By Adam Swift
The city council approved two bond authorizations on Monday night related to the ongoing consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to remedy historic violations of the Federal Clean Water Act.
The city entered into the consent decree in 2010 and has since spent approximately $120 million on water and sewer projects and upgrades throughout Revere, according to city finance director Richard Viscay.
Traditionally, the council has approved the bond authorizations which allow the city to apply for low-interest loans through the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust.
One of the bond authorizations includes $1.2 million for the design work to upsize the main sewer lines from 24 inches to 36 inches that starts at Revere Beach and goes down to the old Necco site into the city’s sewer interceptor, according to public works director Chris Ciaramella.
The second bond authorization, for $500,000, includes the planning for the upsize and relaying of the sewer force main from Wade Park in North Revere and going behind the Squire Road shopping plaza, Ciaramella said.
Ward 1 Councillor Jim Mercurio asked if the city is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with projects related to the consent decree. Ciaramella said he believes the current timeline is to complete all the conveyance projects by 2038.
“Where we have been talking with the DEP on and off, and we are pushing to get out of the consent decree as soon as possible,” he said.
Mercurio asked if there was a cost estimate from the city’s engineering firm for the cost of the remainder of the work.
“If we keep on adding 15 years to this decree at a million dollars, that is another $30 million, $40 million bonding for the city of Revere,” he said.
Mercurio added that he understood Ciaramella and the public works department didn’t have anything to do with the amount of money Revere is being forced to bond.
“I know it is a sore subject, I know it has been going on for some time, and believe me when I say we are trying our best,” Ciaramella said. “We can definitely sit down and go over all the numbers, as well.”
Council President Anthony Zambuto said the consent decree is another unfunded mandate for the city that is tortuous to the taxpayers.
“This is completely with a gun to our head, and I want the taxpayers to understand that we have absolutely no control over the federal government, they forced us to do this and we have to spend this money to come in compliance,” said Zambuto. “We are all frustrated with this because it is like lighting money on fire. But I think if we are honest, it has made progress in our infrastructure, $120 million, we would hope there is some progress made.”