EPA proposes new requirements for Skagway and Wrangell wastewater plants to disinfect sewage discharges
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
SEATTLE (July 28, 2023) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, is proposing limits on the amount of bacteria and other microorganisms Skagway’s and Wrangell’s wastewater treatment plants will be allowed to release to Taiya Inlet.
This is the second public comment period for the Wrangell WWTP; the draft permit that was released for public comment in October of 2022 has been revised.
Currently, the discharges from the Skagway and Wrangell facilities are not disinfected, contain high levels of fecal coliform and enterococcus bacteria, and rely upon a large “mixing zone” area to meet Alaska’s water quality standards for bacteria.
EPA is proposing draft permits for the Skagway and Wrangell facilities that contains more stringent bacteria limits. ADEC has indicated that these limits will be a condition of its certification of the permit under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The proposed limits will require upgrades to the existing plants. The draft permits propose to allow the plants five years to comply with the new limits.
Over the next several months EPA intends to propose new Clean Water Act permits for Ketchikan and Petersburg that would also require their treatment plants to significantly reduce releases of bacteria to local waters within five years.
About waivers under Section 301(h) of the Clean Water Act
The draft permits waive the secondary treatment requirements for the Skagway and Wrangell facilities. Most municipal wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. are required to conduct “secondary” treatment, which involves a combination of physical and biological treatment requirements to remove organic load and solids. However, in limited circumstances, Section 301(h) of the Clean Water Act authorizes EPA — with concurrence from the state — to issue discharge permits requiring less than secondary treatment to plants that discharge to marine waters.
Congress mandated that the last year communities could apply for a waiver from secondary treatment requirements under Section 301(h) was 1982. To qualify for a 301(h) waiver,
applicants must satisfy specific criteria designed to maintain and protect the receiving water and ensure compliance with state water quality standards. The permits are for a five-year period. Applicants must reapply in five years, demonstrating that they continue to meet the criteria.
Since the 1980s, EPA has issued permits modified by 301(h) waivers for several other southeast Alaska facilities, including Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka. The permits were last reissued between 2000 and 2002.
In some circumstances funding support may be available for wastewater treatment upgrades through EPA and ADEC to meet nearer term and potential future water quality requirements.
For more information about the proposed permits, please view the public notice for Skagway at: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/npdes-permit-skagway-wastewater-treatment-plant-alaska, and the second public notice for Wrangell at: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/npdes-permit-wrangell-wastewater-treatment-plant-alaska.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-new-requirements-skagway-and-wrangell-wastewater-plants-disinfect-sewage
