Posted by Ed on December 9, 2007, 2:09 pm
24.34.144.49
This sounds like a great thing for our health and environmental concerns and just may help secure the Federal Grant money, which should lead to designating the area along the Concord River to be used for Open Space and Recreation. The revitalizing of the North Billerica Mills area all the way up to Lowell were the restoration of many areas have already begun. A win, win, situation for the Merrimack Valley and the surround communities’ residents, where the river ways would be a place to walk, jog or take the kids or family pet to enjoy the day.
CAUTION: Beware of the State bearing gifts! Sometimes money comes with strings attached and when many would like to turn our Valley into environmentally friendly and healthy Valley, others wish to reap profits or build their own resumes to destroy it! Nobody will care to spend their day enjoying the Mill Area or walking or jogging along the Concord River while there is a power plant running and spewing pollutants all over them. Nor, watching the Concord River turn into a stagnant lifeless stream from the displacement of the water which an unneeded plant will cause. You decide the motivation behind the “Scenes,” or maybe even the timing of the release of this information.
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Billerica in line for $9M loan for water-plant renovations
By Hillary Chabot, hchabot@lowellsun.com
Article Last Updated: 12/08/2007 06:36:03 AM EST
BOSTON -- Billerica is all but assured a $9 million low-interest loan to renovate its wastewater treatment system.
The loan was secured after the project went before a public hearing yesterday in Boston and faced no objections. Billerica Town Manager Rocco Longo is making changes to the system to comply with stiffer state Department of Environmental Protection regulations.
"That's really great news," said Longo. "This is really going to bring a state-of-the-art system here. It will help keep the Concord River clean."
Billerica town officials approved a $9 million loan from the DEP to comply with the agency's administrative consent order demanding Billerica reduce the amount of phosphorus in the water discharged from the plant into the Concord River from .6 parts per million to .2 parts per million. Phosphorus acts as a fertilizer, promoting the growth of weeds and algae in the river.
The improvements also include a reduction in the amount of aluminum found in treated water.
The money will be borrowed at a 2 percent interest rate from the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust.
Consultant John Daniels, vice president of Woodard and Curran, represented Billerica on the project in Boston yesterday. He said the money is secure because the town is so high on the draft list of drinking-water plans.
"By getting on the intended use draft plan they are assured the money," Daniels said yesterday.
DEP Division of Municipal Services Director Steve McCurdy said the department should decide on the final appropriations by February.
"We'll need to get the plan and the specifications by October," McCurdy said.
Billerica scored high on the draft list because the town is drastically out of compliance with state and federal regulations and poses a high risk in health and environmental concerns.
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