THF VILlAGE OF
BARTLE1T
228 S. MAIN
STREET
BARTLETT. ILLINOIS
60103
CLERK’S OFFICE
PHONE 630.837.0800
FAX 630.837.7168
(JEC 2 4 2003
‘RESIDENT
STATE
OF ILLINOIS
Catherine J. Meichert
Pollution Control Board
December 22, 2003
ADMINISTRATOR
Valerie L. Salmons
VILLAGE CLERK
The Members of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
Linda Gallien
C/O
The Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
James R. Thompson Center
TRUSTEES
100 W. Randolph Street
Michael A. Airdo
T.L.Arends
Suite 11-500
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Sherry Bormann
Thomas A. Floyd
John Kavouris
RE:
R04-1 1
Dennis M. Nolan
Ameren Elgin Site Specific Noise Rulemaking
Dear Board Members:
The Village of Bartlett supports the Petition filed by Ameren Energy
Generating Company (Ameren) with the Illinois Pollution Control Board for
site-specific noise emission limitations for Ameren’s Elgin Energy Center.
The Ameren Energy Center is located on the Elgin side of Gifford Road,
which acts as the boundary between the Village and the City of Elgin.
Although the facility is not within our municipal jurisdiction, we have been
aware of its construction in 2001 and operation over the past couple of years.
To our knowledge, Ameren has not exceeded the currently applicable
Board’s noise emission limitations and has been a good neighbor to the
Village residents, as well as its fellow industrial, commercial and residential
neighbors in Elgin.
Bartlett has recently enacted ordinances annexing a 121-acre parcel
of vacant property on the west side of Gifford Road and rezoning that
property for residential use. This action was taken by the Village pursuant to
a request by Realen Homes, so the parcel is often referred to as the Realen
Property. Representatives of the Village have since met with Ameren and
Realen Homes to discuss the impact of that action on Ameren’s Energy
Center. Ameren has explained its need to seek site-specific noise limitations
for the facility because it may not be able to meet the Board’s noise emission
limitations for residential property once the use of the Realen Property is
converted to residential.
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December 22, 2003
Page Two
The Village supports Ameren’s request for site-specific noise emission
limitations. Experience has demonstrated that Ameren has complied with the existing,
applicable noise limitations. We have reviewed the Petition filed by Ameren with the
Board seeking site-specific noise emission limitations for the Elgin Facility for residential
and commercial receiving properties. Therein, Ameren has demonstrated that the site-
specific noise limitations it seeks from the Board will not interfere with the anticipated
residential use of the Realen Property. We believe granting the requested noise
limitations will allow Ameren to continue operating the Elgin Facility in a manner that will
not interfere with the lives or reasonable use of the property by Village residents,
including future residents of the Realen Property.
The Village recognizes the valuable contribution the Elgin Energy Center makes
to the local economy and that of the State of Illinois and supports Ameren’s efforts to
continue operating the facility in accordance with the Board’s regulations. We view
Ameren’s Petition as a means for it to operate compatibly with future, residential use of
the Realen property in our Village. We recommend that the Board adopt the noise
emission limitations requested by Ameren for its Elgin Energy Center on Gifford Road in
Elgin, Illinois.
Sincerely,
VILLAGE OF BARTLETT
~
Village President
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