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Fat's in the fire Some Baxter food businesses could slip on ordinance Staff Writer BAXTER - It could be an expensive proposition for restaurants to comply with Baxter's new fats, oils and grease ordinance.
During three informational meetings Wednesday at Baxter City Hall, restaurant and other business owners, managers and employees learned that in order to comply with the ordinance, grease traps or grease interceptors will need to be installed.
While most of Baxter's 30 restaurants and food service providers, such as gas stations, have such equipment in place or do not require it, Public Works Director Trevor Walter said there are seven that don't - Pizza Hut, Country Kitchen, China Buffet, Taco Bell, Poncho and Lefty's, Bonanza and Black Bear.
The grease interceptors, which act like septic tanks, could cost as much as $20,000, Walter said. The city council, City Administrator Dennis Coryell added, is looking into the possibility of grants or loans to help offset that cost but can't make promises to do so at this time.
"We don't want to have to put added costs onto businesses if we don't have to," Walter said.
Though federal regulations have been in place since the 1980s they've never been enforced, said Jim Bullert, an environmental engineer with Liesch and Associates, a Twin Cities-based consulting firm hired by the city to address the fats, oil and grease problem.
Overall, the fats, oil and grease ordinance is expected to save the city money by reducing the amount of waste that needs to be treated at Brainerd's wastewater plant.
Bullert said in addition to a base charge of $200,000 for wastewater treatment at Brainerd's plant the city has paid $45,000 in surcharges the past two years.
Baxter's wastewater is twice the strength of Brainerd, Bullert said, and the main culprit was the amount of fats, oil and grease in the wastewater.
"We have tremendous wastewater strength coming from the commercial establishments," Bullert said. "We're concentrating on food service establishments because they're causing the problem."
Along with requiring grease interceptors or grease traps, the ordinance stipulates that the interceptors and traps must be maintained and a record of maintenance must be filed. The ordinance also states garbage disposals at restaurants must be removed.
City staffers offered to work with restaurant owners and managers by checking to see if grease collectors are in place or if they are needed and that they are operated and maintained correctly.
"This is new to us, too, and we're banking on getting out and visiting with you," said Building Official Bob Baumann. "We're not going to create any undo hardship on anybody."
Though Prairie Bay has a grease interceptor, Executive Chef Matt Annand came to Wednesday afternoon's meeting to learn more about the ordinance and what will be required of restaurants.
Though he felt bad for restaurants that would need to pay thousands for a grease interceptor, Annand said he was comfortable with the ordinance.
"We just want to be part of the solution," Annand said. "Anything that we're doing right now I believe would be in compliance anyway, so maintaining the system to the level they require is what we will be concentrating on now."
If not removed, fats, oil and grease in wastewater can impact the Mississippi River, cause sewer clogs, use capacity at the wastewater treatment plant and make it difficult to achieve high treatment efficiency required for wastewater treatment.
Reducing the strength of the wastewater also will be required by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's permit for the $36 million expansion project, Bullert noted.
More information on the fats, oils and grease ordinance, a design manual and best management practices manual can be found at the city's Web site, www.ci.baxter.mn.us, or by calling Baxter City Hall at 454-5100.
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.
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