?,EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region V
EIS Section
Environmental Engineering Branch
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Genesee County
Wastewater Treatment
Project
905F80100
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Background To Date
Effects On Citizens
The Genesee County Division of Water and Waste
Services has prepared a facilities planning study
of various collection alternatives and alternatives
for the expansion and upgrading of its existing
wastewater treatment facilities
There are two major existing wastewater
treatment plants (WWTP) in the Genesee County
Plan of Study area. Each of these WWTP have
separate collection and treatment facilities; the
Anthony Ragnone plant treating the waste from
the County and the City of Flint plant treating
waste fron the City.
The existing Ragnone WWTP is experiencing
capacity problems, poor effluent quality, and
equipment reaching the end of its service life. The
Ragnone WWTP is designed to treat an average
sewage flow of 20 million gallons per day (MGD)
The plant is currently averaging 1 7 MGD with up
to 20 MGD in wet weather The existing capacity
does not allow for additional growth The
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
(MDNR) has proposed effluent limits fcr the
Ragnone plant that would require a level of
treatment greater than is capable of being
produced at the plant There are a number of
pump stations in the sewer collection system that
are nearmg the end of their service life and
causing operational problems. The facilities plan
has looked at upgrading and expansion of the
existing plant to provide treatment capacity to the
year 2000, to treat the sewage to meet new
effluent limits, and to eliminate the collection
system problems
The facilities plan has been prepared under a
Step 1 planning grant from the U S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that
covered 75% of the planning costs. Subsequent
Federal grants may be requested for Step 2,
design and Step 3, construction of the facilities
recommended,as a result of the facilities
planning
The proposed plan for wastewater treatment
systems can affect Genesee County in many ways.
The upgrading and expansion of the Ragnone
WWTP to meet the effluent limits can help
improve the water quality of the Flint River The
expansion of the plant sewer capacity will permit
the treatment of wastes generated by reasonable
growth. Although this growth can be welcomed,
careful planning needs to be done so that the
amounts and location of this growth does not
cause negative impacts. These negative impacts
can include the loss of prime farm land,
infringement on historical or
archeological sites, loss of open space, loss of
natural habitat, reduction in aesthetic
appearance and population shifts that place
burdens on local governments to provide and pay
for public services such as roads, schools, and
libraries.
The propsed wastewater treatment and collection
system may have an economic impact upon the
residents of Genesee County Any upgrading of
existing facilities and construction of additional
capacity must be partly funded by local
jurisdictions These costs will be passed on to the
local user so your bills for sewage treatment may
rise to cover the cost of these future facilities.
These costs will usually be in addition to what
you are currently paying for sewage treatment
These environmental, social and
economic impacts can be reduced or avoided by
acting effectively through careful planning A
strong collective effort by all the parties is needed
to ensure that the best decisions are made
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UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION V
230 SOUTH DEARBORN ST.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60604
Reply To Attention Of
5WEE
JUL 2 2 1980
NOTICE OF INTENT
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared by Region V on a
proposed project to address the wastewater needs of Genesee County, Michigan
The planning area is located within Genesee County and covers all or part of
thirteen townships and seven cities including the City of Flint that has separate
wastewater facilities The proposed project consists of the design and
construction of interceptor sewers and the upgrading of existing or construction
of new wastewateri treatment facilities in the County The existing sewerage
collection system has pump stations that are nearmg the end of their service life
and performing poorly. The proposed effluent limits for the existing Anthony
Ragnone Wastewater Treatment Plant requires a level of treatment more stringent
than that currently capable of being produced at the plant without upgrading or
other action
The issues to receive major consideration are secondary impacts that include
induced growth, the redistribution of population, and the ability of the County to
finance additional community services; loss of prime agricultural land; reduction
in water quality from increased wastewater loads in the Flint River; controversy
among the City of Flint, Genesee County and various township units that has
prohibited a potentially less costly regional approach to wastewater treatment,
and the possibility for multipurpose use of the wastewater treatment facilities for
open space or recreation purposes
If you or your organization want to comment on this EIS decision, attend the EIS
scoping meeting, provide information for the EIS, or want to be placed on the
mailing list, please contact the EIS Section, Environmental Engineering Branch
(5WEE), at the letterhead address
Sincerely yours,
yuuL3>-P
John McGuire
Regional Administrator
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We Need Your Help &EFA
The EPA is commited to involve you, the public,
as fully as possible in all our decisions since you
will be most affected by them The more
information that we are able to obtain from
people familiar with the local situation and
particular problems of the community, the better
our decisions will be
The EIS process is your personal opportunity to
influence an EPA decision which will have a
direct impact on your environment Therefore we
encourage you to participate in any way you can
to make your concerns known and to offer any
information or suggestions which could imprcve
the solution to this wastewater management
problem
Future public meetings will be scheduled to open
lines of communication and find out what issues
you think are most important and deserve special
consideration m this EIS process If you have
questions about the Genesee County EIS, please
contact
Gene Wojcik, Chief, EIS Section (5WEE)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
312-353-2157
A form is provided in this folder for those who
want to be on our mailing list If you fill it out and
mail it in, you will receive further information
about the Genesee County project
The EPA needs the support and cooperation of
the general public EPA will be holding public
meetings throughout the EIS process to inform
you of what is going on and for you to inform us
of your concerns
Design: U.S.EPA Region V, Graphic Arts Section 1980.
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EPA's Involvement
The EIS Process
The U S EPA is a Federal agency which was
created in 1970 One of its prime goals is to
attain a level of quality for our Nation's water
which would make them safe for swimming and
fishing by 1 983 Because urban sewage is one of
the major contributors to water pollution,
Congress has given EPA the authority to grant
funds to local governmental bodies for
wastewater treatment EPA may provide a county,
township,or municipality with 75% of the money
necessary to clean up existing wastewater
treatment for a reasonable amount of future
growth
Under the National Environmental Policy Act, EPA
has the responsibility to ensure that no significant
environmental harm occurs as a result of funding
the proposed project Because certain questions
have been raised regarding the impacts that this
project may have on your community, the
Environmental Protection Agncy has decided to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
The EPA, with your help and the information
provided by your State and local officials, will
identify significant problems and issues The
County's proposed sewage project will be
evaluated, along with other possible alternatives
which would solve the wastewater pollution
problems of the area The impacts of each
alternative plan on the air quality, water quality,
water supply, energy resources, growth, land use,
economy, and people of your community will be
evaluated
A Draft EIS containing these findings and
suggestions on minimizing the potential adverse
effects resulting from each alternative will then be
circulated for public review A 45 day comment
period will follow During this time, you will have
a chance to analyze the impacts of each
wastewater alternative, decide which one is best
for you and your County, and raise additional
questions which you may want us to address
Based on the Draft EIS and comments from
citizens, other Federal agencies, and State and
local officials, the EPA will then issue a Final EIS
The Final EIS will incorporate the comments
received on the Draft EIS and present an outline
of the acceptable wastewater treatment plan or
plans which would solve the sewage disposal
problems of your community After a 30-day
comment period following the release of the Final
EIS, the Regional Administrator of the EPA will
decide whether or not to fund the County's
proposed project
PLEASE DETACH AND MAIL
Please include my name on the mailing list for information on the Genesee County
Wastewater Treatment Project
Name
Group Affiliation
Address
Date
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Supplement to the Flint Journal
Genesee County Metro Planning Area
LEGEND
Study Area Boundary
0 5 10
Scale In Thousand Feet
Montrose Twp
Vienna Twp
Anthony Ragnone WWTP
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EIS Section
Environmental Engineering Branch (5WEE)
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
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