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Simsbury plant report: permit renewal delayed pending EPA PFAS rule; upgrades and staffing steps planned
Summary
Plant operator Mike LeClaire told the Authority the permit renewal application has been submitted to DEEP but action is delayed until EPA finalizes a PFAS rule; the plant reported April permit compliance and outlined upcoming equipment replacements, septic receiving facility delivery and operator hiring activity.
Simsbury’s treatment plant met its permit requirements for April, and staff are pursuing several upgrades, but formal permit renewal remains in limbo pending federal rulemaking on PFAS, the plant operator said.
"All permit requirements were met for the month of April," plant operator Mike LeClaire reported at the May 14 meeting. He said the town contracted with AECOM to assist in a permit renewal process and that the renewal application (the plant’s existing permit expired in February 2024) has been submitted and acknowledged by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. LeClaire added that DEEP has indicated it will not issue permits until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes its PFAS rule, a delay that could take "a year or two."
LeClaire also provided operational updates: the new septage receiving facility is due to be delivered at month‑end; staff are finishing upgrades to the air diffuser system and septage holding tanks and will install a wash system; bids for replacement influent pumps will be advertised later in the month with the existing pumps kept as emergency spares; rooftop HVAC units more than 20 years old will be replaced this summer or fall; an energy evaluation of the aeration system and motors is underway; and plant staff conducted operator interviews on May 8 to fill an open position.
The Authority did not take formal action on capital spending at the meeting; LeClaire said the upgrades and bid schedule are proceeding through normal procurement channels.
