JACKSON , Miss. - Mississippi’s capital city dumped more than 6B gallons of partly treated sewage into the Pearl River in 2020, seven years after signing a federal court agreement to clean up its act, records show. The records also show sewer overflows released more than 523,000 gallons of untreated waste into the environment last year, WLBT-TV reported. Jackson made “only limited progress” toward some requirements in a 2013 agreement with the EPA but not begun work toward “crucial” goals, according to an August status report. Jackson has a deadline of late 2030 to meet terms of the consent decree. The city is negotiating with EPA to amend the order. The city had agreed to spend about $400M to comply with state/federal laws, but will need almost $960M to do it, according to the report. The untreated sewage in 2020 came from 376 overflows; and 11 forbidden bypasses at a wastewater treatment plant discharged partly treated wastewater into the Pearl River. In the five years before the agree, the system had an average of 460 a year. Halfway through the 17.5 year agreement, Jackson “has not yet begun crucial elements of the consent decree” while other elements “remain significantly delayed,” the report states. (Source: The AP 10/19/21)
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