Updated Sewage Lagoon Forthcoming in Teller; Currently Going Through Permitting Process
The City of Teller could have a new sewage lagoon constructed before the end of this year.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, they have received one permit application from Bristol Engineering Services Corporation to complete the sewage lagoon project in Teller. Bristol’s application states the Corporation plans to complete construction on the lagoon by October, if their permit is approved.
Mary Romero, a project manager with the Corps, says work can begin once the permitting process is complete:
“And the Corps would have to complete a decision document based on comments that are received and any responses that the applicant might have to provide for those comments. And then address all those comments as well as the environmental impacts that would occur, before a permit could be issued.”
Romero says that construction for this project would involve decommissioning the old sewage lagoon in Teller by filling it, in addition to creating a new separate lagoon:
“So, as far as the Corps of Engineers is concerned, it’s for where fill would be placed for the construction, and the drawings would show there is a berm around a dug lagoon type structure, and then, it would also have a fence around it, with an access road to that new location.”
According to Romero, the Army Corps of Engineer’s role in this project is focused on permitting. The Village Safe Water Program (VSW) is also involved in this project; however, it is unclear how much the project will cost and what amount of funding VSW is providing for the lagoon.
Bill Griffith, facilities manager with VSW, was unavailable for comment before this story aired.
More applications could be submitted to the Corps up until the July 20th public notice deadline. Regardless, however, Romero estimates the permitting for the project will not be issued until at least early August.
Glad to see this is happening! Everyone should have great sanitation and clean water anywhere in this country. We have soldiers in the Middle East that have it. Teller has been waiting for decades. Some people have flush toilets there and have had them for years. I can’t wait to see everyone in Teller have that very necessary right to have clean running water. I’ve been told by government officials that it would be too expensive to operate a water and sewer system in Teller and I said our soldiers don’t do without in the middle of a desert. Where there is a will there is a way. I suggested putting a barge for the containment of the sewer and a treatment plant onboard that could be detached in summer months and discharged at Nome’s facilities or the old Port Clarence Loran station site if it was still operational. Temp tanks could be used while this is done.Teller has been serviced by barges for decades before and after the road was built. They pulled right up to shore. It was just a possible solution for an old problem. My thoughts. Happy to see movement towards sanitary conditions for my friends and family in Teller Alaska.