Millville moves to tighten industrial wastewater surcharges, eliminate trading credits

Millville commissioners reviewed an ordinance to revise industrial wastewater surcharge concentration limits and eliminate pollutant trading credits, officials said at a working session.

The measure, presented in first reading, lowers some existing limits for industrial dischargers and changes how surcharges are calculated so that businesses that send heavier pollutant loads into the system pay proportionally higher fees, Commissioner Ranello said. "This is reversing it so that the more the pollutants enter the system, you'll be properly charged," Ranello said.

Why it matters: staff and commissioners said the city has limited treatment capacity and needs clearer rules to protect the wastewater treatment plant and ensure fair cost-sharing between ratepayers. A staff speaker explained that trading credits previously allowed allocations of allowable pollutant pounds to be redistributed among businesses; under the proposed change, trading credits would be eliminated because they "did not reduce pollution or meaningfully benefit our city."

Support and explanation: staff emphasized the ordinance will not alter rates for residential customers and that it aims to protect plant capacity and support future growth. ‘‘If limits are exceeded, fees will apply to the total discharge,’’ staff said, and the overall surcharge cap in the code will remain in place while calculation methods are corrected to prevent perverse incentives (where it had been cheaper to pollute more than less). "When we did the investigation of the original charges... it was actually cheaper to pollute more than to pollute less," a staff member said.

Next steps: The clerk presented the ordinance for consideration; commissioners discussed details and asked for clarifying language and enforcement specifics. The ordinance proceeds through the next reading cycle where the commission may take formal action or request staff amendments.