Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Alternatives Considered <br /> <br />Regional versus Local Solutions <br /> <br />Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, as the NPDES permit holder, must take action <br />to reduce the risk of an overflow from its interceptor system. The two basic options <br />considered by the Council were I) to increase the system capacity, or 2) require that satellite <br />communities reduce the III rates entering their collection systems, Information presented to <br />the III Task Force supported the Council staff position that increasing system capacity to <br />handle 1/1 was not a viable option. The task force members agreed that reduction ofl/l is the <br />only long-tenn option that allows for efficient accommodation of regional growth and <br />reduces the risk of sanitary sewer overflows. <br /> <br />Means of Enforcement <br /> <br />Several strategies on how to reduce 1/1 in the region were discussed by the 1/1 Task Force, <br />One of the key issues discussed was how prescriptive MCES should be regarding 1/1 <br />reduction, The task force agreed that MCES should simply set III reduction goals and allow <br />each community to select the measures that would best meet those goals, The role ofMCES <br />in this approach is to provide technical assistance and serve as a focal point for <br />communicating lessons gained from customer communities as they implement their programs <br />to reduce 1/1. <br /> <br />Enforcement of the 1/1 goals could be accomplished through the existing Comprehensive <br />Planning Process, MCES currently reviews and approves local comprehensive plans and <br />those plans could include the community's plan for meeting the III goal. <br /> <br />Other Options <br /> <br />MCES also could modifY the Sewer Discharge Rules that currently address industrial <br />pretreatment. These rules could be expanded to address excessive 1/1 and prohibit excessive <br />1/1 from each community, <br /> <br />Other regional sewer districts use community contracts to limit the peak flows from <br />customers, Such contracts could establish a plan for reduction of peak flows over time to <br />meet the III goals, <br /> <br />As the new federal regulations are implemented, MCES could require customer communities <br />to become co-permittees under the NPDES permit program. Under the permit conditions, the <br />permittees would commit to eliminating excessive Ill. A permit violation could lead to a fine <br />and multiple violations could result in a court ordered consent decree that mandates <br />corrective action. <br /> <br />8 <br />