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Keokuk to fight U.S. EPA
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| Todd Siron power washes the exterior of the George M. Verity Museum in early July after the Flood of 2008. Two contracts were awarded last week for asbestos abatement and painting at the Verity. |
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
The City of Keokuk is taking on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which wants the city to separate sanitary and storm sewers in 17 years at a cost of at least $60 million.
On Thursday, the Keokuk City Council hired Hall & Associates of Washington, D.C., to work on compliance issues with the city's long term control plan.
The city still has not signed a consent decree, and it faces fines if it does not respond to the EPA by Tuesday, Mayor David Gudgel indicated.
“Ted Payseur (of Veenstra & Kim, Inc. of West Des Moines) says we need legal representation to come up with a better plan at less cost,” Gudgel told council members. “The city is saying it is not out of compliance.”
John Hall of Hall & Associates is an environmental attorney who previously worked for the EPA.
Hall has met with officials from Keokuk, Burlington, Clinton, Des Moines, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa and Spencer.
“It is apparent that the city (of Keokuk) has additional flexibility to develop a plan that reduces costs while meeting state and federal program requirements,” Hall told Gudgel Aug. 5. “It will be necessary to undertake appropriate studies to demonstrate that other alternatives can reasonably ensure water quality standards compliance.”
Hall & Associates has worked with municipalities throughout the country on combined sewer outflow and other wet weather permitting and compliance issues.
“Sewer separation is not a requirement of the federal or state CSO program,” Hall says. “Moreover, where intermittent dischargers are located on large river systems, several options are available to demonstrate standards compliance for residual CSO discharges.”
Hall says the end-of-pipe- effluent limitations discussed by the Department of Natural Resources for wastewater treatment plants are generally inappropriate for intermittent wet weather discharges. The state's existing water quality standards allow a community to show that certain uses do not reasonably occur during storms or at particular locations, Hall adds.
“We certainly suspect this would be the case for the Mississippi River at Keokuk,” Hall says. “Thus, the NPDES program can provide a significant degree of flexibility compared to the way the requirements are being imposed.”
Hall & Associates estimates its work will cost $30,000, plus another $20,000 for travel. Keokuk officials believe the money will be well spent if they gain more time and/or lower the cost of the sewer work mandated by the EPA. Ottumwa alone is facing monthly sewer bills of $100 or more to help pay for a $100 million plus sewer project.
Clinton and Ottumwa have already signed on with Hall & Associates. Fort Madison, which has fewer combined sewer outflows than Keokuk, is looking at a $20 million project.
In other matters, the council:
Appointed Chuck Pietscher to the George M. Verity Commission. Pietscher previously served on the commission. His term will expire Nov. 19, 2013.
Reappointed Barb Tuttle, Linda Mullen, Risa Langedahl, Marsha Kavanagh and Ellen Corr to the Keokuk Housing Authority. Their terms will expire Sept. 5, 2010.
Passed a resolution supporting an application for statewide enhancement funding to develop a gateway corridor streetscape plan. The city will provide a local match of 30 percent of the total project cost.
Saw the mayor present a Caught Doing Good certificate to Al Moander, who carved an eagle in a tree at Rand Park.
Saw Alliant Energy strategic account manager Nancy Snaadt present a $4,350 check to Gudgel and the Keokuk Rotary Club for trees for Rand and Kilbourne parks. Alliant Energy is providing the primary electrical infrastructure at the new pavilion in Rand Park at no cost. It also has given $25,000 toward the pavilion.
Heard Snaadt say comprehensive energy audits have been done at the Keokuk Public Library and water treatment plant. Savings of $2,500 to $4,000 are possible at the library, she said.
On Thursday, the Keokuk City Council hired Hall & Associates of Washington, D.C., to work on compliance issues with the city's long term control plan.
The city still has not signed a consent decree, and it faces fines if it does not respond to the EPA by Tuesday, Mayor David Gudgel indicated.
“Ted Payseur (of Veenstra & Kim, Inc. of West Des Moines) says we need legal representation to come up with a better plan at less cost,” Gudgel told council members. “The city is saying it is not out of compliance.”
John Hall of Hall & Associates is an environmental attorney who previously worked for the EPA.
Hall has met with officials from Keokuk, Burlington, Clinton, Des Moines, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa and Spencer.
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Hall & Associates has worked with municipalities throughout the country on combined sewer outflow and other wet weather permitting and compliance issues.
“Sewer separation is not a requirement of the federal or state CSO program,” Hall says. “Moreover, where intermittent dischargers are located on large river systems, several options are available to demonstrate standards compliance for residual CSO discharges.”
Hall says the end-of-pipe- effluent limitations discussed by the Department of Natural Resources for wastewater treatment plants are generally inappropriate for intermittent wet weather discharges. The state's existing water quality standards allow a community to show that certain uses do not reasonably occur during storms or at particular locations, Hall adds.
“We certainly suspect this would be the case for the Mississippi River at Keokuk,” Hall says. “Thus, the NPDES program can provide a significant degree of flexibility compared to the way the requirements are being imposed.”
Hall & Associates estimates its work will cost $30,000, plus another $20,000 for travel. Keokuk officials believe the money will be well spent if they gain more time and/or lower the cost of the sewer work mandated by the EPA. Ottumwa alone is facing monthly sewer bills of $100 or more to help pay for a $100 million plus sewer project.
Clinton and Ottumwa have already signed on with Hall & Associates. Fort Madison, which has fewer combined sewer outflows than Keokuk, is looking at a $20 million project.
In other matters, the council:
Appointed Chuck Pietscher to the George M. Verity Commission. Pietscher previously served on the commission. His term will expire Nov. 19, 2013.
Reappointed Barb Tuttle, Linda Mullen, Risa Langedahl, Marsha Kavanagh and Ellen Corr to the Keokuk Housing Authority. Their terms will expire Sept. 5, 2010.
Passed a resolution supporting an application for statewide enhancement funding to develop a gateway corridor streetscape plan. The city will provide a local match of 30 percent of the total project cost.
Saw the mayor present a Caught Doing Good certificate to Al Moander, who carved an eagle in a tree at Rand Park.
Saw Alliant Energy strategic account manager Nancy Snaadt present a $4,350 check to Gudgel and the Keokuk Rotary Club for trees for Rand and Kilbourne parks. Alliant Energy is providing the primary electrical infrastructure at the new pavilion in Rand Park at no cost. It also has given $25,000 toward the pavilion.
Heard Snaadt say comprehensive energy audits have been done at the Keokuk Public Library and water treatment plant. Savings of $2,500 to $4,000 are possible at the library, she said.
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