Louisiana Installer & System Inspector Indicted in $50,000 Bribery Case

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A former septic tank installer and a former state inspector in Louisiana are under indictment in federal court in a bribery case. The U.S. Attorney’s office filed the charges against 71-year-old Glenn Johnson and 52-year-old Alan Pogue. According to the indictment, Pogue, former state septic system inspector, would provide Johnson with a list of applicants for septic installation permits. Johnson would use that information to solicit business from those people. A series of bribes totaled a reported $50,000.

Calcasieu Parish is inspecting every rural home septic system to prevent pollution and educate people about proper operation and maintenance. According to the state Department of Environmental Quality newsletter, the Parish Police Jury (county board of commissioners) has five trained inspectors for the five-year program. They will examine about 33,000 septic systems; homeowners are given about a week’s notice.

Inspectors look at accessibility, electrical connections, operation of the aerator motor, sludge depth and the condition of the discharge. Homeowners can also ask questions of the inspectors.

If a system fails inspection, the homeowner is given information about how to fix or upgrade it. If they can’t afford the cost, assistance is available through the Parish Community Services office, which receives grant money from USDA Rural Development.

Through October 2012, 15 percent (4,925) of systems in the parish had been inspected:

•  2,942 mechanical systems passed
•  1,250 mechanical systems failed
•  600 “other” systems passed
•  133 “other” systems failed

Indiana

A bill making its way through the Indiana legislature would prevent forming regional sewer districts if the majority of property owners object. House Bill 1497 was approved by the Assembly 88-2 and by the Senate 35-11. Another proposal, Senate Bill 205, has passed through one committee successfully. It would require that board members of regional sewer districts be elected rather than appointed, and that they be ratepayers of that district. Yet another law supporting the use of septic systems has made its way through committee. Senate Bill 204 would change the rule requiring people to connect to a sewer system that is within 300 feet of their property line. Instead, the 300-foot requirement would be measured from the discharge point of the home.

Pennsylvania

Proposed regulations by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection aimed at reducing nitrate pollution in streams with the highest water-quality rating would impose stringent rules on onsite systems. Developers would be required to prove that projects won’t degrade water quality in streams classified as exceptional. Critics in the legislature say the proposed rules are based on unproven science, will hamper growth in three counties, be difficult and costly to enforce, will depress the job market, devalue premium properties and raise taxes.

New Jersey

New Jersey passed a law prohibiting healthcare facilities from discharging prescription medications into onsite systems or sewers in certain circumstances. The law provides for civil administrative penalties for violations.

Ohio

Proposed rules from the Ohio Department of Health would enable homeowners to use onsite technologies not recognized under the current 1977 rules. The draft rules would provide six distribution options, three site drainage mechanisms, 10 methods to reduce soil depths, and more than 40 pretreatment products. The new rules should become effective on Jan. 1, 2014.

Hawaii

The proposed state House Bill 903 would charge an unspecified fee to homeowners with septic systems and cesspools aimed at helping the state monitor water quality and fix older and failing systems. The state Department of Health says 38 percent of Hawaii residents are served by decentralized wastewater systems. Cesspools are more widely used in Hawaii than any other state, according to environment officials, though new cesspools are severely restricted in the state and banned in many areas.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Supreme Court issued a decision in State v. Guay, holding that the defendant’s unlawful operation of a septic system is subject to civil fines and criminal penalties. An investigation by the state Department of Environmental Services revealed liquid on top of the defendant’s drainfield and a garden hose attached to a sump pump discharging brown liquid toward a river. The state charged the defendant with one misdemeanor of unlawful maintenance of an onsite system.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency allowed counties to use components of the current Rule 7080 and revised Rule 7080 through 7083. Current Rule 7080, established in 2006 and destined for revision by 2014, provides the baseline statutes for administering an onsite program. The revised rule governs systems larger than 2,500 gpd, those linking multiple homes, and systems serving restaurants. It will be modified using much of the current rule for systems treating less than 2,500 gpd. This approach will simplify design and installation costs for most systems.



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