FORT SMITH, Ark. — Over 12 years, the federal government has told the City of Fort Smith it must spend another $428 million to comply with a consent decree handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for violations of the Clean Water Act.
Lance McAvoy, the director of Water Utilities for the city of Fort Smith, said the city has been under administrative orders since the 1970s, "This is just a way to make sure that Fort Smith does the things that we need to do, make sure raw sewage doesn't pour out in the streets."
McAvoy said the remaining 12 years are based on discussions with federal agencies, but the original 12-year time period ends Jan. 2, 2027, so it's already in place.
"Realistically, we would like to get as much as we can. You know, the longer you have, the more affordable it becomes, you end up paying more, but it becomes more affordable," McAvoy explained.
McAvoy said the goal is to comply without bankrupting the city. He said the city has already spent more than $100 million.
"We're looking at an additional over $400 million on top of what we've already spent. Now, we are still in negotiations with both the Division of Environmental Quality here in Arkansas, the Department of Justice, and the EPA, on how much time we have," McAvoy said.
The consent decree will impact both residents and visitors, but McAvoy believes it could ultimately benefit the city. "It also has a positive impact because a lot of people who live out of town come into Fort Smith. They're also funding the infrastructure through that sales tax, which kind of offsets a lot. They'll see it sometimes when we're working in their neighborhood, it's going to impact them because there'll be heavy equipment in there replacing lines, cleaning lines," he explained.
"So there may be some traffic, you know, that has to be diverted and detour. It's going to be kind of an inconvenience now and then, depending on where we're doing work. But in the long run, we're going to have a healthier sanitary sewer system," McAvoy said.
The Fort Smith Board of Directors and McAvoy will talk more about this additional funding at the next study session on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
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