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boundaries of the lot wherein it is located, toxic or noxious matter of such concentration as to <br /> be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or welfare or cause injury or <br /> damage to property or business. <br /> 4. Odors: The emission of odorous matter in such quantities as to be readily detectable beyond <br /> the boundaries of the immediate site is prohibited. <br /> 5. Vibrations: Any use creating periodic earthshaking vibrations, such as are created by heavy <br /> drop forges or heavy hydraulic surges, shall be prohibited if such vibrations are perceptible <br /> beyond the boundaries of the immediate site. <br /> 6. Glare or Heat: Any operation producing intense glare or heat shall be performed within a <br /> completely enclosed building. <br /> 1 believe there is a substantial question as to whether or not this proposed use is permitted under our <br /> present zoning code. <br /> However, because the city chose to believe permits could not be denied and that environmental review <br /> was not necessary in this case, a Citizens' EAW request was submitted, an EAW was ruled mandatory, an <br /> EAW prepared, and an EAW was circulated for public comment. According to EQB Rules, "The purpose <br /> of the EAW process is to disclose information about potential environmental impacts of the project." <br /> This has now been done and the process of deciding the necessity of an EIS is the next formal step in the <br /> environmental review process. As the originator of the Citizen's Petition for an Environmental <br /> Assessment Worksheet (on behalf of Friends of Twin Lakes), 1 would respectfully request that now is <br /> perhaps an appropriate time for the City Council to consider whether there is any basis for giving land <br /> use approval given what we now know of the environmental impacts of this proposed project. <br /> MN Rules Section 4410.4600, subpart 2 (Standard Exemptions) allows a governmental unit to deny a <br /> permit during pendency of environmental review. A permit may not be granted or approved until the <br /> environmental review is complete, but one can be denied based on findings brought forward as part <br /> of the environmental review process. In this case, at the close of the comment period for the EAW, 167 <br /> comments from the public, businesses, municipalities, and pubic golf courses were received. The Air <br /> Quality Permit, while not receiving the same volume of comments, received many. These are not "not <br /> in my backyard comments." These comments concern issues of health, property values, manufacturing <br /> impacts, and job loss (some 300 jobs could be lost at Old Dutch). They are comments concerning <br /> equipment to be used and the monitoring process. They are comments from municipal officials, <br /> attorneys, residents, nurses, doctors, and engineers. They raise serious and valid concerns which have <br /> no easy answers, solutions, or mitigations. <br /> More than one letter to the MPCA queries, if such a permit is granted and such a plant built, what <br /> happens if it becomes a major polluter of our water, air, or soil? Unfortunately, as a resident points out, <br /> the plant will be fined, but all those suffering from the pollution will have to stay. Once a plant is built, <br /> the best efforts at mitigation may be insufficient. Furthermore, once a conditional use permit is <br /> granted, it runs with the land. This means that even if the present plant went out of business, the use <br /> would continue to be permitted. The granting of a conditional use permit has a very powerful <br /> community impact and should only be granted with great care. <br />