Minnehaha County, Dell Rapids approve temporary asphalt plant permit without odor-additive requirement

Minnehaha County commissioners and the Del Rapids City Council on May 20 approved Temporary Use Permit No. 2503 to allow a temporary asphalt plant at the West Quarry, south of Dell Rapids, while rejecting a Del Rapids Planning Commission–added requirement that the contractor use a low-odor additive.

The decision reconciles differing conditions adopted earlier by the joint planning commissions. County planner Kevin Hookman said the plant would sit near the center of the parcel adjacent to the railroad and that the nearest residence lies about 2,000 feet away. The permit covers the temporary staging and operation needed for a paving job; the contractor expects the plant to run about a week and a half to two weeks and to produce roughly 6,500 tons of asphalt, though site preparation may take three to six weeks.

Opponents raised health and odor concerns. Roger Paplow spoke for resident Susan Fisher and read a notarized letter in which Fisher wrote that an east wind would carry fumes into a nearby hollow where she lives and that she has emphysema and other health issues that could worsen. “My pulmonologist advised me that my symptoms would worsen and possibly affect the cancer too,” Fisher’s letter said.

The applicant’s representative, Shane Carlberg of Central Specialties, told the joint body the company had considered a low-odor additive but could not confirm whether South Dakota allows that additive in mix designs. He said comparable approvals vary by state and that adding the product could raise project costs substantially — he estimated an incremental cost between $30,000 and $60,000 — and that the additive had not been standard in prior bids. “Personally, I wouldn’t want to add another chemical to the mix to be blowing out into the air,” Carlberg said, and he added there is limited published research on such additives.

Jacob Mars of the highway department said contractors determine where to locate temporary plants and that requiring an additive that was not in the bid documents could complicate bidding and performance. “We want to create as fair of a bidding environment as we can with all of our projects,” Mars said. He characterized the specification of additives as a means-and-methods issue contractors must resolve when choosing plant locations.

County planning staff noted the Del Rapids Planning Commission had added a tenth condition calling for an odor-reducing additive while the County Planning Commission had not. Commissioners expressed concern about setting a new precedent or changing project requirements after bidding. One commissioner said the temporary nature of the use and staff testimony suggested a low likelihood of a prolonged odor nuisance at the proposed location.

After discussion, a motion to approve the permit with conditions 1–9 and without the Del Rapids Planning Commission’s tenth condition passed at the Del Rapids City Council and was concurred by the Minnehaha County Commission.

No additional follow-up tasks, studies, or reporting requirements were recorded in the meeting minutes for this item. Public comment and the permit decision occurred during the public hearing portion of the May 20 joint meeting.