Permit issued for Snake Eyes Lane sewer plant
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water and Waste Management has issued a permit to Mountain Springs Public Utility, LLC for a new sewage treatment plant in southern Morgan County.
The WV/NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit was issued Monday, October 1. The permit is valid for five years.
In an eight page letter received by The Morgan Messenger on October 5, the Division responded to comments submitted in opposition to the issuance of the permit and to comments made at a public hearing held last March 27 at the Warm Springs Middle School.
In response to those who took issue with the size of the subdivision and amount of discharge into the Sleepy Creek watershed, the Divi-sion states, “If the design flow of the facility meets all regulatory requirements, then the agency must process and grant the request.”
Furthermore the letter states, “The effluent limitations imposed in the permit ensure that the designated uses and water quality criteria are protected down to the critical low flow conditions and are further consistent with the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load).”
Planned development
Sovereign Homes of Win-chester plans to build 434 homes in two developments spanning both sides of U.S. 522 near Snake Eyes Lane at the southern end of the county.
A phased preliminary plat concept was approved by the Morgan County Planning Commission in May of 2009.
Planning Commission President Jack Soronen said, “By state law, the developer has what’s called a ‘vested property right’ for five years.” That means the developer has five years to submit engineering drawings for preliminary plat approval.
Soronen said since the concept was approved by planners, no further action has been taken by the developer in regard to the planning commission.
The sewer system is sized to support 1,900 people. The system at capacity will discharge 157,300 gallons of treated water per day into Sleepy Creek. Those gallons will presumably come from well water.
Pump tests at developer’s test wells were blamed for draining water from two nearby homes several years ago.
In response to questions about the source of the water to operate the sewer plant the letter said, “The agency does not know the source of potable water for the proposed development. The permit only covers the wastewater associated with the discharge from the sewage treatment facility.”
Anyone adversely affected or aggrieved by the terms and conditions of the permit has 30 days from the issuance date to file a Notice of Appeal to the Environmental Quality Board in Charleston.
