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Junction City Council adopts sewer moratorium corrective-action program to meet DEQ requirements
Summary
The Council unanimously adopted a corrective-action program tied to a sanitary sewer moratorium and a mutual agreement and order with Oregon DEQ; staff said the plan incorporates federally required NPDES timetables and must be adopted by Dec. 21 to meet MAO deadlines.
Junction City — The Junction City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a corrective-action program related to the city’s sanitary sewer moratorium, a step officials said is required by a mutual agreement and order with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
City Attorney Carrie Connolly told the council the moratorium was adopted by resolution 13 27 on Oct. 22, 2024, and the MAO with DEQ that followed sets National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) deadlines the city must meet. The corrective-action program in the council packet was drafted by the city engineer and, Connolly said, “incorporates the timetables that were set in both the NPDES compliance deadlines” and the MAO.
Councillors heard the staff report, asked technical questions of the engineer regarding program elements, and accepted public testimony (none opposed). Councilor Leach moved to adopt the corrective-action program “as presented,” a motion the council approved unanimously. One councilor declared a financial conflict of interest and stepped down from participation before the hearing.
Why it matters: City officials said the program provides the project scope, tasks and schedule needed to address treatment-plant issues cited in the MAO and to lift or manage limits imposed by the sanitary sewer moratorium. Staff told the council the program must be adopted by Dec. 21 to preserve the city’s compliance schedule and to retain eligibility for certain funding and regulatory timelines.
Next steps: Staff will file the adopted program and continue work with the city engineer and DEQ on testing, design and phased repairs required under the MAO. Council scheduled a February work session to review financing and DEQ engagement for water and sewer projects.
Quote: “I make a motion to adopt a sewer moratorium corrective action program as presented,” Councilor Leach said before the unanimous vote.
The council’s action recorded adoption of the program and directed staff to proceed with implementation tasks outlined in the engineer’s plan.
