NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., Oct. 17, 2000 (St. Petersburg Times)—County and New Port Richey officials will split a minimal $12,000 fine and complete $72,000 in environmental projects under an agreement with the state to compensate for polluting the Cross Bayou.
The agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection requires the city and county to stop sending treated wastewater to the Cross Bayou in 2002, which is two years prior to the date currently set in state law. State environmental officials say there is too much copper in the water now.
Assistant County Administrator for Utilities Doug Bramlett said the treatment plant has had trouble meeting the stricter standards recently imposed for copper levels. He said water softeners, which can strip the copper from pipes and then carry it to the treatment plant, are the suspected source of copper in the bayou.
The city and county must come up with a plan to divert the treated wastewater between now and 2002, Bramlett said. That could mean adding retention ponds or storage tanks to put the water in before it is cycled into the county's reclaimed water system, he said.
The county must pay $4,800 of the fine, an amount proportional to the 40 percent interest the county has in the wastewater treatment plant off Main Street west of U.S. 19.
The county shares in the costs of the plant, but it is run by the city.
County commissioners are scheduled to sign the agreement today. City officials signed off on the agreement last month.
Bramlett said once the agreement is signed, his staff will come up with a list of project ideas to fulfill the county's share of the $72,000 of in-kind service projects.
The county must submit that list to the state within 60 days of signing the agreement.
"It can be anything that's environmentally involved" as long as that project hasn't already been budgeted by the county, Bramlett said.
Examples of projects could include some kind of water cleanup or improvement of a storm water runoff area, he said.
New Port Richey City Manager Gerald Seeber said the city has retained a consultant to help generate ideas for its environmental projects.
- Alisa Ulferts covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is mailto:[email protected].
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