ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

September

26,

1972

VILLAGE OF PALOS PARK

#72-355

v.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

)

ORDER

OF

THE

BOARD

(BY

SAMUEL

T.

LAWTON,

JR..)

Petition

for

variance

was

filed

by

the

Village

of

Palos

Park

relative

to

Rule

502

of

the

Board

Rules

and

Regulations

prohibiting

open burning

(Chapter

2, Part V)to permit the open burning of leaves

within the Village.

By our order of September 12,

1972, we found the

petition inadequate and granted an additional ten days

in which to

file a supplemental statement specifying what landfills were avail-

able for the receiving of leaves, what alternatives to open burning

the Village had considered, what costs the Village would incur in

complying with the Regulation and why the use of air curtain destruc-

tors or comparable facilities would not be feasible.

On September 22, we received a further letter from the Mayor

of Palos Park specifying two landfills that were in the area but

which refused to accept leaves, and stating that adequate land was

not available for municipal coinposting and that leaf mulching equip-

ment would cost roughly

$6,000 which the Village could not afford.

The letter also states “We have had no experience with air curtain

destructors but have called for more information.

At first glance,

it is extremely expensive to operate in our area of dense tree

population.”

We do not regard the response submitted as complying with

our order of September 12,

1972, particularly with respect to the

feasibility of using an air curtain destructor or comparable facil-

ities.

Until the Village has fully explored these alternatives,

and can demonstrate the lack of suitability,

a petition for variance

of the sort requested is premature.

Accordingly, the petition for variance is dismissed.

IT

IS SO

ORDERED.

I, Christan Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board,

certify that the above Order was adopted on the

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day of~~

1972, by a vote of

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to

______________.

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