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Millersville to pay $5,300 settlement to PA Fish and Boat Commission over wastewater spill
Summary
Millersville Borough Council on Tuesday authorized the borough manager to execute a $5,300 settlement with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to resolve a pollution notice tied to a March 15 incident at the borough wastewater treatment plant.
Millersville Borough Council on Tuesday authorized the borough manager to execute a $5,300 settlement with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to resolve a pollution notice tied to a March 15 incident at the borough wastewater treatment plant.
The payment, which council approved after a motion and vote, includes $300 for administrative costs and $5,000 assessed as the penalty for a severe pollution event, according to borough staff. The borough reported the incident to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Fish and Boat Commission, and DEP did not assess a penalty.
Borough staff said the incident occurred after installation work on a new SVR control panel; a panel failure prevented one valve from closing and an alarm did not trigger, allowing activated sludge to overflow into the river. "The borough is being fined $5,300 — $300 covers administrative costs, and the $5,000 is the amount for a severe pollution event," said Rebecca, borough manager. She said the contractor returned within a week, corrected the problem and there have been no repeat incidents.
Council members were told the Fish and Boat Commission’s assessment is based on the borough’s own self-reporting of the estimated volume released; borough staff said the Commission did not disclose the precise calculation it used. The settlement agreement is to be executed after final review by the borough solicitor.
Council discussion emphasized that the borough had self-reported and that staff had worked with regulators. Rebecca said she accepts responsibility for the event and stressed the panel failure appears to have been a technology malfunction rather than an ongoing defect. "I am ultimately responsible for that," she said.
The settlement avoids pursuit of the matter as a criminal case, staff said. Council approved a motion authorizing the manager to sign the settlement upon the solicitor’s final review. The cost will be paid from borough funds and was described as an item to factor into upcoming budget discussions.
