JOHNSTOWN - The Gloversville-Johnstown Joint Sewer Board approved a modification to the sewer use local law that extends the maximum term of industrial wastewater permits from three to five years.
Gloversville-Johnstown Wastewater Treatment Facility consultant George Bevington brought the legal matter before the board Wednesday at the plant.
Bevington said the board asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to request both cities modify the local law to allow the maximum amount of years for industrial permits to be extended. The board decided a longer permit deadline is more appropriate for industries.
Bevington said neither city has taken action on the permit extension proposal, but the sewer board can act. He said the EPA feels if there are minor changes proposed to the sewer use law, and no answer is given by the cities, the agency will not object.
"We suggest the board keep that change moving forward," Bevington said.
Another legal matter discussed involved a proposed water memorandum of understanding regarding future water use at the Fage USA yogurt plant at the Johnstown Industrial Park.
Bevington said execution of the memorandum is expected this summer and it is being processed by the Johnstown Common Council and the city's Water Board.
The memorandum relates to a future agreement about how much water Fage will need with its expansion.
Fage USA officials have said they want to break ground this summer to build the $120 million expansion. Fage will build a 120,000-square-foot addition to its plant on Opportunity Drive and construct a new parking lot. The expansion also includes a whey pretreatment plant to be built on nearby property on Union Avenue.
The council approved the memorandum in May, but the Water Board tabled the resolution last week pending further information regarding water testing.
Fage officials earlier this year said the company uses 91 million gallons of city water annually and might use 260 million gallons a year by 2016.