Directors allocate $4,050 to pay fine

The Little Rock Board of Directors has appropriated more than $4,000 to pay a state environmental fine.

The board OK’d the $4,050 fine from an Animal Village account and earnings from the 2012 three-eighths percent capital improvement sales tax, according to the city resolution.

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality officials inspected the Animal Village crematorium Oct. 23, 2013, and reviewed its use from November 2008 to September 2013. The city has used the crematory since 1999 and has made several repairs to the old unit, city officials have said.

Little Rock Animal Services Manager Tracy Roark said the Environmental Quality Department normally conducts inspections annually, but it hadn’t done so for the Animal Village in five years. The inspection puts into place monitors for the machines to ensure they comply with the Clean Air Act.

During the review period, Animal Village used the machine nearly 300 times, Roark said. On 12 occasions, employees were over the weight limit for the machines, and for 18 occasions, officials didn’t meet the temperature requirements, he said.

The city has contracted an engineer to design a new crematorium to replace the 15-year-old one, city officials said. The environmental agency would not waive the fee in lieu of the city buying a new machine, Roark said.