On April 25, 2022, EPA Region 10 issued a compliance agreement and final order resolving NPDES
permit noncompliance at the City of Pelican wastewater treatment facility in Pelican, Alaska. The City
of Pelican failed to meet NPDES permit effluent limits, did not conduct required septic tank monitoring
in accordance with NPDES permit frequencies, and did not provide adequate operations and
maintenance of the four
10,000 gallon septic tanks resulting in operable isolation valves needed for sludge removal and poor
insulation conditions. The City?s wastewater treatment facility is a designated Clean Water Action
Section 301(h) facility with only primary treatment. Adequate primary treatment is necessary to ensure
adequate dilution provides protection in the Lisianski Inlet for human health and marine habitat
protection. To return to compliance, the Respondent entered into an administrative order on consent
with EPA in July 2021 to prepare an Operations & Maintenance manual for facility operations,
including sludge depth monitoring frequencies, and upgrade the septic tank valves and tank insultation.
These additional efforts will help the City ensure the tanks do not discharge sewage chunks, floating
solids, and related floating black water debris and to ensure proper primary treatment, eliminating the
discharge of approximately 2952 pounds of biochemical oxygen demand to Lisanski Inlet. The City of
Pelican agreed to pay a civil penalty of $12,000 in the consent agre