The United States and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Announce Agreement with City of Gloucester to Modernize Wastewater Infrastructure

The United States and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Announce Agreement with City of Gloucester to Modernize Wastewater Infrastructure

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts signed an executive order with the city of Gloucester, Massachusetts to address Clean Water Act violations of the city’s water pollution control facility that discharges untreated effluent into the Massachusetts bay.

The settlement requires Gloucester to implement a building project to add secondary treatment to its water pollution control facility. Secondary treatment is a combination of physical and biological processes that break down many of the harmful elements in urban wastewater. The city operated without secondary controls at its wastewater treatment plant, in accordance with a permit waiver last issued in 2001. The EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) most recently determined that upgrading the city’s wastewater treatment plant to provide secondary treatment is necessary to address the water problem. pollution in Massachusetts Bay. In response to the proposed settlement, the city agreed to proceed with the upgrades. The cost of restoration measures is expected to exceed $150 million.

“Wastewater can carry harmful contaminants that pose potential harm to human health and aquatic life.” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance.. “By reducing discharges to Massachusetts Bay, this community will result in cleaner, safer water, which will benefit both the local community and the environment.”

“Clean Water Law Requires Controls to Limit Harmful Effects of Wastewater Discharges”, said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Department of Justice’s Division of Environment and Natural Resources.. “The settlement will provide significant long-term investment in the city’s water treatment infrastructure to protect the health of Massachusetts Bay.”

“This community is the result of years of work between the Environmental Protection Agency and our state and local partners to combat sewage pollution from this Massachusetts Bay community. The work required by the proposed settlement will help provide cleaner and healthier water for congested communities, as well as a more protected environment in nearby areas. Notably, this means Gloucester will be the last major city in the eastern United States to install secondary treatment at its wastewater treatment plants. The timing is good for this as it is a great time to invest in water treatment infrastructure thanks to the financial assistance available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which can help cover the costs borne by local taxpayers.” said New England EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash..

“We are grateful to our federal and municipal partners for working together to improve water quality and therefore the overall health of the people of Gloucester,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “These are necessary measures as we continue to ensure that residents, especially those in our coastal communities, live in healthy and safe environments.”

“The Gloucester Wastewater Treatment Plant is the only remaining non-recycled facility in all of New England, so this consent decree is vital to protecting and improving the environment in the Gloucester area.” said Acting MassDEP Commissioner Gary Moran. “MassDEP will continue to work with the city and the EPA to prioritize the design and construction of the new wastewater treatment plant and support the use of significant federal and state funding to complete it.”

In 2022, the City of Gloucester was issued a new National Emission Elimination System Permit by the EPA which specified pollution limits that an existing treatment plant cannot meet because the plant only provides primary treatment known as clarification or settling and disinfection. . Compliance with the proposed consent ordinance, if passed in federal court, will help ensure that Gloucester complies with the Clean Water Act.

The City of Gloucester has already provided the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and MassDEP (MassDEP) with an aggressive secondary treatment design and construction schedule. The city has proposed to complete the design and tender for the project by the end of 2024, complete the construction of the secondary treatment by the end of 2027, and achieve compliance with all permitted limits by March 30, 2028.

Insufficiently treated wastewater from the city’s existing wastewater treatment plants results in a variety of harmful emissions into Massachusetts Bay, including pathogens and toxic pollutants.

The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval after it is published in the Federal Register. It is available on Website of the Ministry of Justice.

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