Standing Committee — Minutes

SEVEN MILE CREEK LANDFILL STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES August 14, 2025 Members Present: John Ailie, Kathy Campbell, Richard Arnold Members Absent: Jon Johnson, Lane Berg, Joe Knight, Matt Steinbach Others Present: Mark Vinall, John Blackmon, Phil Schmacher Call to Order: Meeting called to Order at 1:05 p.m. by John Ailie Approval of Minutes: Richard hasn’t contacted Michelle Skinner regarding measuring PFAS levels in Lake Altoona. and hasn’t been able to access reports at home. He would prefer to access the reports at the Town office. Minutes of May 8, 2025 could not be approved due to the lack of a Qurom. Approval will be requested at the next meeting. Public Comment: None present Landfill Data Presentation and Summary: Presented by Mark Vinall, GFL Representative ● Waste volume increased in the 2nd Quarter to 102,346 tons. The tonnage was higher when compared to Q2 of 2024. This is possibly due to the increase in building repairs because of recent storms. ● Eligible tonnage was reduced to 82,129 when the material used for cover was removed from the total waste collected. The monthly host fee paid by GFL is based on eligible tonnage paid directly to the City of Eau Claire by ACH and distributed to the Town and County. The Host Fee was negotiated between the municipalities and GFL and detailed in the 2022 Final Agreement. There wasn’t a host fee required in the first Agreement in force between 1996-2002. It was noted that there has been difficulty accessing the 1996 Agreement. Mark will provide another copy to the Town and a courtesy copy to Kathy. ● The quantity of Leachate removed in Q2 was lower in both Sectors when compared to Q2 2024. Leachate is treated by the City of Menomonie, City of Chippewa Falls and Medford. If they ever become unwilling to treat the leachate, GFL may develop an on-site waste treatment plant. ● GFL is developing a waste to energy plan to convert the methane to compressed natural gas. ● Litter pickup occurred 25 times for the 2nd Quarter or 8-9 times a month. John Ailie mentioned having seen litter flying out of a roll-off truck and speaking with a State Patrol Officer on County Q who commented that he “sees a lot of violations.” Kathy picked up a large amount of waste (plastic, fluff, etc.) found on 75th Avenue. John Ailie asked if they could do anything to reduce the amount of litter on the road and neighbors’ property. John B. said that some of the trucks are overfilled, and they are not always covering loads. Also, some of the drivers are not English-speaking and are having difficulty following the procedures when they enter and exit the landfill. GFL staff are inspecting the trucks to ensure they are empty upon exiting; however, it was suggested that the timing of their inspection could be more frequent and random. Mark will look into providing signage in Spanish and Hmong. The tipper was shut down on April 2 due to high winds. Jed’s Tree Service removed litter caught in the trees after that weather incident. ● Odor may be more noticeable to neighbors because they are disposing of waste on the north end of cell 14A. Odor suppressants are used only when necessary. ● The WDNR conducted an Air Audit of the landfill site in April and it was found fully compliant. ● The semi-annual ground water monitoring was completed in April. Two private wells were tested, the WDNR reviewed the results and they were sent to the property owners. ● The GEMS reports, 2024 Annual Report, Annual Groundwater Monitoring Summary and Air Permit Deviation Notice were reviewed. It was noted that the source of specific VOCs (benzene, vinyl chloride, dichloroethene) found in wells DH45 and DH52 are believed to be coming from the salvage yard upgradient of the landfill. Phil will ask the Manager of EMR (Northern Metals and Recycling) if the salvage yard is monitoring its wells. Jeremy Larson is the Manager (715/214-3305). ● Conductance levels were higher in three wells. This is attributed to salt from the entrance road and the closed TOS Landfill. The wells will continue to be monitored regularly to determine if the levels increase or standards are exceeded. Michelle Skinner would like to have measurements taken to determine how much sediment is coming from upriver into Lake Altoona. City-County Health Department Report: Phil Schumacher, Representative ● Waste is being placed in Phase 14A. The average daily waste collection continues to be approximately 1600 tons per day. ● The landfill staff conducted routine spring repair work and is completing annual repairs. ● The rain cap remains intact. ● A leachate spill occurred in July while the DNR was conducting an inspection. Clean up, well repair and clearance testing was completed. ● The compost section turned existing piles. ● Leachate has increased to approximately 44,700 gallons per day. Loads are hauled to Chippewa Falls and Menomonie and occasionally to Medford. ● No complaints to the Health Department this Quarter. Property Protection Letter to Eligible Residents: John Blackmon sent the letter, containing pertinent pages from the 2022 Agreement to residents. 2024 Sociological Payment and Process Report: Kathy will request that Roxie at the Eau Claire County Planning & Development department provide a list of the current property owners residing within one mile of the Landfill. Mark will provide a list of property owners eligible for the 2025 sociological payment to Kathy prior to the next meeting, so a current list can be compared and compiled at the next meeting. Legal Interpretation and Clarification: John Ailie was informed by Atty. Helquist on May 7 that he had contacted Atty. Speerschnieder regarding this matter, but had not heard back from him. John A. will contact Atty. Helquist for an update. Standing Committee Trust Fund Balance: Michael Korbol, Budget Analyst for the City of Eau Claire informed John Ailie that the trust fund balance was $7,397.35. Host Fee/ACH Process Update: Checks are being received by the TOS one month after the City receives them from GFL. Other Business: ● The Landfill is holding their Annual Open House on September 11, 11:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch is provided. ● The property owners within one mile of the landfill received a letter on May 6 from GFL, informing them that 3 wells would require re-drilling. Agenda Items for Next Meeting: Appointment of Replacement for Jon Johnson: Eau Claire County Administration/John Ailie Approve Minutes of May 8, 2025 Provide copy of 1996 Seven Mile Creek Landfill Agreement to TOS and Kathy: Mark Information about Monitoring of VOCs at EMR: Phil Schumacher Compare and Compile 2025 Sociological Reports: Roxie, Kathy, Mark Legal Interpretation and Clarification: Atty. Helquist and Atty. Speerschneider Next Meeting Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at the Seymour Town Hall. Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Campbell Secretary