From: Mac Corthell
Sent: Fri Oct 23 11:36:53 2020
Subject: UPDATE on Odor and Air Quality
Importance: Normal
Dear Citizen,
You are receiving this email because you, along with many of your neighbors, have submitted complaints regarding the odor, air quality issues, and/or noise emanating from the property at 410 Industrial Way. I can assure you that all of us here at City Hall are suffering with you, many of us are fellow community members who live with the stench day and night like you, while others have to bear it during our work day.
I understand entirely that many of you feel as if there is no transparency and/or no action being taken on this issue, and for that I want to offer my personal apologies. It has been very difficult for us here at City Hall to keep some of the ongoing actions confidential, especially as false narratives have been spread that we would love to set the record straight on. As a Marine, Army Soldier, Sheriff’s Deputy, and Detective, I have always seen it as my charge to serve the public with transparency and integrity. With that said, it is my intent to provide as much information as I can, without compromising the community’s chances at a remedy for these issues.
As you may know, CHTC Inc. (also known as Columbia 410 LLC) has retained legal counsel and is challenging every attempt the city and state are making to remedy the odors, pollution, and/or noise related to their operation. You may not know that CHTC Inc’s CEO appeared at a City Council Meeting in October of 2019 and assured the City Council the company was at the end of its season and would cease operations around November or December and find a cure for the odor before starting back up the next season. However, CHTC Inc. did not cease operations as purported, and the city is not aware of any action to date to relieve the odor.
City staff has not been sitting idle while this activity is ongoing and in February of 2020 had a scheduled municipal court hearing to address the odor. That hearing was delayed due to a technical legal issue regarding CHTC’s legal counsel and was reset for March of 2020. The March hearing was cancelled due to the onset of COVID-19 and the vast number of citizens involved. Since then the world has been in a state of constant flux, but still City Staff has pressed forward on this issue. At present DEQ is conducting enforcement related actions, albeit more slowly than anyone would like, and the city is pressing forward with other action that unfortunately must remain confidential.
Action on this matter is eminent from both the State and the City, and the misinformation being spread is just that – misinformation. I know I’m new to Molalla, but I’m a 5th generation Clackamas Countian, and I’m not new to bad actors taking advantage of people and situations. I ask for your patience, your trust, and when the time comes… for your support and participation to help keep Molalla one of the best communities in our country to live, work, and play in. Your city staff has not forgotten who we serve, and anything that seems like a lack of transparency is simply an inability to share without compromising a potential resolution. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Macahan “Mac” Corthell, J.D. | Planning Director
City of Molalla
117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 |Molalla, OR 97038
Phone - 503.829.6855
Fax – 503.829.3676
Email – mcorthell@cityofmolalla.com
Website – http://www.cityofmolalla.com
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