“ …no matter where you put it, it will affect someone. County Commissioner Fritz Sobanja ”
After listening to citizen comments for over an hour on Sept. 29, Grand Marais city councilors concluded that it wouldn’t be a good idea to get rid of the burn pile. However, city officials also agreed that the collection site near the water tower on the Gunflint Trail needs to be relocated in order to prevent healthrelated problems caused by the smoke and smoldering debris.
The public meeting was attended by about 25 people, most of whom offered comments, and most of whom supported keeping the burn pile close to town. Although nobody at the meeting knew how many years the city has maintained the burn pile at its present location, there were no complaints until last fall, when a two-year accumulation of brush was lit following a historic wind storm that left the site overflowing with broken trees and other debris. The large amount of material being burned, in combination with shifting winds and unexpected weather conditions, caused the smoke to drift toward town and infiltrate the hospital and school. Both complained about the
” smoke that lingered for three days, citing health concerns for not only residents and students, but employees as well.
In response to those complaints, the city has since limited the size of the pile to what can burn in a single day and closely monitors predicted wind speed and direction before lighting the fire. That policy has resulted in more frequent burnings of the pile — eight times so far this year, as opposed to the one time per year that had been done previously. The fire is also extinguished with dirt rather than water in an effort to reduce the smoke produced by the smoldering woodstuffs.
After City Administrator Mike Roth presented the background and explained the problem, Mayor Sue Hakes encouraged those in attendance to give their opinions of how they are affected by the burn pile, both negatively and positively. “We want to use your comments as a basis for our decision,” the mayor said.
Rory Smith, maintenance director at the North Shore Hospital and Care Center, said he’s been called to work many times during the night or in the early-morning hours to deal with smoke problems in the buildings caused by the burn pile. He said it’s difficult to get the smoke out once it’s in, and to shut down the air handlers is a violation of state code. Not only does the poor indoor air quality threaten patients and residents at the Care Center, Smith said, employees have also been sickened.
Smith stressed that he was not opposed to the burn pile, but “it’s just not in a good spot.” He suggested moving it farther from town and putting it out more quickly. Asked about the effect of the more frequent burns this year, Smith said there has been little difference, and that even one day with smoke in the building is too much, especially for those struggling with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or other respiratory disorders.
Cook County School District Superintendent Beth Schwarz said she is also in favor of moving the burn pile. She said the school has also had to shut down its air handlers during times of high smoke, and students and employees have been sent home with breathing problems. The smoke has also caused problems with the building’s fire alarms, she said. It’s obvious the city needs a burn pile, Schwarz said after listening to citizens’ comments, but the situation as it now exists is impacting two vulnerable groups: children, and the ill and elderly.
Paul Nelson and Dick Parker, representing FireWise, said it’s important to make burn piles available to the public in order to allow property owners to clean up their yards. There are six burn pits in the county, Nelson said, and none of them are close to the city. And although a feasibility study is under way for development of a district-wide pit near Grand Marais, Nelson said that is at least a year or two away.
However, said Parker, such sites must be closely watched or they begin to fill up with furniture, appliances, drywall and other prohibited materials. Parker, who volunteers with operation of the Ball Club Road pit, said officials need to consider the increased volume there if the water tower site is closed, as it is the closest to town. “The real issue is the need to have people to monitor it,” he cautioned.
Roth also read letters submitted by Aaron Mielke and Mary Manning of the DNR expressing similar concerns about illegal dumping, and said the DNR could pull the city’s permit to burn brush at the site if violations continue.
About a dozen citizens spoke in favor of keeping a city-operated burn pile. Suggestions included relocation to the business park; establishment of an additional disposal site for construction and other waste that cannot legally be burned; limiting use of the water tower site to city residents only; burning on weekends only; installation of more signs to notify users what materials should not be dumped; require separation of large and small items; and institute use of surveillance cameras.
In the end, council decided to work with the county to find an alternative site outside the city limits, but not too far from town. County Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said the county has worked hard with FireWise to allow use of state and federal pits for disposal of brush, but reiterated that it’s “no easy task” to take proper care of the sites. He also advised council to “do what’s best for most of the people…no matter where you put it, it will affect someone.”
In the meantime, better signage will be put up at the burn pile stating what materials are accepted and the fines and penalties for dumping prohibited items. Roth said he will also send a letter to the county board seeking their help with finding an alternative site on county land near the city.
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