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State will deploy mobile dust monitor in Genola; mayor joins advisory committee on gravel-pit mitigation
Summary
Mayor reported he was invited to serve on a Division of Air Quality committee reviewing gravel-pit dust mitigation and that the state agreed to install a quality mobile dust monitor in Genola in January to provide 24/7 actionable monitoring; the committee will meet again on Dec. 4.
Mayor told the council he has been invited to join a roughly 40-person Division of Air Quality committee that will recommend ways to improve monitoring and mitigation of dust from gravel pits and to propose options for enforcement. He described the first meeting and said the state will place a quality-grade, mobile dust monitor in Genola in January and that staff will assist with site selection, power and an internet connection.
The monitor is intended to be of a quality the state can rely upon for action; the mayor called it "phenomenal" and said the device (about $30,000 in quality) will remotely monitor dust levels 24 hours a day. The committee will meet again Dec. 4 to compile recommendations for the legislature, and the mayor said he will provide updates to the town newsletter and take residents on a site tour in January when state staff visit.
Council discussed potential monitor locations (the mayor suggested the water tank area) and noted the state needs internet connectivity and power. The mayor said the committee includes a range of stakeholders — from gravel-pit operators to environmental advocates and elected officials — and that the state’s process could lead to stronger enforcement options in future legislation.
