|
Berne sewer project gets extra time |
|
Written by Reporter1
|
|
Tuesday, 09 September 2008 |
|
Page 2 of 2
Representatives from Commonwealth Engineering, hired by the city to help it meet IDEM mandates for the separation of storm and sanitary sewers and the elimination of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) throughout the municipality, updated members of Berne City Council on the new enforcement policies on Monday evening.
Commonwealth representative Don Larsen said a meeting was held August 19 between representatives of the city and the IDEM enforcement division "to review where the city is and to discuss the next steps" in its obligation to meet the requirements of a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) negotiated with state officials nearly four years ago.
Larsen said the city in May of 2005 entered into a agreed order with IDEM as part of that control plan, whereby Berne officials stipulated that all sewer overflows would be eliminated in the city by 2012.
Jeff Ponist, senior vice president with the Indianapolis-based Commonweath firm, called that 2012 deadline for the completion of all sewer projects "totally unrealistic." He said the meeting with IDEM officials was arranged "to get some relief for the city" from the cumbersome and unattainable timetables.
Because of a continuous series of improvements made by Berne to its sewer collection system, "it appears we will be transitioning away from the old agreed order," Larsen told council members on Monday. "You have demonstrated adequate (wastewater treatment) capacity and, while you still have combined sewers, at the beginning of next year there will be a new agreed order" with IDEM.
A new LTCP will be put in place for the city by the end of the year or early in 2009, the engineering consultants said, which will allow the city up to 20 additional years to complete all mandated sewer separation projects.
"The IDEM process has evolved," said Larsen. "You have been given credit for the positive projects that have been put in the ground. We are certainly back on track now. IDEM sees the need to get past the old agreed order, which was very cumbersome. The new agreed order is much more generic."
Ponist said a "more realistic" set of timelines for the completion of sewer projects will be assembled on behalf of the city, with "redefined priorities and some real, more accurate, costs." He said the city's Citizen Advisory Committee, which was required by IDEM to review the city's original Long Term Control Plan, will be reconvened to approve the new LTCP "to make IDEM happy."
An affordability analysis and tentative project timelines was distributed to council members on Monday.
"So, if I understand this correctly, IDEM has taken off the handcuffs?" said councilman Ron Dull.
"Yes, and are giving you a reasonable time frame" to carry out its mandates, said Larsen.
Councilman Curtis Wurster alluded to questionable efforts by the city's previous engineering consultant to satisfy IDEM, and said the work by Commonwealth officials on behalf of the city "should have been done a long time ago, but wasn't. I'm real happy it's being done now."
Councilman Mark Wynn added, "We are still moving forward. We're not happy with where we're at, but at least now we can move forward at a pace we can afford."
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 September 2008 )
|
