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0 0 <br />Cc: Sam Monaco; Jed Phelps; Harprit S. Mattu [EH]; Michael Kith [EH]; Lorraine Paskett <br />Subject: Re: Harvest Power Lathrop OIMP <br />=114 STNIE <br />I will send you the revised OIMP before the end of the day. <br />As far as Conditions of Approval for the CUP, I think both the LEA and Harvest would be <br />happier with very general conditions in the CUP, like "Comply with the requirements of the <br />Solid Waste Facility Permit", or "Comply with the Odor Impact Minimization Plan process." In <br />the same way you might include: "Comply with the Regional Water Quality Control Board <br />requirements, rather than getting into the weeds on stormwater test results. <br />The Odor Impact Minimization Plan process was set up by CalRecycle in 2003 as an iterative <br />process. The OIMP is a living document and by its nature responds to changing conditions either <br />at the facility or surrounding it. Conditions in the CUP can be both difficult and time consuming <br />to change. Conditions in the Solid Waste Facility Permit are also difficult to change, but not <br />nearly as much as the CUP. <br />I would prefer to not create a subjective numerical complaint standard (i.e., "two complaints a <br />month, eight in a year", etc.). The way the OIMP is supposed to work is: if it is working, <br />great. If it's not adequately working to reduce off-site odor complaints, then the operator needs <br />to implement additional management practices to manage the off-site odors. So far (at least as <br />far as I am aware), Harvest has not generated significant off-site odors. The only way Harvest <br />staff will know if there is an off-site odor (other than self-monitoring) is if someone complains <br />either directly to the facility, or to the LEA. At that point (once Harvest is notified) Harvest will <br />try to figure out exactly what it is that caused the off-site odor. Ideally it can be something that <br />can be resolved quickly, like equipment breakdown, or it may take a few days, like correcting a <br />C:N imbalance in the mix. <br />The problem with a numeric odor complaint standard is it takes any judgement away from the <br />LEA. Since we can't predict in the future what the source or cause of the odor might be, I'd hate <br />to commit to essentially a zero tolerance threshold. Once the neighbors find out they only need <br />to call twice on an odor and Harvest is shut down, they may start gaming the system. <br />If there are confirmed off-site odor complaints, I would hope that Harvest and the LEA could <br />work together to resolve them. If for example a loader breaks down and Harvest can't cover the <br />commercial food scraps as fast as they'd like, that could possibly generate two odor complaints, <br />even though a replacement loader could be on-site within a matter of hours? Sometimes off-site <br />odors can be caused by weather inversions, which might last a few days before dispersing and <br />allowing for better air movement. Ideally Harvest would recognize these conditions and prepare <br />for them, but shutting the facility down after only two complaints in a month seems far too <br />restrictive. <br />Please let me know if you want to discuss. <br />Thanks. <br />SCANNED <br />