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AYER, MA, TO PAY ENVIRONMENTAL FINE FOR POLLUTION DISCHARGES

Release Date: 06/17/1997
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1064

BOSTON -- The town of Ayer, MA has agreed to pay a $50,000 environmental penalty for discharges of chlorine and other pollutants to the Nashua River, the New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The discharges are from the town's wastewater treatment facility. Ayer has already installed a temporary dechlorination systemand will make two payments over a 14-month period while also upgrading chlorination facilities at its wastewater treatment plant.

"Cities and towns across New England have an equal if not higher obligation than private companies to comply with the environmental laws of the United States," said EPA's New England administrator John DeVillars. "Pipes, whether municipal or industrial, that discharge pollutants to our waterways must meet strict environmental codes, and I will be vigilant in my efforts to see that it happens."

According to EPA, Ayer's discharges violated pollutant limits detailed in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

EPA issues NPDES permits to dischargers of wastewater to waters of the United states. These permits set stringent limits on the amount of pollutants contained in the wastewater. Chlorine is typically added to the wastewater to reduce bacteria levels, but chlorine itself can be toxic in the aquatic environment. Therefore, limitations are often placed on chlorine levels to protect organisms in the river where wastewater is discharged.