Killen investigating treatment plant

KILLEN -- Mayor Jerry Mitchell says the town and a private company are still in the early investigative stages regarding a potential sewage treatment plant off Bridge Road.

But many residents who live near the proposed site say they want to end the project before it gets started.

Mitchell says Alabama Utility Services LLC, a Birmingham-based company, has taken an option on a 70-arce tract off Bridge Road, which is not in the town's limits.

The company specializes in building and operating private sewer systems, and is currently investigating the feasibility of constructing a sewage treatment plant at the site.

Chris Matthews, manager of Alabama Utility Services LLC, confirmed that his company has conducted various tests at the site to see if it would be feasible to put a spray irrigation treatment operation at the site.

According to Matthews, water coming into the plant would be treated to the same quality as it would be if it were being pumped into a water source, such as a stream or river.

Instead, the water would be sprayed on different areas of the 70-acre site, with at least a 100-foot buffer between any spray site and the edge of the property, and a 150-foot buffer between neighboring properties.

The plant itself, which would take up between one and two acres, would be located near the center of the site.

"Mostly what you will see (at the site) is trees, forests and woods," Matthews said. "You can't even see it is there, except the fence."

Even with the buffer zones, the potential of a sewage treatment plant on Bridge Road troubles Rhea Fulmer and others who live near the potential site.

Fulmer and other concerned citizens have created a group known as Bridge Road Environmental Watch, to serve as an organized effort against the potential project.

Mitchell said the town needs a sewer system to help encourage commercial and residential growth in the town, and many members of BREW agree with that point.

They do not, however, agree it should go off Bridge Road, because of the topography of the land.

Members of BREW, particularly those who live off Fox Den Road, say the proposed site straddles two valleys, and are concerned that runoff from the facility would create health and safety issues.

"We have legitimate concerns," Fulmer said. "We are concerned it will increase our flooding problems,

and run-off will create a health risk to humans, pets, livestock and aquatic life."

Fulmer and other Fox Den Road residents say their area already has major flooding issues several times each year, and are worried the flooding will only get worse if a sewage treatment plant is placed on top of the valley.

"It's an unfavorable site," Terry Honeycutt, another member of BREW, said. "According to topography maps, the land drops 100 feet between the site and our property."

Fulmer said she is worried that the spray irrigation method will saturate the ground on top of the hill, and making flooding more frequent.

Several members of BREW, including Fulmer and Honeycutt, said they are worried what those floodwaters coming from the plant site could carry to their neighborhood and nearby Six Mile Creek.

Matthews disagrees with those concerns.

"We don't allow run-off from our site," Matthews said. "We can't spray when it's raining and our holding pond can't overflow, all per Alabama Department of Environmental Management."

Matthews said the site would have sensors to detect when and where it was raining, and would also alternate spray areas to make sure that an area was not saturated and increasing the possibility of flooding.

Members of BREW have also expressed concerns about odor coming from the sight, which they say could result in decreased quality of life and decreased property values.

If Alabama Utility Services did put a plant at the site, Matthews said the company would employ odor-abatement technology.

Matthews also addressed the concerns made by some individuals who oppose the plant who are worried that Alabama Utility Services is involved in a lawsuit regarding operation of one of its plants.

"That is not true," Matthews said. "We are not involved in any lawsuits."

Matthews said they could be thinking of a lawsuit involving a sewer system for Donaldson Correction Facility in Jefferson County, because an Internet search for Alabama Utility Services brings up articles regarding the suit.

That suit was filed on behalf of an environmental group against the prison system for failure to meet environmental requirements.

Matthews said Alabama Utility Services was the company who took over the facility and invested a significant amount of money to upgrade the facility, as a result of the suit.

Matthews also said Alabama Utility Services LLC should not be confused with Alabama Utility Services Inc., of Calera, which is a different company that happens to have a similar name.

As for the status of the project, Matthews said the company is not in a position to make a final decision on whether to build the plant off Bridge Road. Matthews said it would be a few weeks before the company will be in a position to determine whether the site is economically feasible.

If the company and Killen do decide to proceed with the project, a public hearing would have to be scheduled for concerned residents to share their views on the issue.

Environmental tests also would have to be performed by ADEM.

If both sides decide to proceed with the project, Mitchell said a public hearing is likely still at least six weeks away, because of the official process for scheduling and advertising a public hearing.

Mitchell says BREW has been placed on the agenda (at their request) for Monday's town council meeting at 5 p.m. in town hall.

No action on the project is expected to take place at the meeting, Mitchell said.

Ty West can be reached at 740-5720 or at ty.west@timesdaily.com.