Speak Out Loud NA

Sunday, July 17, 2005

The Upcoming EPA Visit

How's this for information:
In an interesting Courier Journal article from April of this year, the issues New Albany faces with the EPA regarding the sewage system in our city are explained in a little more detail than in recent newspaper coverage.
In this article, dated April 6, 2005, project manager Sam Lahanis predicted a finish date of April 27th for the $40 million dollar sewer-system expansion legally mandated in 2001 by the EPA. The original finish date was to be the end of March, but the city failed to meet that first deadline.
Delays were attributed to “…problems with the starters and circuit breakers for 3 pumps needed to send treated sewage to the Ohio River after unusually heavy rainstorms….”. A week prior to the story, a storm had once again overwhelmed the system because the pumps were not operational at the time.
Those storms produced the equivalent of sending 40 million gallons of sewage through the system per day.
The article quotes Rob Sartell, manager of the West 10th Street pumping station, as stating now that the 3 pumps were up and running he had confidence the system could handle up to 66 million gallons of sewage per day. Such capacity was a requirement of the EPA’s 2001 agreement with New Albany. That agreement also called for a 2004 finish date of the expansion, which obviously wasn’t met. This was after negotiations in the late 1990’s failed to produce any progress in fixing the failing sewage system of the city.
The City was given a new deadline for completion of April 30th, 2005 because the causes for the delay were said to be “…beyond the city’s control.” If anyone can shed some light on what those conditions were, please advise me of such. I am very interested in learning what caused these uncontrollable delays.
Before work began, the system was only able to handle 26.5 million gallons per day. So the upgrade of the system was to increase capacity by 40 million gallons per day, for a total capacity of 66 million gallons per day, by the end of April of this year.
However, as I remember it, we had a major rainstorm hit the city on Thursday, May 19th, that obviously overwhelmed the system once again. Every street in the inner city seemed to be flooded as I tried to make my way from the City Council meeting downtown back to my home at the eastern boundary of Floyd County. Manholes were overflowing and cars were seen with water up to the windows, many stranded in the middle of the streets, as people frantically tried to navigate the flood-waters in the city.
At that point I believe we all pretty much knew that the sewer system expansion had not been completed in the prior month as was previously reported.
Recently, the article of July 15th, states that EPA officials will be here next month to inspect “…the city’s recently completed sewage-system expansion.” This article noted that Mayor Garner and Greg Fifer, lawyer for the Sewer Board, were interviewed during the previous mornings ceremony celebrating the completion of the expansion. So I assume we missed the April deadline as well.
Another point that brings me to such a conclusion is the mention in the April article that Mr. Fifer was expecting to write a formal letter to the EPA that the expansion was complete and the 12-month test period of the system, which includes EPA oversight, was to start at the end of April. Now, the July 15th article reports that city officials hope to convince the EPA, during its August visit, to begin the one year test period as soon as possible.
In addition to this one year test period with the EPA, the city faces a six month demonstration period with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in order to lift state restrictions on new connections.
The April article stated the city was hoping that the city would be allowed to start connecting up to 3,200 new houses, or buildings that would create the equivalent amount of flow through the system, by the end of that month.
The July article echoes this hope for new connections to be allowed. Mayor Garner said it’s “crucial” that the EPA recognize the city’s new capabilities to handle sewage treatment at an adequate level in order to begin allowing new connections so the city can grow.
Both articles cite ongoing disputes with the EPA in terms of a promise made by the city to spend an additional minimum of $500K per year for additional needed repairs to the system. The EPS’s regional office declined to comment on these disputes citing possible litigation. Something Attorney Greg Fifer hopes can be avoided.
Both articles say that city engineers have developed a different list of repairs that they feel need to be made first. The city intends to ask the EPA for flexibility on this part of the agreement, to determine for themselves the order of priority for work that still must be undertaken.
What is not revealed in either article is how many years must the $500K be spent on sewer repairs, or if this money is already allocated. How much money is currently in the sewer fund? The fund the Mayor wanted to borrow $500K from in order to fix the city budgetary woes.
Former City Council member and current sewer board member Dick Bliss said it best in the conclusion of the July article;
“I’d say we struck out three times” in failing to fix the sewers, “and they just don’t trust us.”
Gee, doesn’t that sound familiar.

34 Comments:

  • Laura.

    Please note that there are two seperate sewer systems so to speak. One handles raw waste sewage that is moved through the city to the treatment plant and the other one takes stormwater to the river, via Falling Run creek.

    Manholes that were spewing water during the May ran were the stormwater drains. That is what they do when the rain fall exceeds a their handling capability.

    If you recall part of this sewer overhaul the city was looking for drain pipes from houses that were hooked into the sanitation sewers, one thing that caused the sanatation sewers to fail was that many homes built back in the 60's ran their house gutters into the sanitation sewer. This caused an overload on the sanitation sewers as well.

    There are rumbelings that the state is working on a requirement that stormwater be handled in a different manner in the near future. With a lot of the run off coming off city streets mixed with oil, antifreeze and other contaminents it appears now the EPA is thinking that even stormwater runoff needs to be treated.

    As far as the EPA coming to town, I may be wrong here, but I feel it is just to give a final checkout of the new facility. Kind of like crawling up in the attic to look and see if the electrician really did install a new box he charged you for!

    But I could be wrong, they very well may be coming with the key to city, lockdown the treatment plant and every house in the city will have 24 hours to install a OUTHOUSE!

    By Blogger Rick Carmickle, at 6:00 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • rick carmickle Seems like you might be getting your information some what wrong. If you have been going to the last few City Council meetings. And really listen to Mrs. Susan Johnson. Who for your information and many others might be interested in what she has too say. She has been involved with New Albany Sewers for years. She has tried to educate us on what is "really" going on with New Albany Sewers. Instead of putting what this so called Adminstrations would like to put their spin on this. That everything is hunky dora with our Sewers. Without sewer credits nothing can be built. Ask Marcy W. (CITY CLERK)what she thinks of New Albany Sewers? Do you actually buy what is being said from this Adminstration. What is the truth when their is Raw Sewage in yards and homes because the sewers are not fixed. Even though many of us do not have "Raw Sewage" in our yards does that mean we should all not be concern? I would highly recommend people wanting to know the real truth about New Albany sewers to contact Susan Johnson. She has all kind of EPA Reports and facts. I highly recommend to you Laura you contact Susan. We have alot to learn from this women. More than likely New Albany will be fined again. Many residents think we have millions left in the sewer fund. My information says that is a lie. We need 1.2 Million Dollars to fix Mc Donald and Ronoke area. And guess what? "NO MONEY".

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:37 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • For your Information reguarding monies paid out by the County so far for David Camm trial. $68,000 as of Friday.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:45 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • Mr. Carmickle when did you become an expert on Sewers? And were do you get your Information? Are you a Sewer Board Member. How long have you been involved with Sewer matters. And how many sewer meetings have you attended.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:03 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • Once again, someone tries to answer a question here, and immediately is attacked by people who don't want to hear the answer.

    Rick's as much of an expert as anyone, including Susan Johnston or the man in the moon.. He reads, he listens.

    And you attack, because you don't want to hear an answer that differs from your pre-conceived notion.

    How'd you learn to read and write if you always disagreed with the teacher?

    Come to think of it ...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:31 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • One thing you might do is ask around and find out whether other similar projects also had EPA inspections when they opened.

    The regulatory people work in these big projects is to come around and see if it was done right, then provide the critique for tweaking the results.

    Just because the EPA comes, it doesn't mean they're coming for anything other than routine loose end tying.

    And the big rainstorm we had was a once in 20-year concentration.

    Like Seaborrok said at the last meeting, there isnt enough money in the state of Indiana to fix every problem a city like NA has.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:07 AM, July 17, 2005  

  • Thank you Rick for offering some information. Although I don't think we'll be needing outhouses, I also don't think the visit is routine.
    And thanks to the commenter who suggested I contact Susan Johnson. I really would like to get some answers about what is going on.
    I do know that the EPA is not coming to town just for a final check up of the sewer repairs. We will be on a 1 year supervision by the EPA no matter what. We have failed too many times to correct the problems, and failed to meet many deadlines set by the EPA. I don't think we are going to get away with not paying some sort of fine.
    At one point the fine was said to be $16 million. But Overton had negotiated a lesser fine by agreeing to certain criteria. I will look for answers regarding this matter as well.
    Furthermore, IDEM is also involved in restrictions that have been placed on new hookups to the sewers. So we must satisfy their requirements as well before any new major developments can be undertaken.
    This has been a very long ongoing problem in New Albany, and it affects people's health and welfare, as well as growth for the city if they can't prove the system can handle the extra capacity.
    This is an important matter that impacts the entire city.

    By Blogger East Ender, at 6:08 PM, July 17, 2005  

  • east ender, is this line by Mr. Deatrick:

    "You really need to check your info before you espouse the Garner line."

    something that fits within your policy about being nice?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:15 PM, July 17, 2005  

  • miss trixie.. laura thinks for herself. she is a person who ask the questions and is looking for answers. Have you forgotten this is her blog! She has the courage to seek truth. So if you do not like what questions are ask. And comments she makes. Then go somewhere else. Don't cheap shot her if you don't agree..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:23 AM, July 18, 2005  

  • It's Oates, not Oakes.

    It was a question, not a slur.

    And like most such questions, the moderator won't answer it.

    It's her blog, indeed. Whether it is credible is another matter.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:05 AM, July 18, 2005  

  • What kills me about this blog is that by their own admission, no one here knows anything, so when Laura asks the people here to answer her questions, she's asking the people asmit they don't now.

    She really believe that people in the know bother with reading a site where the know nothing little people are allowed to be rude to them, in violation of her own policy? Unlikely, isn't it?

    Except for Legal Beetle, I guess.

    What if she made the phone call to Paul Wheatley FIRST, before calling him out here and asking the know-nothings to tell her what they don't know, but Wheatley does?

    What if she called the sewer people FIRST, before relying on the factless opinions of the know-nothings here?

    I'm glad she doesn't, because its way more fun to read that way, but she shouldn't think anything's really getting done.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:57 AM, July 18, 2005  

  • Thank you, Laura, for your patience as you deal with these public comments. Your courtesy and patience
    are very evident as you handle this
    blog site.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:19 AM, July 18, 2005  

  • Hey, let's change the subject.

    I have a question, and I'm not sure who to ask.

    Does anyone know who was mayor before Inman? Tha'd be middle sixties, I suppose.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:03 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • 15th & Oak,
    Ernie (not sure of the spelling) was mayor for a long time. I don't know if there was anyone else between him and Inman. Everyone before Inman is really before my time but I have heard lots of stories about Ernie. Guess he is kind of legendary.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:35 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Thanks - since I asked, I found this obituary of Mayor Inman, and it answers the question (you were right):

    The Courier-Journal
    Louisville, KY
    November 27, 1993
    Page: 01A

    Garnett "Tuffy" Inman, a Republican whose election as New Albany mayor in 1963 ended 16 years of Democratic rule and began eight years of energy and change in the city, died yesterday. He was 75.

    Inman "probably died of a heart attack," said Dr. Eddie Apple of Salem.

    Inman, who kept the nickname he picked up as a star wrestler at Indiana University, may be best known for helping spur the move of IU Southeast to New Albany from Jeffersonville.

    But friends credit him with much more during his two terms as mayor and beyond -- from expanding New Albany's sewer system to starting a local prayer breakfast that celebrated its 25th anniversary two weeks ago today.

    Everything Inman did was characterized by energy, they said.

    "Anything he believed in he put a 100 percent out for," said former Mayor Bob Real, a fellow Republican.

    Inman, who operated an insurance agency most of his life, was a graduate of IU, where he was captain of the wrestling team and later was an assistant wrestling coach. He was national American Athletic Union wrestling champion in 1941.

    Inman ran for mayor after joining with others to reorganize Floyd County's lethargic Republican Party in 1962.

    In his 1963 campaign, Inman characterized incumbent Mayor C. Pralle Erni as ineffective and vindictive. Inman won easily, leading a slate of local Republicans to victories.

    He started his mayoral term with a blitz of activity, from repainting garbage trucks to expanding the sewer system to paving the city's alleys.

    Many of these projects, Inman and his supporters later said, helped spur change in the city -- and helped New Albany gain an All-America City designation from a national magazine midway through Inman's second term.

    "When you fix a person's alley, he has a tendency to clean up his back yard," Inman said.

    After being defeated for a third term in 1971 by Democrat Warren Nash, Inman said of his tenure, "The biggest thing was, we changed the attitude."

    "He was a very, very dynamic person," said Alice Stocker, who was Floyd County Republican chairman during Inman's first term and New Albany city clerk during his second. "He took everything seriously that he entered into. And he was so determined to make New Albany better and to put New Albany on the map -- which I think he did."

    Inman said immediately after his 1971 defeat that he was finished with politics, but he remained active in area politics and civic activities. He and his wife, the former Dovie Summers Wright, eventually moved to Pekin.

    Two weeks ago, he accepted an award at the 25th anniversary celebration of the New Albany annual community prayer breakfast he started in 1969.

    "I'm one of those guys who thinks positive thinking -- and prayer is positive thinking -- get things done," Inman said in 1990 of the breakfast.

    Survivors besides his wife include a son, Bill G. Inman of Georgetown; a daughter, Karen Cox of Roswell, Ga.; three stepdaughters, Nancy Amster, Alice Bryant and Vickie Francus, all of New Albany; two brothers, Jess and Calvin Inman, both of Bloomington; five sisters, Veronica Hatfield of Mishawaka, Velda Self of Greenwood, Ina Todd, June Reemes and Gladys McGlothley, all of Bloomington; and three grandchildren.

    The funeral will be 2 p.m. Monday at Depauw Memorial United Methodist Church, with burial in Clover Hill Cemetery in Harrodsburg. Visitation will be at Seabrook Funeral Home after 5 p.m. today, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, and at the church after 1 p.m. Monday.

    The family suggests that memorial gifts go to the Indiana University Athletic Scholarship Fund.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:06 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Well let me tell you about Mayor Ernie. He use to carry a gun on him. And would let people know who worked in the City County Building he was packing a piece...And when he had meetings with various people. He would lay his gun out on his desk to let them know he meant business...He Loved his big fat cigars.. And if he liked you he would hand you one. My dad walked in the house smokin a Ernie Cigar. And one of the best things about this man. He even liked Democrats...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:38 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Let's get some New Blood in this City . I am about ready to switch parties. The Democrats are screwing up bad. Save our City from all the ousiders....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:42 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Save the City from outsiders?

    Hmm, who do ya mean there, pal?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:44 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Barbara Sillings as a Office Holder. Holds the record in The City County Building for most in Terminating of her Employees. Last count 52 Employees Terminated. She is up for Office Holder of The Year 2005

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:14 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • The so called Know-nothings comment. 1 think their smarter than what you give them credit for.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:20 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Sounds like to me. The City County Building Employees have got their own Sewer Problems.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:24 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Birds of a feather flock together.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:27 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • Can any of the gossip masquerading as fact be conclusively proven?

    Any?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:50 PM, July 18, 2005  

  • louis brandeis-
    I read and I listen too, but that doesn't make me an expert on sewers. Furthermore, I don't think Rick was "attacked". He was asked questions about his response. It's not that people don't want to know the answers, but some people have different information, and thus, different answers. That's allowed.
    miss trixie-
    I don't consider someone suggesting that another "check his facts" as a rude remark. Especially considering some of the other barbs that have appeared on this blog.
    cornelius mcgillicuddy-
    You insinuate it's only "know nothing little people" here and anyone with any real knowledge wouldn't bother with reading this blog because the "little people" are rude to them.
    I have to tell you, you are very wrong. There are people commenting here who have lot's of information and are committed to informing the rest of us.
    What this blog does is expose the fact that people in this town are not given information and facts. Too many administrations have been allowed to operate without any oversight or public involvement in city affairs. And look where we are. We are in major trouble and the people are upset about it. I will continue to prompt folks into looking for and expecting answers regarding administrative decision making. We cannot continue to tumble down a dark tunnel of the unknown. It's time the people running this city are held accountable for their actions, and for that matter, their inactions.

    By Blogger East Ender, at 4:36 AM, July 19, 2005  

  • east ender- Bravo! Bravo! You go Girl! Time to expose these people for who/what they really are. Many of them sit in their Glass Offices. But they have forgotten we have the "Rocks" and can shatter their world with truth.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:54 AM, July 19, 2005  

  • Imagination is more Important than Knowledge. Albert Einstein

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:26 AM, July 19, 2005  

  • Brenda Egge is a good Democrat!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:34 AM, July 19, 2005  

  • So what's your point?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:36 AM, July 19, 2005  

  • City employee, the city pays you to post things on the blog during office hours? How interesting

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:04 PM, July 19, 2005  

  • I have to clear some thing up, the elected office holder doesnt have to be in the office 8-4 mon-fri, but their first deputy does..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:52 PM, July 19, 2005  

  • Let's clear up another thing. This is not the place to discuss anyone's personal business. I don't allow personal attacks, or private information to be dredged up here.
    This blog is about the issues that face our city. So, please stick to a topic, or issue, and leave personal agendas out of this forum.
    Thank You

    By Blogger East Ender, at 6:50 PM, July 19, 2005  

  • All that work and all the money spent on the sewage water treatment facilty and it still smells like poop. What a nice view and odor for out of towners going and coming from Caesars Indiana.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:27 PM, July 20, 2005  

  • Laura,

    Thank you for deleting all of the nasty comments. You are right, we need to stick to the issues.

    Innocent people have been hurt by the disclosing of personal information, they don't deserve the backlash all of this has caused. Even though some names were not mentioned, everyone knows who was being discussed.

    Thank you for taking the high road.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:02 PM, July 20, 2005  

  • What exactly will keep the good old boys at the EPA from just camping out some more in Louisville's bedroom of New Albany and find something else that needs to be repaired in the sewer scheme?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:57 PM, July 20, 2005  

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