County to vote on sewage plant Jan. 6

The final decision on whether to build a $142 million sewage plant that would serve Spokane Valley and Spokane County is set for Jan. 6. County commissioners set the date in a unanimous vote on Tuesday. CH2M Hill is in line to win the contract. A committee recommended the Colorado-based firm over the other company that bid, Veolia, which is based in Paris. The proposed plant would be built on 20 acres at Freya Street and Boone Avenue. County officials want to break ground on the project as soon as possible so that its ready before 2013 – about when the county is expected to be out of sewage capacity at the City of Spokane’s sewage plant. They fear that a longer delay could force a moratorium on building. But Sierra Club representatives have argued that the county should not lock itself into a multimillion dollar contract until it is certain it will be allowed to discharge into the river. County officials respond that if they can’t get a permit to use the river, they still would need the plant and may have other discharge options, such as discharging treated water on former farmland.