Wilsonville seeks to dismiss ADEM sewer permit lawsuit
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The town of Wilsonville is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management over sewer system permit violations.
Last month, ADEM sued the town, citing 92 violations since August 2004.
Samples from the Waste Water Treatment Plant showed that contaminant levels did not meet ADEM standards.
&8220;The tests for various items were either lower or higher than the limit for daily or monthly averages,&8221; said Jerome Hand, ADEM spokesman.
The town council voted July 10 to pay Pelham-based NOVUS Utilities $4,350 for engineering work to address ADEM&8217;s concerns.
Hand would not comment further on the case, other than to say that no hearing date has been set. Efforts to contact Wilsonville Mayor Rosemary Liveoak were unsuccessful.
However, at the July 10 town council meeting Liveoak reported that she, along with NOVUS Representative Grady Parsons and Wilsonville Utilities Superintendent Roger Perry met in Montgomery with an ADEM representative to discuss the violations. She said there is a possibility the town could be fined by ADEM.
Liveoak said that some of the problems should be eliminated when an Alabama Highway 25 sewer line is moved or improved in places.
Hand acknowledged that ADEM has the authority to hand down fines or file suit to ensure compliance with its regulations.
&8220;In this instance, our best operation for enforcement in through legal action and taking them to court, to make sure that the best decisions are being made for the safety of Wilsonville and Shelby County,&8221; said Hand