Payment of a bill for work to comply with a United States Environmental Protection Administration order led to an accusation by a long-time Salisbury Township enviromental activist about the responsibility of the Lehigh County Authority concerning the order.

The bill for $36,361.75, second payment to Sewer Speciality Services Company, Inc., Leicester, N.Y., is for the township Sanitary Sewer Rehab Project, which has been underway to comply with the EPA order.

Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr., made the motion to approve the payment, with commissioners' Vice President Debra Brinton seconding it.

The township rehab project is to detect and correct stormwater infiltration into the sanitary sewer system.

"All the municipalities are being hung out to dry by the LCA," claimed Jan Keim, environmental activist and former township commissioner, at the April 24 township meeting.

"The infiltration is only a small part of the problem," Keim alleged. "The major problem is the western interceptor. That pipe has exceeded its capacitiy. They [LCA] refused to put in a second line."

The LCA interceptor is in the vicinity of the LCA Wastewater Treament Plan in Upper Macungie Township.

Township Commissioner Joanne Ackerman said she learned about the problem at a League of Women Voters meeting.

"I applaud you," Ackerman said to Keim for bringing the problem to the township commissioners' attention.

Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano first voiced concern at the April 10 township meeting, when a $46,225.67 bill, the first payment for the township rehab project, was approved for Sewer Speciality Services Company, Inc.

Soriano wants to know if Salisbury's rehab efforts will put it in compliance with the EPA order.

Penalties of up to $37,500 daily per civil violation and up to $50,000 daily per criminal violation could be imposed.

During the April 24 meeting, Soriano expressed simliar concerns about compliance to Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer.

Salisbury is one of the Lehigh County municipalities and sewer authorities named in the EPA order issued in 2009. The end of this year is the deadline for the order to be met. The LCA is seeking a five-year extension of the EPA order.

In addition to Salisbury, also named in the EPA order are the LCA, Allentown, Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority, Alburtis, Emmaus and Macungie boroughs and Hanover, Lower Macungie, Lowhill, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford and Weisenberg townships.

Discharges of raw sewage into the Lehigh River, Little Lehigh Creek, Cedar Creek and Jordan Creek, which have happened since 2003, violate the federal Clean Water Act. The entities named in the EPA order use Allentown's Kline's Island Sewage Treatment Plant. LCA took over the Allentown sewer system in August 2013.

"There are problems throughout the system," Tettemer said. "What Salisbury has to do is follow the order.

"Salisbury is making a good and honest effort to remove what can be removed from the system,"Tettemer said.

"You can argue what the others [named in the EPA order] are doing all you want," Tettemer emphasized.

Tettemer said tests would be made this fall in the township. The results will be compared to tests done three years ago. Tettemer said, "That will give us a very good idea of the impact" [of township testing and repairs].

"What you're doing now is helping your system, either way. It will save you money. If you cut down on the flow, you will cut down on the bill.

"It will extend the life of the system over the next 10 to 20 years," Tettemer said.

"What you're doing now is an accelerated maintenance program," Tettemer noted.

"We're on track," commissioners President James A Brown said.

Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr. asked Tettemer, "Are other municipalities following suit?"

"Most of them are," Tettemer replied. "The Macungies [borough, Lower and Upper townships] and LCA are working together."

"The way it's been circumvented for 40 years is that [the EPA] will accept a Corrective Action Plan," Keim claimed.

"Each municipality spends millions of dollars and yet they know that's not going to solve the problem. They [LCA] must put in a parallel line."

"Why doesn't EPA enforce it?" Brown asked.

"That's a good question," Keim answered.

"I presume there's political pressure being put on by those who want to develop western Lehigh County," Keim said.

"It's a complex issue," Tettemer said. "It all costs money. Funding is something that someone must follow through."