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