Amador County – Ione last week gave Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for its Wastewater Master Plan, and set a public scoping meeting for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 17th at Ione City Hall. The announcement marked the start of a 30-day comment period on the Master Plan. Ione City Manager Kim Kerr said that, due to the holidays, the city will accept comments through the close of business on December 29th. The master plan will include two facilities in Ione, the Ione Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Castle Oaks Wastewater Reclamation Plant. The notice said the wastewater service area in Ione is divided by Sutter Creek, with approximately 450 acres on either side of the creek. It serves 3,300 residents and a small number of commercial customers. Project elements include construction already completed in accordance with a Settlement Agreement between the City and a neighbor of the existing wastewater facilities, some of which elements require additional California Environmental Quality Act review. Phase 1 would include expansion of the City’s secondary and tertiary treatment facilities to provide more treatment capacity to the City. Phase 2 would include disposal of the City’s treated wastewater. Phase 3 would involve storage of treated effluent. The notice said “It is likely that mitigation would be required for some impacts,” but noted that it is “Ione’s intent to mitigate significant impacts.” A preliminary list of Potential Environmental Impacts noted possible impacts to Hydrology and Water Quality; Biological Resources; Geology, Soils, and Seismicity; Air Quality; Aesthetics; Agriculture, Land Use, and Recreation; Transportation and Traffic; and Cultural Resources; along with the possible adverse affects of Hazardous Materials. The project IS meant to expand services and also meet conditions of and lift a 2003 “Cease & Desist” order from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The order came “due to concerns that insufficiently treated wastewater might be seeping from the existing percolation ponds at the secondary (treatment plant) into nearby Sutter Creek.” The Ione Wastewater Master Plan is available for review at City Hall. Send public comments to City Manager Kim Kerr at 1 East Main Street, P.O. Box 398, Ione, CA 95640. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
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