Supervisors promise "something will be done" about air quality complaints involving a Mathy Construction asphalt plant

Winneshiek County supervisors met for one hour Monday with Decorah residents Steve and Sherri Carolan about their complaints about a asphalt plant operated by Mathy Construction inside the Skyline Quarry on Quarry Hill Road.

The Carolans' farm is downwind from the asphalt plant.  They told supervisors they can't open the windows in their home during the day when the asphalt plant is in operation.  The Carolans have been discussing the issue with Mathy for a long time, but have been unable to reach a satisfactory agreement.

On Monday Mathy Construction Vice President Tim Jones also attended the county board meeting and promised "we're not going to walk away (from this problem.)"  After a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that Mathy would move the location of the asphalt plant to a different location within the quarry, would install a higher smokestack to carry odors away from the Carolans' farm and would do additional monitoring of emissions.

The steps were greeted with approval by county supervisors.  "We need to come up with some way to help the Carolans," said supervisor John Beard, while county board chairman John Logsdon concluded, "There has to be something done."