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Stuart authorizes Town Manager to sign DEQ consent order after missed ammonia sampling; civil charge $5,310
Summary
The council authorized the Town Manager, with the Town Attorney's concurrence, to execute a DEQ Order by Consent and pay the associated $5,310 civil charge after the Town missed required ammonia sampling from July–December 2025; no effluent exceedance occurred and the operator in responsible charge has retired.
The Stuart Town Council authorized the Town Manager, in concurrence with the Town Attorney, to execute an Order by Consent from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and to pay the stated civil charge related to missed ammonia monitoring.
Town Manager Bryce Simmons said the Town received warning letters and a Notice of Violation that DEQ elevated to an Order by Consent because required ammonia samples were not collected from July through December 2025. He said the Town has never exceeded its ammonia limits and that the monitoring requirement applies only from July through December; the shortfall occurred because the operator in responsible charge retired for health reasons and the sampling schedule was overlooked. Simmons requested and received an extension of the signing deadline to allow public review; he also asked DEQ for a reduced civil charge but had not received a response.
Simmons described corrective measures already in place, including a stricter sampling schedule and continued off-site laboratory analysis. The council voted unanimously to authorize the Town Manager, in concurrence with the Town Attorney, to execute the Order and pay the associated civil charge (the stated amount or any reduced amount). No council member objected.
