Willamette Riverkeeper, a Portland-based nonprofit, claims Albany is violating the federal Clean Water Act by not having a permit to discharge rainwater runoff to the Willamette River and other waterways. The city says the claim is unwarranted.
Albany says in court that trying to comply with a new state-issued stormwater discharge regulation would cost the city $5-7 million over five years. The city is asking the court to declare that the DEQ violated the Clean Water Act and Oregon law in issuing the regulation, and to set it aside. (See an update […]
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has published a draft of new regulations to control the discharge of storm runoff by Albany and other towns. Whether this actually cuts down on pollution is hard to predict, but it almost certainly will add to the city’s costs.
Albany has plans for a program to keep storm water from polluting our waterways, and it looks to me that the city staff has taken pains to keep any additional regulatory burden to a minimum. The city’s proposed answer to impending regulations is that new land developments above a certain size will have to incorporate features […]
August sewer spill could get expensive
A sewer leak last month may prove costly for Albany ratepayers unless the city and Willamette Riverkeeper can reach some kind of agreement.
Tags: Clean Water Act, Riverkeeper, sewage dischare, Willamette River