HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 03-19 Sewer decision called penny-wise, pound-foolish DISPATCH 2E St. Paul Dispatch Thursday,March 19, 1981
Sewer decision called pound-foolish
By Jim Nagel ,-4Y ...-.1.',,,..... "As you can see, this is four to from taking effect. In the mean- White Bear Lake, North St. Paul communities for violation of
Staff Writer fi five times cheaper than paying time, they've asked for a meet- and Oakdale) see at least two (water pollution)standards."
for clear lake water treatment," ing with St. Paul but had reasons why St. Paul is to blame She said the council's action,
Penny-wise and pound-foolish! Mrs. Demos said. "The annual received no response yet. for the situation. in spite of a study recommend-
cost for the separation projects
That's how eight suburbs pic- St. Paul maintains it is paying "The outmoded combined sew- ing sewer separation, `removes
ture the Metropolitan Council's would be only $333,000 to
R $555,000 (including interest)." a million dollars or more a year er system, which St.Paul refuses the incentive for St. Paul to act
recent action requiring them to in sewage treatment costs for to modernize, is creating prob- by transferring$1 to$1.7 million
pay St. Paul between $1 million Mrs. Demos said the costs to storm water overflowing into its lems for the entire metropolitan in sewer fees to the suburbs."
and $1.7 million a year for treat- suburbs could rise to $3 million sewers from Phalen, Como, sewage treatment area," Mrs. "Older cities, such as Minne
ment of storm water that flows or $4 million a year within 10 McCarron's and Beaver lakes. It Demos said. apolis, have taen major aggres-
through St. Paul's combined years as sewage treatment costs asked, and the Metro Council Maplewood's Mayor John sive actions to separate their
storm and sanitary sewers. continue to rise. Meanwhile, the agreed, that the suburbs pay for Greavu said: "A lot of the prob- combined sewers rather than in-
Greavu Demos treatment of water that St. Paul
Roseville Mayor June Demos costs of financing sewer separa- lems are caused because St. Paul goring problems and asking their
said the council's plan will cost cost in view of a Metro Council tion in St. Paul would remain says comes from the suburbs. allowed construction to block the suburbs to pay for treating clear
suburban taxpayers between $17 report that says St. Paul sewers constant. As a result,the suburbs The eight suburbs (Roseville, natural waterways. Now the big storm water."Mrs.Demos said.
million and $29 million over the could be separated for between are planning legal action to pre- Maplewood, Falcon Heights, Lit- city wants the little fellows to "St. Paul has known about the
next 10 years, an "unbelievable" $3 million and$7.5 million. vent the Metro Council's action tle Canada, Vadnais Heights, take care of their problems. I (Waste Commission's) fee sys-
think we're getting a shaft job. tem for 10 years and has paid
III •- - - "You would think, the Metro- millions of dollars in fees, but
politan Waste Control Commis- still left the lake overflows in
sion would force St. Paul to sepa- combined sewers. Even these
rate its systems so it wouldn't be large annual payments failed to
such a drain on(treatment)facil- cause St. Paul to separate the
ities." sewers,"she said.
Mrs. Demos said excessive "It is obvious that if St. Paul
flows into the metro treatment would not separate the sewers
plant and "the practice of when they paid the charges they
bypassing flows directly to the will not do it now, or in the fu-
(Mississippi) river will bring ture, with someone else paying
lawsuits from downtstream the costs."