City Close To Signing Sewer Mandate Consent Decree

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The city of Chattanooga appears to be close to signing a sewer mandate consent decree that could be in the range of $100 million.

City Attorney Mike McMahan said all other parties to the decree have already signed.

He said he will discuss the decree at a closed door meeting with City Council members next Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Officials of the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority told the County Commission in late March that the total price tage was in the $100 million range.

The commission was told that the EPA is planning a big-ticket sewer mandate for the area treated by the city's Moccasin Bend Treatment Plant.

The decree relates to a requirement to spend the money to correct periodic overflows of raw sewage into the Tennessee River.

 

Commission members were told that $100 million is the amount of the spending to be required over a period up to seven years.

The city was earlier sued in Federal Court by an environmental group over the sewage discharges into the river.


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