Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and city of Ironwood are still negotiating about how much the city owes for the gasification plant cleanup of three years ago.
On Monday, city commissioners approved a “tolling agreement” with the EPA that will allow negotiations to continue through July 1.
City attorney Tim Dean said that will, in effect, give the city six months to come up with a financial settlement with the government.
The former Ironwood Manufactured Gas Plant was located on the northwest corner of Hemlock and West Ayer streets. It produced and distributed gas to Ironwood and Hurley until the late 1950s.
Contamination from coal tar was discovered during a bridge construction project on the Montreal River, necessitating the 2012-13 cleanup when a study showed the presence of hazardous substances.
The cleanup effort has long since been completed, but the negotiations continue.
In other business Monday, commissioners approved appointments made by Mayor Annette Burchell.
Former mayor Bob Burchell, husband of the current mayor, and Mark Silver were reappointed to the planning commission.
Gary Mariani was appointed to the city’s board of review.
In other business, the city commission:
—Agreed to advertise for bids selling a 2011 Toyota Camry that was seized from a drug dealer. The minimum bid will be $2,500.
—Awarded a bid to Binz Brothers, of Montreal, Wis., for $19,190 for rehabilitation of a city well. City utilities director Bob Tervonen said although the Binz bid was much lower than two other ones that were received, he is satisfied the company will do a good job at that price. He noted another well was rehabilitated last year.
—Accepted an audit proposal from the Makela, Pollack and Ahonen firm, of Ironwood, for the next three years. The city will pay $28,000 for the 2017 audit, a 5.5 percent increase, $28,300 for the 2018 audit and $28,600 for 2019.
The firm has compiled the audit for the city for the past three years.
Commissioner Rick Semo suggested the city should consider placing the audit up for bids, but commissioner Jim Mildred disagreed, saying he cheapest company might cost the city in the long run if it completed a substandard audit, as has been his personal experience with audits as Gogebic County Transit director.
Semo voted for the Makela, Pollack and Ahonen three-year bid, which passed 5-0.
