At their work session on Thursday night, the Nome Port Commission brainstormed ways that the port could better accommodate ships looking to dispose of wastewater.
As Port Director Joy Baker explained, there is no established infrastructure for dealing with wastewater north of Dutch Harbor. Nome could be perfectly situated to fill that need. But there was no consensus among the Commissioners on how much infrastructure would be best. Utilities Manager John Handeland summed up the big question on the table.
“Do we build what we think we need in ten years,” he asked, “or do we try to encourage some of this business in the short run with alternate methods?”
Another concern brought up at the meeting was whether there were sufficient funds available to start this project. Chairman Jim West, Jr., seemed doubtful.
“To put in the dollar amount, what it’s gonna cost to facilitate that, that’s gonna be the tricky part,” he said. “The city doesn’t have the money.”
One citizen in attendance was Robert Madden, who runs a private septic service. He said that for his part, he doesn’t mind transporting waste the way he has been up until now, even if port traffic increases. He currently takes sewage from Coast Guard ships to the plant. The only waste he isn’t equipped to handle is bilgewater, or oily water.
For now, the discussion was tabled. The Port Commission meets again on April 20th.
