July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
IDEM: City response to leak 'very good' (10/06/06)
By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said Thursday that sewage leaked into the Salamonie River last month.
The incident resulted when heavy rain caused the river to rise, washing out a six-foot section of the riverbank and breaking off storm and sewer lines, Bob Brelsford, Portland wastewater treatment plant superintendent, said this morning.
The incident was discovered on Sept. 6, he said.
An official with a state agency said this morning that the city will likely not be cited in connection with the incident, saying the city did a "real good job" in its response.
The area where the leak occurred is located behind a former broom factory on the southwest corner of Blaine Pike and Water Street.
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier told members of the Portland Board of Works Thursday that the city is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fix the bank.
The Corps has jurisdiction over the section of the waterway which runs through the city.
One of the plant's employees discovered the discoloration in the water.
The broken line was fixed right away, and officials with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were called to help contain the contaminated water, Brelsford said.
The banks of the Salamonie River are comprised of sandy soil, which erodes easily, Brelsford said.
To fix the broken bank, it must be re-graded and filled with rocks. The U.S. Army Corps will specify how this must be done.
Brelsford said the city likely will have to pay for the bank repair work. The city doesn't have the equipment needed to make the repairs, he said.
Barry Sneed, public information officer for IDEM, said this morning that the city likely will not be cited for the incident.
City employees responded quickly to the spill and called IDEM's emergency line right away.
"They were very responsive in their reaction," Sneed said this morning. "They responded appropriately and took corrective measures before we arrived. It looks like they did a real good job."
In other business, the board voted to allow a rural Portland woman to hook her house up to the city's sewer line.
Sharon Meyer, 1229 West 100 South, made the request. Her request was granted as long as she agrees not to protest any future annexation of her property. The agreement also would prevent any future owners of that property from protesting.
Meyer must pay a $500 tap-in fee.
Before board members voted to allow Meyer to connect to the sewer line, board member Bob McCreery questioned whether the sewer line belongs to the city or Dr. James Clear, who lives down the road from Meyer.
The board took a brief recess and Hosier called Aker Plumbing, which is expected to do the line work, and asked if the existing sewer line belongs to the city. He said Judy Aker, an owner of the company, told him Brelsford recently confirmed that the line does belong to the city.
Also Tuesday, board members:
•Agreed to delay payment to Fort Wayne engineering firm Bonar Group for a feasibility study until company officials can explain an increase in fees.
The board voted in April to hire Bonar to determine whether the city could almost double its daily water supply to accommodate a Premier Ethanol LLC plant southwest of Portland. At that time, board members agreed the city would pay Bonar up to $6,500 to do the study.
Due to unforeseen additional study work and meetings, the cost of the project increased by $3,070, Hosier told the board. Broin has agreed to pay $6,000 for the study, while the city would be responsible for $3,070.
Board members reviewed the breakdown of the cost increase, and McCreery noted how much each Bonar employee was being paid per hour for the engineering work.
"I think we ought to negotiate this," he said. "It looks a little stiff to me."
Hosier and board member Dolphus Stephens agreed to wait to pay Bonar.
•Voted to pay Portland resident Mary Mumby $1,000 for rights-of-way on property she owns.
The 1,015-square feet, located near the intersection of Elder Street and Boundary Pike, is needed for the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project.
The project is designed to separate storm and sanitary sewers, replace water mains and build new sidewalks.
•Approved the purchase of a new copy machine for city hall at a cost of $5,627.
Linda Kennedy, the city's clerk-treasurer, said the city currently rents a machine which is seven years old. The new Xerox machine would make 32 copies per minute and would be similar to the one the city has. The cost to rent a new machine would be about the same over three years as buying one, she said.[[In-content Ad]]
The incident resulted when heavy rain caused the river to rise, washing out a six-foot section of the riverbank and breaking off storm and sewer lines, Bob Brelsford, Portland wastewater treatment plant superintendent, said this morning.
The incident was discovered on Sept. 6, he said.
An official with a state agency said this morning that the city will likely not be cited in connection with the incident, saying the city did a "real good job" in its response.
The area where the leak occurred is located behind a former broom factory on the southwest corner of Blaine Pike and Water Street.
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier told members of the Portland Board of Works Thursday that the city is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fix the bank.
The Corps has jurisdiction over the section of the waterway which runs through the city.
One of the plant's employees discovered the discoloration in the water.
The broken line was fixed right away, and officials with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management were called to help contain the contaminated water, Brelsford said.
The banks of the Salamonie River are comprised of sandy soil, which erodes easily, Brelsford said.
To fix the broken bank, it must be re-graded and filled with rocks. The U.S. Army Corps will specify how this must be done.
Brelsford said the city likely will have to pay for the bank repair work. The city doesn't have the equipment needed to make the repairs, he said.
Barry Sneed, public information officer for IDEM, said this morning that the city likely will not be cited for the incident.
City employees responded quickly to the spill and called IDEM's emergency line right away.
"They were very responsive in their reaction," Sneed said this morning. "They responded appropriately and took corrective measures before we arrived. It looks like they did a real good job."
In other business, the board voted to allow a rural Portland woman to hook her house up to the city's sewer line.
Sharon Meyer, 1229 West 100 South, made the request. Her request was granted as long as she agrees not to protest any future annexation of her property. The agreement also would prevent any future owners of that property from protesting.
Meyer must pay a $500 tap-in fee.
Before board members voted to allow Meyer to connect to the sewer line, board member Bob McCreery questioned whether the sewer line belongs to the city or Dr. James Clear, who lives down the road from Meyer.
The board took a brief recess and Hosier called Aker Plumbing, which is expected to do the line work, and asked if the existing sewer line belongs to the city. He said Judy Aker, an owner of the company, told him Brelsford recently confirmed that the line does belong to the city.
Also Tuesday, board members:
•Agreed to delay payment to Fort Wayne engineering firm Bonar Group for a feasibility study until company officials can explain an increase in fees.
The board voted in April to hire Bonar to determine whether the city could almost double its daily water supply to accommodate a Premier Ethanol LLC plant southwest of Portland. At that time, board members agreed the city would pay Bonar up to $6,500 to do the study.
Due to unforeseen additional study work and meetings, the cost of the project increased by $3,070, Hosier told the board. Broin has agreed to pay $6,000 for the study, while the city would be responsible for $3,070.
Board members reviewed the breakdown of the cost increase, and McCreery noted how much each Bonar employee was being paid per hour for the engineering work.
"I think we ought to negotiate this," he said. "It looks a little stiff to me."
Hosier and board member Dolphus Stephens agreed to wait to pay Bonar.
•Voted to pay Portland resident Mary Mumby $1,000 for rights-of-way on property she owns.
The 1,015-square feet, located near the intersection of Elder Street and Boundary Pike, is needed for the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project.
The project is designed to separate storm and sanitary sewers, replace water mains and build new sidewalks.
•Approved the purchase of a new copy machine for city hall at a cost of $5,627.
Linda Kennedy, the city's clerk-treasurer, said the city currently rents a machine which is seven years old. The new Xerox machine would make 32 copies per minute and would be similar to the one the city has. The cost to rent a new machine would be about the same over three years as buying one, she said.[[In-content Ad]]
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