Neighbors voiced skepticism Thursday night about the potential for eliminating odor and other problems at the Veolia garbage transfer station in Evanston through a negotiated agreement with the city.
A front-end loader moves garbage from one truck to another at the transfer station.
At a Civic Center meeting attended by about 16 neighbors, City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz outlined plans for intensified inspections of the transfer station.
He said a newly hired part-time city staffer has been walking the perimeter of the site every day for the past few months, and that if a negotiated agreement isn’t reached with the company soon, he expects to have someone conducting daily inspections of the property all next summer.
The unspoken implication was that such inspections in warm weather months would likely turn up many city ordinance violations that could be taken to court.
Until now the Veolia operation at 1711 Church St. has been overseen primarily by the state Environmental Protection Agency, which typically only checks the property once a year and has only found violations of its rules at the site once in over a decade.
Bobkiewicz said Veolia officials have indicated an interest in reaching what’s called a “host community agreement” with the city and he wanted residents’ thoughts on what provisions such an agreement should include and whether they believe it is a viable approach.
He said he was unwilling to discuss in a public meeting what strategies the city might have at its disposal for forcing or persuading the company to close the transfer station if no agreement is reached.
Ashley McIlwee of the city’s health department said an agreement could require the company to maintain a log of all complaints received from residents and submit it to the health department, prohibit keeping any waste on site overnight, and to install high speed doors at the entrance to the transfer station building so that the doors could be kept closed except when trucks are entering or leaving.
Several residents suggested other provisions that might be added to an agreement, but there also appeared to be deep skepticism among the group that any changes in the operation could turn the transfer station into an acceptable neighbor.
Townhome owners should be made to pay
Nice to see a business that has been operating in the same place for decades with nary a violation or complaint can be strong-armed by the City Manager to acquiesce to the will of a very small number of people who recently made the idiotic decision to move into townhomes that were built immediatley next door to a waste facility. What a blatant, contemptable threat made by a public official. Shame on you Mr. Bobkiewicz.
So much for attracting viable employment opportunities here. And nice to see our City Manager kowtowing to irrational, brain-dead citizens.
The people who own the townhomes should be the ones made to pay for any necessary environmental upgrades in order to benefit their ilogical decision to move next to a waste facility. they are the ones who made the foolish decision to purchase a home next to a waste facility.
These 16 homeowners should also be made to pay for the part-time employee that continually circles Veolia like a buzzard waiting for its next free meal.
Read the article
RacerX, first of all, have you not read the article? Please lay off Mr. Bobkiewicz who is just trying to find an agreeable solution for everyone.
The article clearly states that Violia officials are the ones who are proposing the host agreement. Here, let me quote it for you since you probably didn’t get passed the title:
"Bobkiewicz said Veolia officials have indicated an interest in reaching what’s called a "host community agreement" with the city and he wanted residents’ thoughts on what provisions such an agreement should include and whether they believe it is a viable approach."
There was no "blatant, contemptable threat made by a public official". And saying that is slander. So please stop. By the way ‘contemptable’ is spelled ‘contemptible’. If you’re going to insult the man, do it right.
Oh and the inspections are happening because the citizens are complaining. And the city is supposed to represent both citizens and businesses. I’m sorry if you thought you were living in a city where only businesses have rights. That’s not this city.
Second, for all the up-in-arms you do about recent residential expansion you seem to have no concept of Violia’s legally to operate there. It would be nice if you had anything of substance to add here but you don’t.
Third, it’s not just 16 people. It’s around 300 people in the neighborhood who day in and day out suffer the smell and noise pollution. Not to mention the high school that’s next door. Most of these people were there before Violia started in 1984. At that time it wasn’t the noisy smelly trash heap that it now.
Right ON RacerX…
Right ON RacerX…
Your logic is flawless and this is pure knee jerkiness!
I hope cooler heads can prevail!
Save our transfer station!
I am outraged that our Historic Trash Transfer Station is being threatened…and by townhome owners, not respectable people who live in big single family homes with big lawns !
The City adminsitration panders too much to the developers and condo and townhome residents…it is time for us to take a stand.
The Historic Trash Transfer Station has been part of the fabric of life in Evanston…those of us who are long time residents all have many fond memories of seeing trucks carrying trash down the road.
Now, these people…townhome owners, who I suspect are not native Evanstonians….are trying to take that away from us!
We must protect our Transfer Station. Call your alderman!
Oooh that smell. Can’t ya’ smell that smell?
Once again, it’s the pioneers that come to Evanston for a "bargain" on a home and apparently didn’t do their homework. Anyone that has lived in this town for any period of time knew that place existed and would not be a good neighbor. It’s not even so much the smell that would keep most away, but the violence. Several shootings, including another just last night, would be a good indicator for most to shy away from such a deal. Who was the realtor on this project? They are really good at what they do. They’re probably in Alaska selling ice to eskimos.
Save the dump?
Corporate ownership?
Well, I have mixed feelings about this transfer station. First, why is there so much trash? Shouldn’t we be recycling more? Second, has anyone done a carbon emission release study to see if this is more carbon neutral than the trucks driving out to the dump rather than going through the transfer station? I need to know that fact. Finally, knowing that this is owned by a large multinational corporation tells me this thing needs to be shut down. Corporations are by definition evil.
trucks driving out to the dump
That is an interesting question. If the transfer station is shut down, will there be more trucks driving out to the dump? Will residents then complain to their alderman about the sudden increase in garbage trucks on their street?
As for corporations being evil – yes, this is often true…but small businesses and individuals are also capable of being greedy and evil, too. At least evil corporations have the advantage of being more efficient, and they often provide benefits for their workers.
Relocate the station
The transfer station doesn’t have to completely shut down, it justs needs to relocate to a more suitable area. An area away from parks, schools and residential neighborhoods. Why is there a dump anyway in this area? Church Street is a gateway into downtown Evanston. I don’t find it very appealing that visitors to Evanston have to drive past the transfer station and behind garbage trucks. There are plenty of industrial areas that this operation would be more suitable in. Since the garbage is from all over the Northshore the new location doesn’t have to be in Evanston.
evil corporations
Painting the entire corporate world with one broad brush of being evil by definition is as shameful as painting every liberal as being an idiot. And good luck with your carbon emissions while your corporations that create jobs and tax revenue continue to leave the area.
Angry Liberal – isn’t that redundant?