HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 10-21 Sewer conflict could be settled through legislation THE REVIEW Sewer conflict could be
settled through legislation
By BILL GENGLER To date,St.Paul has
paid entire
Staff Writer treatment cost,an estimated$1em'ill on \\
The ongoing fight between eight nor- annually.
them suburbs and St.Paul over who will St. Paul should continue to bear the
pay for treating water from four subur- treatment costs, suburban officials V.,ban lakes that flows through the St.Paul counter,because the problem would not O
sewer system may not be decided in court exist if St.Paul had followed the suburbs'
as previously threatened. example and constructed completely
Representatives from the suburbs separate storm water and sanitary sewer
involved — Roseville, Little Canada, lines.The lake overflow needs treatment,
Falcon Heights, Maplewood, North St. they argue,only because it is mixed with
Paul, Oakdale, Vadnais Heights and raw sewage in St.Paul's"archaic"sewer
White Bear Lake—met with state Sen. system.
Robert Ashbach, IR-Arden Hills, in
Roseville Oct.13 to discuss a legislative THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL has
solution to the controversy. been trying to mediate the dispute,but its
The media has blown out of proportion "compromise" solutions have pleased
the threat of a court battle between the neither the suburbs nor St.Paul.
suburbs and St. Paul, according to at- Last February,the council approved a
the ey John Bann lativgan, who represents plan to charge the suburbs for 80 percent
the suburbs.A legislative solution maybe of the storm water treatment costs;St.
a "better way to solve long term Paul would have picked up 20 percent
problems,"he said, the tab. That plan drew immediate
Ashbach left no doubt at the Oct. 13 threats of a legal challenge from the
meeting as to his allegiance in the urban- suburbs.
suburban dispute."The city of St.Paul The threat of a lawsuit sent the
obstructed the waterways...(by failing Metropolitan Council back to the drawing
to)distinguish between storm and sewer board until Oct.8, when it revealed a
lines,"Ashbach said."St.Paul should be revised plan that would assess 40 percent
on a program of correcting mistakes of of the costs to the suburbs and 60 percent
the past,"he added,rather than trying to to St.Paul.'
pass on the costs to the suburbs.
The squabble between the suburbs and The 90-60 split between the suburbs and
St.Paul has been going on for almost a St.Paul,however,pleased neither party.
year. St. Paul officials argue that the Both the suburbs and St. Paul have
suburbs should pay for,or at least share threatened lawsuits over the revised plan.
the cost, of treating overflow from Now, however, there seems a good
Phalen,McCarron's,Como and Beaver chance that the final scene in the year-
Lakes that runs through St.Paul's sewer long squabble will be played out in the
system to the water treatment plant at state Legislature rather than in the
Pig's Eye Lake. courts.