The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that St. Louis would be getting major improvements to the city's sewer systems and sewage treatment plants. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District has agreed to make $4.7 billion in sewer improvements over the next 23 years.
The news came as a monumental agreement among the MSD, the federal government and the Missouri Coalition for the Environmental Foundation to bring St. Louis' sewer system up to date. Currently the city is dealing with major issues, including illegal overflows of untreated raw sewage into nearby waterways and high levels of pollution in streams and rivers throughout the city.
The $4.7 billion in improvements and updates are extensive and will incorporate technologies that will drastically help with pollution control. These technologies include constructing three large storage tunnels that connect to two sewage treatment plants, which will result in reducing sewage overflow into waterways by 13 billion gallons per year.
"We are fully committed to vigorous enforcement of the Clean Water Act, and will continue to work in partnership with EPA to advance the goal of clean water for all communities in our nation's cities," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division
STL Today reported that St. Louis' sewer system dates to years before the Civil War and was the first sewer system built west of the Mississippi River. The agreement is the direct result of a large 2007 lawsuit that the EPA filed against the MSD, which alleged the district was violating the Clean Water Act. The St. Louis sewer system is the fourth-largest in the country and treats waste from 525 square miles and includes 9,600 miles of pipes.
EPA Region Administrator Karl Brooks commented on the importance of updating the city's large sewer system and the other benefits it will have. Brooks said, "St. Louis, America's Gateway City, grew up alongside the Mississippi. Unfortunately, for too long it treated the river's tributaries as a dumping ground for sewage. By moving forward with this Clean Water Act settlement, the community is facing its responsibilities. This agreement will bring jobs and long-term economic investments while significantly improving the environment for future generations."
Other aspects of the $4.7 billion investment include investing $100 million into green infrastructure and also paying a civil penalty of $1.2 million to the federal government.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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