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Title: Fraser Admits Dumping Raw Sewage

State fine likely. It's second time since February secret discharges are revealed

By Gene Schabath / The Detroit News

FRASER -- For the second time in two months, a Macomb County community has admitted to illegally pumping hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Clinton River.

The city of Fraser likely will be fined for letting an estimated 200 million gallons of sewage flow through the Sweeney Drain into the river over the past 36 years. In February, Clinton Township admitted to allowing 240 million gallons of sewage to flow into the river through nine illegal pumps since 1981. Fraser City Manager Thomas Van Damme said Tuesday at a public hearing of the Macomb Water Quality Board that city officials didn't learn about the illegal discharges until 1998 and immediately notified the state and Macomb County Health Department. Fraser has been working with state and county officials on a solution, Macomb Health Department Director Thomas Kalkofen said.

Nearly 6 million gallons of sewage have been discharged through the sewer lines into the river since the problem was discovered. Roy Schrameck, a district supervisor for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, said Fraser will be fined. The amount has not been determined. Clinton Township was fined $250,000.

Fraser knowingly installed two pumps at a pump station at Masonic and Kelly in 1964 that discharged sewer water into storm drains during heavy rains. Fraser, like Clinton Township, will be allowed to continue the discharges until solutions are found.

Copyright 2000, The Detroit News

http://www.detnews.com/2000/metro/0004/06/a01-31821.htm

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 06, 2000