Pepperell Selectmen Authorize Fight Against EPA Permit That Could Cost $15 Million

PEPPERELL — December 15, 2014 — Pepperell selectmen backed a push to block an EPA wastewater permit they say could cost the town up to $15 million in plant upgrades. Town water and sewer staff told the board at the December 15 meeting that a pre-draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit contains copper discharge limits so low that discharging the town's own drinking water into the river would violate them — limits staff called "damn near impossible" to meet with any existing technology. The board authorized the town administrator and the engineer to contact EPA Region 1 officials in Boston and to prepare correspondence to Congresswoman Niki Tsongas if a scheduled conference call the following morning did not produce agreement to stay the limits; outside legal counsel from Virginia has already been retained at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $20,000. In other business, the board confirmed Christine E. Rose as assistant town clerk effective December 15, approved the transfer of a Class 2 dealer license from George Clark to Sean Parsons of Parsons Enterprise LLC at 28 Hollis Street, and voted to recommend a $602 reserve fund transfer for pre-placement physicals and drug testing. The town also reported that a public auction of tax-title property at 52 Lowell Road yielded more than $80,000 — roughly double what had been expected.