The city of Holyoke, Massachusetts, has agreed to a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to resolve the Clean Water Act and Massachusetts state law violations.
The decree requires the city to take remedial action to reduce ongoing sewage discharges in the Connecticut River from the sewer collection and stormwater systems within the city, according to an EPA press release. The measures include adding sewer preparation work, removing illicit connections, and a $50,000 penalty for past permit violations that result in illegal discharges. The cost to comply with the decree is estimated at $27 million.
“Under the terms of today’s settlement, the city of Holyoke will take additional steps to reduce the amount of untreated sewage discharged during heavy rain events,” said Acting Assistant Administrator, Larry Starfield, of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The result of this work will be cleaner, safer water for communities that make use of the Connecticut River.”
The city discharges pollutants from combined sewer overflow into the Connecticut River, which violates federal and state wastewater discharge permits, according to the release. In the event of heavy rain, untreated wastewater often goes into the Connecticut River, which leads to water pollution concerns. Holyoke has recently taken steps to address these issues, including finalizing a long-term overflow plan as well as separating sewers, and eliminating overflows in the area of Jackson Street.
The decree is part of the EPA’s continual efforts to stop raw sewage and contaminated stormwater from getting into the water around the country, the release stated. Raw sewage overflows and inadequately controlled stormwater discharges from city sewer systems introduce harmful pollutants. This can include disease-causing organisms, metals, and other nutrients that harm water quality. They also can lead to disease outbreaks, floods, stream scouring, and other issues.
The decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and federal court approval, according to the EPA.
