Negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency have paid dividends for Platte City.
Platte City’s Board of Aldermen approved at a meeting last week to authorize the city to pay $15,000 for a fine enforced by the EPA.
The fine stems from an incident in January at a creek north of Hwy. 92, west of Casey’s and east of the Platte River when an older sewer line broke dumping sanitary sewage into a creek that flows into the river. The leak was reported by a trapper to the EPA.
The EPA claimed the leak violated the federal Clean Water Act, which prohibits the discharge of “pollutants” into a “navigable water.”
The EPA originally posted a $60,000 fine to the city. Negotiations were made and the city is now responsible for a $15,000 fine.
According to the settlement the city must complete two Supplemental Environmental Projects.
One of the projects is cleaning, grading, installation of any needed erosion controls and adjusting the flow line and enlarging the culvert under Hwy. 92 near Casey’s.
The proposed time for completing this project is two years and has an estimated cost of $100,000.
The second project is the establishment of a greenway/storm drainage easement. The drains leading to the Platte River will be cleaned, regraded and erosion controls will be installed and maintained.
The time frame for the project is one year and it has an estimated cost of $35,000.
The city must pay the fine to the EPA in full within 30 days.
The city is also required to submit a periodic report every six months to provide status of each project. The report must include information on what has been completed, what remains to be completed and the estimated time frame for completion.
Aldermen also approved the mayor’s appointment of Special Programs Coordinator George McClintock.
o approved the mayor’s appointment of Special Programs Coordinator George McClintock.
McClintock has been appointed to help promote Platte City. According to Mayor Dave Brooks, McClintock was instrumental in assisting with the lighting ceremony held recently in downtown.
An ordinance authorizing a franchise agreement with Unite to provide telecommunications to Platte City was approved.
Unite is a subsidiary of Aquila and provides telephone, Internet and cable television services. The franchise agreement approved only permits Unite to provide telephone and Internet services in Platte City.
The franchise requires Unite to pay a fee of 5 percent on gross receipts to Platte City for use of right-of-ways.
The installation of cable is an ongoing project.
A resolution to continue and improve the curbside recycling program for Platte County was approved.
Mid American Regional Council has awarded Platte City a grant to purchase a recycling roll-off truck tarper. The tarper will be purchased with matching funds.