Impasse between Coulee Dam, Elmer City prompt notice to EPA

In a special meeting Wednesday, Coulee Dam decided it would would notify the EPA of the potential of sewage in the streets of Elmer City because of a dispute between the towns.

Adivsed by the city attorney that it cannot make a gift of its citizens’ funds by paying for new pumps for its customer, council members sought to find another way to help while not backing down in an apparent standoff between the towns that use the wastewater treatment plant operated by Coulee Dam, which is finishing a new one.

“I think that Coulee Dam has gone way out of their way, from the very beginning, to inform Elmer City as to what the plans were going to be, how it would impact them, and allowed them years of advance notice that they may need to make some changes to their pumps,” City Attorney Mick Howe said over a telephone line to the full council.

The new plant, scheduled to come online in October sits about 20 feet higher in elevation than the current one, which engineers say will require bigger pumps.

Elmer City insists it didn’t make the change, so it shouldn’t have to pay for the pumps.

“They were actually on the committee to select the engineering firm,” recalled Kurt Holland, principal engineer at that firm of Varela & Associates.

Daniel Cowger, a Varela engineer on the project said the pump issue had been discussed with Elmer City for five years.

Coulee Dam council members Wednesday deliberated on the problem.

Holland said delaying the start of the plant is not an option because it would cost Coulee Dam money for delaying the contractor on the $7 million plant, warranty periods on equipment would be starting and “a whole bunch of things” that make it a bad idea.

Whether Elmer City’s pumps would actually fail under the new load is not certain, engineers said, but it’s a reasonable assumption.

Recalling the evolution of a project that has taken many years, Howe said Coulee Dam had offered multiple times to help Elmer City but all offers were rejected.

“Our hands are somewhat tied,” he said. “We need their cooperation, and we haven’t got that.”

Councilmember Fred Netzel moved to write to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and all other agencies involved, to alert them of a possible problem.

Council discussed that the letter could help uncover some unkown funds from other agencies that could help Elmer City pay for its pumps, estimated to cost $30,000.

Answering council questions, Howe said the city has a lot of documentation that would prove its case in court, if need be.

Asked on Thursday what Elmer City’s course would be, Elmer City Mayor Jesse Tillman said,

“You’ll find out more about that at our next meeting. We’re keeping our planning kind of close to our chest.”