Citing more than 40 problems with its proposal to construct a trash-transfer station in Oakville in an official comment letter, the St. Louis County Department of Health has given F.W. Disposal South, a subsidiary of Fred Weber Inc., until Jan. 30 to update its application.

If the company’s representatives do not correct the application by the deadline, the health department could use the lack of action as a basis for denying the proposal, according to Russell Sharpmack, manager of solid waste at the health department.

But Derrick Standley of the Genesis Solid Waste Group, a consultant for Fred Weber, told the Call that he and other Fred Weber representatives plan to meet with the health department before making any changes to the application to construct the trash-transfer station at 4200 Baumgartner Road.

“We will reserve comment until we have a chance to talk about the comment letter with the health department,” Standley said. “The comments that are there do not appear to be consistent with the types of comments the Department of Health has made with other trash-transfer applications. We’d like to get clarification first, but we obviously recognize we have an obligation to respond.”

Submitting a comment letter to an applicant identifying sections of a proposal that need to be clarified, changed or defined is standard health department procedure, according to Sharpmack.

The original letter, which was sent Dec. 30, gave F.W. Disposal South 10 days to respond, but an extension to Jan. 30 was granted because the company needed more time to gather information, Sharpmack said.

The six-page letter, identifying at least 40 separate details in the proposal that need to be addressed, pinpoints many “common” application problems, Sharpmack said, but one detail separates it from other waste- facility applications.

“It’s pretty much standard, except they did not apply with the state at the same time,” Sharpmack told the Call, noting that it is normal and expected for applicants to submit applications concurrently to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the St. Louis County Department of Health, but F.W. Disposal South only had submitted its application to the county.

One way or another, he said, all the problems with the application must be addressed by Jan. 30.

Residents will be able to speak during a public hearing on the proposal that will be conducted by the Planning Commission at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in the County Council Chambers in the Administration Building, 41 S. Central Ave., Clayton.

Besides not concurrently applying with the health department and the DNR, the letter notes other problems with the application.

The letter asked F.W. Disposal South to:

• Identify and discuss procedures that would be used to alleviate and control odors.

• Discuss noise-control procedures since noise levels at the transfer station must be below 55 decibels.

• Define how often the station’s holding tank will be pumped into a tanker to be transported for treatment because the application currently says it “periodically” will be pumped.

• Update the violation history disclosure statement, clarifying that the applicant was denied a DNR permit for its application at 5219 Baumgartner Road. Asked if the applicant had been denied a state permit in the last five years, the original application answered no.

• Correct the violation history disclosure statement, clarifying that the applicant received an air-related violation Aug. 18. The original application states the last violation was Aug. 13.

• Provide a lease or deed agreement with the listing of F.W. Disposal South as the owner of the property. The current owner of the property is Fred Weber Inc.

The letter also included comments from the Missouri Department of Transportation and three other county departments.

The Department of Highways and Traffic asked F.W. Disposal South to provide a 150-foot westbound left-turn lane onto Baumgartner Road to act as the quarry entrance because of “prevailing traffic conditions.”

MoDOT is seeking a traffic-impact analysis from the applicant.

The Department of Parks and Recreation stated several concerns with the project because it will be 600 feet from the Meramec riverbank, including debris and potential water-quality problems.

The Department of Highways and Traffic also asked that a flood-plain study be approved.