARCEL 1: All that part of the South half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, which lies West of the center line of Green Bay Road (so called) (except the West 4 rods thereof); also ALL that part of the North half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 12, Township and Range aforesaid, described as follows: Commencing on the South line thereof at a point 40 rods East of the Southwest CORNER of SAID North half of said Northeast quarter; thence East along said South line to the center line of SAID Green Bay Road; thence North along the center line of SAID Green Bay Road, 40 rods; thence West to a point which is 40 rods East of the West line of said Northeast quarter; thence South to the place of beginning (except therefrom the following described premises: Commencing at the Northeast CORNER of said tract last above described; thence West 40 rods; thence South parallel to the center line of said Green Bay Road 48 rods; thence East 40 rods to the center line of Green Bay Road; and thence North along the center of said road 48 rods to the place of beginning), in Lake County, Illinois.

 

P.I.N. 03-12-200-004

 

PARCEL 2: The Southeast quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian.  Excepting therefrom Pearce's Subdivision, a subdivision of part of the Southeast quarter of said Section 12, according to the plat thereof recorded February 17, 1959, as Document 1020928, in Book 1684 of Records, page 304; and also excepting therefrom the West 176.5 feet of the North 317.0 feet; and also excepting therefrom all that part of SAID Southeast quarter of said Section 12 lying Easterly oF the center line of State Aid Route 131 (known as Green Bay Road), all in Lake County, Illinois -- Also -- that part of the Southwest quarter of Section 7, Township 46 North, Range 12 East of the Third Principal Meridian, lying West of the center line of State Aid Route 131 (known as Green Bay Road) all in Lake County, Illinois.

 

P.I.N. 03-12-400-002; 03-12-400-005; 04-07-300-006

 

PARCEL 3: That part of the Northeast quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at the Northwest corner of said quarter Section running thence South 10 chains; thenCE East parallel TO the North line of said QUARTER Section 12, 2143.85 feet to the middle of Milwaukee Road (so called) now known as Green Bay Road; thence North along center line of Milwaukee Road, now known as Green Bay Road, to the North line of the Northeast quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, thence West along said North line to the place of beginning; and that part of the East fractional half of Section 1, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, described as follows: Beginning at the Southwest corner of the East fractional half of Section 1, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, thence East along the South line of said East fractional half aforesaid to the East line of said East fractional half; thence North to a point 13.50 chains North of the Southeast corner of said Section 1, also designated as a point 6.50 chains South of the Northeast corner of Lot 1 in the said East fractional half of said Section 1; thence West 6 chains; thence south 6.15 chains; thence WEST 34 chains to the West line of said East fractional half of Section 1; thence South on said West line to the place of beginning; (except that part thereof lying East of the center line of Milwaukee Road now known as Green Bay Road), in Lake County, Illinois.

 

P.I.N. 03-12-200-001; 03-01-400-011

 

PARCEL 4: The South 40 rods of the West 40 rods of the North One-Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Lake County, Illinois.

 

P.I.N. 03-12-200-003

 

PARCEL 5: That part of the North Half of the Northwest Quarter of Section 12, Township 46 North, Range 11 East of the Third Principal Meridian, lying Easterly of the easterly right of way line of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company, in Lake County, Illinois.