ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    April
    25,
    1972
    GRIGGSVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
    UNIT
    #4
    v.
    )
    PCB 72—166
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    OPINION OF THE BOARD
    (by Mr. Kissel):
    The Griggsville Community School
    (Griggsville)
    filed
    a petition
    for
    a variance with the Board on April
    22,
    1972.
    Griggsville requests
    permission from the Board to burn paper wastes in
    an incinerator for
    one year.
    The material burnt would be loose paper and milk cartons
    from approximately 500 students in the first through twelfth grades.
    Griggsville intends to burn the materials
    in an open incinerator
    covered by
    a screen.
    Within the year Griggsville plans
    to purchase
    a
    compressor which will compact the paper wastes into bales.
    Griggsville
    then hopes that
    the local scavenger will be able to haul these bales
    away.
    The variance petition
    fails
    to indicate whether Griggsville has
    explored any alternatives
    to open burning as an interim measure before
    the purchase of the compressor.
    It may be possible to obtain scavenger
    services more frequently than once weekly as at present;
    or
    a larger
    storage space
    for the refuse could be obtained in the interim.
    Griggs-
    ville should explore such alternatives
    and the economic and practical
    difficulties thereof before
    it seeks to open burn.
    We would note that
    open burning has been prohibited by law in Illinois since
    1965,
    Since
    this case does concern
    a governmental
    unit which
    has
    apparently been acting in good faith,
    we will not dismiss this petition.
    (See City of Fairfield v, Environmental Protection Agency,
    PCJ3
    72—58,
    February
    22,
    1972).
    Rather, Griggsville Community
    School will be given
    an additional twenty
    (20) days from the receipt of this order within
    which
    to file an amended variance petition detailing the alternative
    means of disposal available
    to it and
    the reasons
    for choosing open burn-
    ing and rejecting any other alternatives,
    I, Christan
    L. Moffett, Clerk of the Pollution Control Board,
    c r~ifythat the Bp rd adopted the above Opinion and Order on this
    q
    day of
    ,
    1972, by
    a vote of
    4”- 0
    4
    —
    439

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