The town has spent an estimated $11 million on Lagoon No. 1 lining project but the Environmental Protection Agency is asking the town for more work to limit the output of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other contaminants into town waters, according to legal counsel and other officials.

            The Select Board on Monday met with Nathaniel Mufano, the Department of Public Works’ WPCF manager, as well as Town Counselors and Wastewater Treatment Specialist Kent Nichols, of Weston & Sampson.

            Wastewater officials and legal counselors reported that the town has submitted volumes of reports to the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Protection toward its goal of reducing wastewater output.

            Select Board members were advised on Monday that the town should begin budgeting around $100,000 a year to remove wastewater solids.

            “Everyone should know we should be prepared for that,” Select Board Chairman Randy Parker said.

            Nichols said that over the years there might have been some inaccurately high estimates of the amount of nitrogen output into nearby waterways.

            Still, both Nichols and town legal counselors said that the town has documented efforts and has been in continued talks with state and federal environmental officials toward relief from some of the mandates, without compromising the environmental concerns.

            Legal counselors said the town once sought a regionalized approach toward grant funding and remediation efforts, which have stalled, leaving the town to work alone on the endeavor.

            Nichols said the Lagoon lining project, which began five years ago, has cost around $10 to $11 million toward satisfying mandates.

            As part of the project, improvements and modifications were made to the lagoon system at the Marion Wastewater Treatment Plant. Through the project, Lagoon #1 was drained and biosolid waste had been removed. A liner system had also been installed.

            Town Counselors said the output of contaminants, especially to the town cove, continues to be a concern for environmental officials.

            Other issues raised on Monday include the price of removing waste, as well as ongoing changes to regulations.

            In another matter Monday, Mufano announced that the town has received a $94,000 grant for Silvershell Pump Station improvements, protecting it from flooding. The pump station is in need of upgrades and serves 400 properties in Marion Village, and is 800 feet from the coastline, according to Mufano.

            It’s the third largest pumping station in town and a 2019 study showed there is a high flood risk, according to Mufano.

            He said a bypass valve will be completed by the end of June as the first phase of the project. The second phase will include raising the doorway to the utility room, as well as installing flood-protective windows and resurfacing the floor there to make it more level.

            There will also be a chamber built, and an additional manhole cover to further protect the electrical and other equipment used at the station, Mufano said.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17 at 6:00 pm in the Marion Town House conference room.

Marion Select Board

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

            At a joint meeting of the Planning Board and the Select Board on Thursday, the two boards decided to form a committee to draft a municipal separate stormwater systems bylaw – also known as MS4.

            Officials lauded the fact that town resident, stormwater specialist, and the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program’s Bernadette Taber, will serve as a consultant.

            The two boards agreed on a committee that will include a member of the Planning Board, Select Board, a town engineer, and the Town Planner. The Planning Board will oversee the process.

            Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said the federal Environmental Protection Agency ordered the town to enact a bylaw and he set a deadline for November 17 to have a proposed regulation finalized for fall Town Meeting approval.

            Gorman and other officials said the town has begun drafting the bylaw and it has been reviewed by EPA officials. He and other officials said the town is about 80-percent toward satisfying the EPA guidelines.

            “We in some form or another have been working on it for a year – multiple iterations of the bylaw – and other staff and stakeholders have worked on it as well,” Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee said.

            “There was some consensus but there were some lingering issues and we’re looking for outside help,” Guey-Lee said. “The town as a whole has been asked by the (federal government) to take a look at our stormwater management.”

            Guey-Lee and others lauded Taber’s willingness to serve as a consultant for the subcommittee.

            Select Board Chair Randy Parker at one point questioned if a subcommittee needs to be formed because the town is close to presenting something that would satisfy EPA concerns.

            However, some officials indicated that the town has complex zoning, and the bylaw must be clear so there will be no room for misinterpretations. Officials mentioned that having a small group with Taber and presenting it later to the Planning and Select boards might be a better fit.

            Planning Board Vice Chairwoman Alanna Nelson said since 2022 there have been cases in which town authorities have not had the skill set – given the town’s small stature – to evaluate an issue.

            Making the bylaw crystal clear for building and other matters is crucial, she and other officials noted.

Marion Planning Board and Select Board

By Jeffrey D. Wagner