[Dave]

Because LaPorte County, or some powerful folks in LaPorte County want the transfer station, they just want to give the appearance of opposition? or is it just my cynical nature?

You aren't alone.

Enough people think NW Indiana is made entirely of brownfields. Putting something like this waste transfer station so near the Dunes is frighteningly stupid, and for anyone holding political office not to see how stupid it is may even be stupider.

One thing I can tell you -- we all have to make sure that any elected official who supports this, or appoints someone to a board who supports this, is reminded of it repeatedly before the next time they stand for election.

[Roger Kaputnik]

You know how I feel about Oberlie. This is typical of how he impacts the City and area. Why is he in office? Oh, yeah, no one ran against him in the general election. Hats off to those who tried in the primary.

[Michelle]

Wow. Maybe Michelle has some info there from the inside?

I hadn't heard this.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It is up to us, then, to publicize this letter.

[edgeywood]

It is up to us, then, to publicize this letter.

Oberlie has never denied writing the letter. In fact, he answered a question about his support of the garbage transfer station at a Primary Candidates Forum that was held at City Hall and broadcast on WEFM. Funny thing... there were technical difficulties and the last portion of the Forum wasn't recorded. His endorsement of the transfer station would've made a great campaign commercial....for LaRocco or Winski.

[JHeath]

Oberlie has never denied writing the letter. In fact, he answered a question about his support of the garbage transfer station at a Primary Candidates Forum that was held at City Hall and broadcast on WEFM. Funny thing... there were technical difficulties and the last portion of the Forum wasn't recorded. His endorsement of the transfer station would've made a great campaign commercial....for LaRocco or Winski.

Very true...especially since they both opposed it.

[Roger Kaputnik]

WEFM is therefore unreliable. WIMS should have been there.

[edgeywood]

Too bad the News-Dispatch didn't cover this story.


Porter County wins battle in transfer station war
By Phil Wieland phil.wieland@nwi.com, (219) 548-4352 | Posted: Monday, October 4, 2010 6:00 pm
MICHIGAN CITY | A LaPorte County Superior Court judge has ruled in Porter County's favor in the ongoing battle over plans to build a trash transfer station on County Line Road in LaPorte County.

Judge Richard Stalbrink granted Porter County's request for a summary judgment dismissing the suit filed by Great Lakes Transfer LLC and the property owners, Darren and Gina Kaletha. Great Lakes received a permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to build the trash transfer station on about 64 acres owned by the Kalethas on the LaPorte County side of County Line Road.

The dispute resulted from Porter County's refusal to allow a driveway cut to the property from County Line Road, which is the only access road. The county has jurisdiction over all roads on its eastern and southern boundaries, and it rejected several applications to allow the driveway cut saying the road was not built to handle the steady flow of heavy trucks that would be using the transfer station.

Bob Harper, president of the Porter County Board of Commissioners, said the county fought the project from the beginning because the proposed driveway is "not that far from the Dunes park, there is residential across the street and the road can't handle the semis."
"It needs to be a major highway," Harper said of wherever a transfer station would be built. "We are talking hundreds of semis a week, and that (County Line Road) is a very simple county road. Traditionally it's been a low-traveled road. It was wetlands all around where they are going to put the transfer station. I am very pleased with this decision."
John Lloyd, lawyer for Great Lakes and the Kalethas, could not be reached for comment.
The ruling was handed down Thursday by Stalbrink and marked the first big win for the county in its effort to block the station's construction. Its appeals of the IDEM decision to issue the permit have been rejected, but those rulings said Great Lakes still must comply with local laws and permit requirements for the road.

A hearing on the summary judgment request originally filed by Great Lakes and the Kalethas against Porter County was held in February. In granting the judgment in favor of the county instead, the judge said its decision to deny the permit is a discretionary one "based on policy considerations and a conscious weighing of the risk and benefits" and therefore was not reviewable by the courts.

Great Lakes and the Kalethas have the right to appeal the decision.

[edgeywood]

Too bad the News-Dispatch didn't cover this story.

Waste station lawsuit dismissed
By Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 5:13 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — La Porte Superior Court 2 Judge Richard Stalbrink has dismissed a lawsuit
against Porter County brought by a waste-processing facility that has fought for years to locate on
County Line Road.

Stalbrink issued his order granting summary judgement to Porter County last week, maintaining the
court has no power to review the case. It was the first victory for those who fought against the
transfer station proposed by Great Lakes Transfer LLC.

“I’m glad to hear that decision was made. It wasn’t a good location for the transfer station from the
beginning. There are wetlands, and the water there drains directly to Lake Michigan,” said County
Commissioner Mike Bohacek, who took up the issue when he ran for office in 2006. “The county
really needs one in the northern part of the county, but this wasn’t the place for it.”
Great Lakes Transfer sued the Porter County Highway Department and Porter County Board of
Commissioners in 2008 after county officials repeatedly denied it permission to build a driveway cut
to the proposed facility location, 5335 N. County Line Road. Michigan City resident Sean Blieden,
who operated Great Lakes Transfer, wanted to build the transfer station on a 64-acre plot on the
east side of the road, which is inside La Porte County. The road, however, straddles the county line,
and state law says any road that does so is under jurisdiction of the county to the west.
Neither Blieden nor his lawyers, John Lloyd of South Bend and Barry McDonnell of Michigan City,
returned calls for comment Tuesday.

In his motion, Stalbrink wrote state case law indicates the county was allowed to deny the permits
based on county ordinances “because they were made in consideration of certain specific and
specified policies and concerns ... regarding traffic safety policies that were deemed important
enough to deny the application.”

Porter County officials claimed the road was not built to handle the steady flow of heavy trucks that
would be using the transfer station, citing traffic and safety concerns.

This lawsuit was filed among appeals by both Porter and La Porte counties of the transfer station’s
permit to construct and operate a facility there, granted by the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management in November 2005. That permit expires Nov. 10. Blieden’s former
business, Jayco Recycling Services at 1617 E. U.S. 12, filed for bankruptcy in 2007 before it closed.
Great Lakes and Darren and Gina Kaletha, who own the property at 5335 N. County Line Road, have
the right to appeal Stalbrink’s decision.

“Transfer stations are an unpopular thing to pass,” Bohacek said. “Blieden found a site that had the
proper zoning, but unfortunately it had other issues. The county should help him find another site
for it. It’s stupid from an environmental standpoint to keep hauling all of our trash down to
Kingsbury.”

Not so fast Mr. Bohacek....According to the EPA, "Although cost-effectiveness will vary, transfer stations generally become economically viable when the hauling distance to the disposal facility is greater than 15 to 20 miles." We are a little less than 20 miles from Kingsbury.

Bohacek's interest in saddling Michigan City with a transfer station has more to do with tipping fees for the Solid Waste District. The SWD made a fortune from tipping fees at the Deercroft landfill....and squandered most of it on bad investments....but that's another story.

[NDReporter]

Waste station lawsuit dismissed
By Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 5:13 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — La Porte Superior Court 2 Judge Richard Stalbrink has dismissed a lawsuit
against Porter County brought by a waste-processing facility that has fought for years to locate on
County Line Road.

Stalbrink issued his order granting summary judgement to Porter County last week, maintaining the
court has no power to review the case. It was the first victory for those who fought against the
transfer station proposed by Great Lakes Transfer LLC.

“I’m glad to hear that decision was made. It wasn’t a good location for the transfer station from the
beginning. There are wetlands, and the water there drains directly to Lake Michigan,” said County
Commissioner Mike Bohacek, who took up the issue when he ran for office in 2006. “The county
really needs one in the northern part of the county, but this wasn’t the place for it.”
Great Lakes Transfer sued the Porter County Highway Department and Porter County Board of
Commissioners in 2008 after county officials repeatedly denied it permission to build a driveway cut
to the proposed facility location, 5335 N. County Line Road. Michigan City resident Sean Blieden,
who operated Great Lakes Transfer, wanted to build the transfer station on a 64-acre plot on the
east side of the road, which is inside La Porte County. The road, however, straddles the county line,
and state law says any road that does so is under jurisdiction of the county to the west.
Neither Blieden nor his lawyers, John Lloyd of South Bend and Barry McDonnell of Michigan City,
returned calls for comment Tuesday.

In his motion, Stalbrink wrote state case law indicates the county was allowed to deny the permits
based on county ordinances “because they were made in consideration of certain specific and
specified policies and concerns ... regarding traffic safety policies that were deemed important
enough to deny the application.”

Porter County officials claimed the road was not built to handle the steady flow of heavy trucks that
would be using the transfer station, citing traffic and safety concerns.

This lawsuit was filed among appeals by both Porter and La Porte counties of the transfer station’s
permit to construct and operate a facility there, granted by the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management in November 2005. That permit expires Nov. 10. Blieden’s former
business, Jayco Recycling Services at 1617 E. U.S. 12, filed for bankruptcy in 2007 before it closed.
Great Lakes and Darren and Gina Kaletha, who own the property at 5335 N. County Line Road, have
the right to appeal Stalbrink’s decision.

“Transfer stations are an unpopular thing to pass,” Bohacek said. “Blieden found a site that had the
proper zoning, but unfortunately it had other issues. The county should help him find another site
for it. It’s stupid from an environmental standpoint to keep hauling all of our trash down to
Kingsbury.”

Not so fast Mr. Bohacek....According to the EPA, "Although cost-effectiveness will vary, transfer stations generally become economically viable when the hauling distance to the disposal facility is greater than 15 to 20 miles." We are a little less than 20 miles from Kingsbury.

Bohacek's interest in saddling Michigan City with a transfer station has more to do with tipping fees for the Solid Waste District. The SWD made a fortune from tipping fees at the Deercroft landfill....and squandered most of it on bad investments....but that's another story.

Good to know!

[edgeywood]

Good to know!

Great Lakes Transfer has applied for a permit renewal for the garbage transfer station proposed for County Line Rd. Sean Blieden filed for a renewal on 10/12/10, which puts him outside the 120 day limit specified in Indiana Code, 329 IAC 11-9-4. Of course, it looks like IDEM will try and accommodate him.

Several local officials were notified including Mayor Oberlie, the LaPorte County Commissioners, and the SWD. Maybe they would like to hear from us concerning this permit.

[edgeywood]

Through IDEM's heroic effort, the garbage transfer station permit was renewed. The permit holder missed the 120 day window, but IDEM worked valiantly to make sure that they got this done before the deadline.

We should be very proud of our state regulators.

[MichiganCityDDS]

This is what the Governor means by making Indiana business-friendly. As a businessman, I resent his co-opting the "business" part to mean anything goes for corporate interests and to hell with people. Can you imagine if this guy is in the White House? YIKES

[Southsider2k12]

Totally not surprising. When your community elected leaders refuse to stand up publicly and fight, why would IDEM block this?

[edgeywood]

Totally not surprising. When your community elected leaders refuse to stand up publicly and fight, why would IDEM block this?

All the local officials stepped up for this one with the exception of Oberlie.

IDEM gave this guy a pass on the 120 day rule, the road access issue, and numerous other deficiencies in the original permit. IDEM is the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, they are regulators. It is their job to regulate.

[Homey]

All the local officials stepped up for this one with the exception of Oberlie.

IDEM gave this guy a pass on the 120 day rule, the road access issue, and numerous other deficiencies in the original permit. IDEM is the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, they are regulators. It is their job to regulate.

Isn't the Mayor suppose to listen to public opinion?
I'm being naive

[lovethiscity]

Great Lakes Transfer has applied for a permit renewal for the garbage transfer station proposed for County Line Rd. Sean Blieden filed for a renewal on 10/12/10, which puts him outside the 120 day limit specified in Indiana Code, 329 IAC 11-9-4. Of course, it looks like IDEM will try and accommodate him.

Several local officials were notified including Mayor Oberlie, the LaPorte County Commissioners, and the SWD. Maybe they would like to hear from us concerning this permit.

Tell me this is dead, if he can't get trucks to the site.

[Ang]

Now see..... this is what confused me about this whole issue. If the guy can't get easement rights for the trucks, how can he have a transfer station?

[Homey]

Last night on WIMS they were discussing this with a well informed caller, whose name I didn't catch...but she's been fighting this for a long time and gave more information on the subject than anyone I've heard. Even "don't give a f**k Chuck."

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...e7646705506.txt

City Council to fight station permit

By Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:12 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — It’s not too late for city officials to ask Indiana Department of Environmental Management to reconsider its renewal of a permit for a proposed County Line Road waste transfer station, city councilwoman Pat Boy said.

“We still have time to ask for an administrative review,” she said.

According to the permit renewal, people who are “aggrieved or adversely affected” by the decision have until Nov. 26 to challenge it with the Office of Environmental Adjudication.

That’s why council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to send a letter to IDEM in opposition to the facility that would be run by Great Lakes Transfer LLC operator Sean Blieden, as well as file a petition for review. President Marc Espar was the only dissenting vote, saying the council also should use the resolution to ask county officials to block building permits for the transfer station.

*
“I think that’s something they would take upon themselves,” councilman Ron Meer said. “This still encourages our mayor to take a stand.”

The council also agreed to look for a way to continue evening bus service by putting together a workshop that includes Mayor Chuck Oberlie, council members, bus employees and union representatives. They will search for “creative, functional and affordable options within the current scope of the operating budget,” Boy said, but will not be limited to that if no more money can be found there. Evening bus service used to be funded by a grant that is no longer available, she said.

“We may have to utilize more money to accommodate an evening route,” Meer said. “I don’t want to say we can’t do it if there’s no money.”