SNOW HILL – In an effort to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, county officials have agreed to pay the state a one-time fee for sewer overflows that occurred in 2014 and 2015.
The Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to settle with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for a payment of $3,100. The eight sanitary sewer overflows that occurred between July 2014 and June 2015 could have been subject to penalties of $100,000 each.
“We, of course, recommend settlement, but I still believe this tends to be a money grab by the Maryland Department of the Environment,” said John Tustin, the county’s director of public works.
According to Tustin, the first overflow was the result of a complete electrical failure in one of the Mystic Harbour pump stations that caused a grease trap to overflow near Sunset Grill. Three of the other overflows were related to the ongoing upgrades in the Ocean Pines wastewater collection system. Another came after a mechanical failure at a pump station. The remaining overflows were the result of small leaks identified by staff throughout the year.
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7 comments:
let's just blame it on the farmers. Too much chicken crap and fertilizer
If it were a private citizen that had a sewage leak especially into the bay, the STATE AND COUNTY would be sticking it to them. County is making excuses for POOR MANAGEMENT... TOO MANY LEAKS...
WTF??? They just built a new one 2012!!!
The Public Works guy must have been golfing during an electrical storm!
8 incidents @ $100,000 each is $800,000. $3100 is 8-10 hours of lawyer time. He needs to change the batteries in his calculator and count his lucky stars.
This isn't a fee.
A fee is money paid in exchange for something tangible or a service or permission to use something.
This is a penalty, an amount paid for a violation of a law or regulation.
Municipal Sewer systems and the Conawingo Dam is polluting the Chesapeake Bay but farmers are being blamed for it.
Money grab?!?!??!! $3100 is less than pocket change. MDE should have nailed them! Dirtbags!
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