Yakima well being board updates: DTG working by way of allowing course of | Native
Allow discussions are persevering with for DTG Recycle operations at Rocky High west of Yakima.
Shawn Magee, director of environmental well being for the Yakima Well being District, mentioned his employees and the Yakima Regional Clear Air Authority are working with DTG on getting the landfill’s permits so as so it may well resume operations.
The well being district didn’t renew an working allow for DTG’s non-public, limited-purpose landfill in June. Magee mentioned there isn’t any particular date for when DTG will resume operations. He gave an replace to the district’s Board of Well being on Wednesday.
An underground hearth was detected inside a closed strong waste cell at DTG final April.
The soil cowl operation to smother the fireplace, which began final summer time, is nearly full. As of Dec. 18, weekly air high quality readings across the space haven’t proven important ranges of poisonous gases leaving the landfill.
Restricted goal landfills primarily settle for development and demolition waste in addition to different sorts of waste.
DTG additionally operates a recycling heart at Rocky High that operates beneath a unique allow that was in good standing.
The well being district additionally declined to resume a limited-purpose landfill working allow for Caton Landfill north of Naches. The well being district mentioned the corporate’s hearth suppression and prevention plan wasn’t adequate. Caton filed an attraction, and has continued to function regardless of the allow denial. There was no replace on Caton on Wednesday.
Different well being board information
An replace on different well being board exercise:
• INSPECTOR DEATH: Magee additionally reported that in late December, a Yakima house inspector entered a nicely home believed to be stuffed with both hydrogen sulfide or methane. The inspector died days later from the publicity, Magee mentioned.
The inspector’s demise, Magee mentioned, prompted state-level discussions about security protocols for confined-space inspections.
“This very nicely may change the panorama of how water system inspections are carried out to make sure that there’s security for workers, system operators and residents who personal these water programs,” he instructed the board.
• BOARD MEMBERS: The board unanimously saved Yakima Mayor Patricia Byers as chair. County Commissioner LaDon Linde is the vice chair. Katherine Saluskin joined the board as a Yakama Nation consultant. She has served as program supervisor at Yakama Nation Behavioral Well being for greater than 11 years.
• BUILDING REMODEL: The board acquired an replace on plans to transform the well being district’s workplace in Union Hole. Ryan Ibach, chief working officer, mentioned the well being district will work with Yakima-based KDA Structure to design the transform over the following eight weeks.
The well being district’s employees has grown from 34 to 48 folks from 2020 and 2023. With new employees got here added providers and extra guests, which raised considerations about privateness, safety and workplace area. A price estimate for the transform, Ibach mentioned, will likely be out there after the predesign part.