Agencies propose more time to complete wastewater treatment plant upgrades in Baton Rouge
DALLAS, TX, Jan. 20, 2012 -- Federal and state agencies are proposing an extension of Baton Rouge's consent decree deadline to allow more time to upgrade its sewage treatment plants and undertake additional projects to mitigate sanitary sewer overflows.
Baton Rouge has been upgrading its North and South treatment plants under a consent decree entered by the court in March 2002 with a deadline of Jan. 1, 2015. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) are suggesting extending the deadline three years, to Jan. 1, 2018.
The extension would include implementation of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and installation of emergency generators at over 400 pump stations used in the sewage collection system.
The proposed consent decree modification will be lodged with the federal District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana pending solicitation of public comment on the proposed modification. Approval by the District Court is required before any modification of the 2002 consent decree would be effective.
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