Significant fine may stop wastewater plan

WATKINS GLEN—Watkins Glen Mayor Mark Swinnerton said the village is facing a significant wastewater treatment fine. The mayor said he received an email late Monday afternoon, March 3, talking about discussions with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) claiming there are three additional violations at the wastewater treatment plant. Swinnerton said the violations were due to the chlorine levels being too high. The mayor said this could have a significant impact on the proposed regional wastewater treatment plant with Montour Falls.
“It looks like we have backed ourselves pretty much into a corner,” Swinnerton said. “It looks like there will be some fines coming our way from the DEC pressured by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What those fines are going to be have not been finalized as far as dollar-wise but it is going to be very significant.”
Swinnerton said the village will need to have additional conversations about a plan of action. He said the EPA has run out of patience with the DEC and the DEC has been working with the village on the proposed regional wastewater treatment plant with Montour Falls. The mayor said with the new wastewater treatment plant “at the end of the tunnel,” the new circumstances may force Watkins Glen to invest in their current plant. Swinnerton said this could hurt the village’s chances of moving the plant.
“If the EPA steps in and is going to levy significant fines against us and we have to make significant investments in our current facility, we can’t wait two to three years,” Swinnerton said. “We may not be able to move this plant.”
The mayor said whatever work that will need to be done to the existing plant will need to be done as soon as possible.
“It is not a good situation we are in right now,” Swinnerton said. “Whatever we can do to expedite any retrofits we need to do that. This is priority number one.”
Swinnerton said the village has not yet received an official letter from the DEC or EPA yet, but he was told it is coming. He said the village has got to start working with the EPA. As an example, the mayor said if the EPA will throw out $100,000 in fines, it is money that is much better spent somewhere else.
“This is very serious and I’m very concerned about this,” Swinnerton said.
The mayor said he is going to set up a meeting with DEC and EPA as soon as possible, adding whatever the engineer tells them they have to do, the village will have to do it exactly.
In other business:
• During the meeting, representatives of Schuyler County Little League gave a presentation to the board during the meeting, saying they are growing rapidly. They said they had issues with the field conditions they play on, with some teams trying to refuse to play on the field. They said they put more than $5,000 into the field, and are asking the board for another field at Clute Park to accommodate growth. Trustee Scott Gibson said he was in favor of a second field, with an unused soccer field nearby that could be used as a location.
• A draft local law to regulate street vendors in the village of Watkins Glen was also reviewed by the board during the meeting. Swinnerton said the village should have a workshop on this measure in the coming weeks. He said the workshop would be held before the next board meeting to work out some of the details.
 • The board discussed the need to go out for bids for mowing at Lakeview Cemetery for 2014.
• The board reviewed a park request by Sara Caldwell to hold a weekly Movies on the Lake event at Clute Park. The events would be Thursdays at 9 p.m. in July and August.
• The board reviewed a request by the Chamber of Commerce to borrow some 50 tables for their Business Expo.
• The board addressed a pothole concern at 909 North Perry St. The board discussed options for fixing the issue, saying they should probably address it this year.
• Residents expressed concerns over increased traffic as a result of the proposed Seneca Terrace Apartments. The board said they would like to see a report about the possibility of turning part of Partition Street into a one-way street by next board meeting.
• The next regular meeting of the Watkins Glen village board is Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m.