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Select Board says EPA talks on wastewater AOC went 'better than anticipated'; town pushes timeline and clarifications
Summary
After an EPA site visit, town officials said they negotiated draft AOC language, pushed back on unrealistic deadlines and highlighted technical issues (algae blooms, contractor availability); staff expect a revised draft within weeks and emphasized funding and construction‑season constraints.
Waterville Valley staff told the Select Board on April 15 that recent meetings with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials on a draft Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) produced constructive discussion and that the town pushed back on draft dates and some proposed language.
Dylan and town attorneys attended the EPA site visit alongside engineering firm Black & Veatch. Town staff said they urged EPA to revise timelines they considered unattainable and asked that certain force‑majeure and consent‑decree provisions be clarified. Staff noted EPA seemed unfamiliar with local operational constraints, including how algae blooms can drive apparent nitrification measures in the lagoons.
"They were kind of surprised when I informed them that we don't have control over algae blooms," Dylan said. Staff said the town pressed for allowance of realistic dates and for language that reflects the town’s limited construction season and contractor availability. The town reported asking EPA to move completion benchmarks from September 2026 toward December 2026.
Staff also said they had authorized an amendment to the engineering contract to scope lagoon work needed to bring the facility into better compliance in advance of a new plant. The town emphasized that the study could find no practical fix and that any remediation would depend on contractor availability and seasonal construction windows.
Officials said EPA acknowledged both financing questions and the possibility that some proposed fixes may not be feasible. Town staff said they expected a second draft of the AOC for formal review within a month and that select‑board review would precede any signature on revised language.
