A state bill that would allow construction of a regional sewer plant in the Santiam Canyon has passed the Oregon House and may soon be signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek. On April 23, Senate Bill 1189 passed without opposition following unanimous approval in the Senate April 7.
Kotek (D-Portland) has five business days to sign the bill into law, according to state policy. The bill has an emergency clause and would take effect immediately after becoming law.
Marion County was a strong proponent of the bill, and on April 23 Commissioner Kevin Cameron said its passage will help local communities recover faster from the 2020 wildfires.
“This unanimously-supported bill will allow the communities of Gates and Mill City to not only recover more quickly after the fires but to also grow economically while keeping our water supply clean and safe,” said Cameron.
SB 1189 was proposed March 18 by Sen. Fred Girod (R-Silverton) and Sen. Deb Patterson (D-Salem) as a solution to regulatory hurdles that had stalled the proposed sewer plant.
Marion County and the North Santiam Sewer Authority have been working to construct a sewer plant serving Mill City and Gates using a $50 million pandemic relief grant.
A property for the plant was purchased in Mill City last year and since then construction has been delayed over whether or not the project should be exempt from the Three Basin Rule. This policy prevents DEQ from issuing new sewer discharge permits for treatment plants within the North Santiam River Basin, as well as the McKenzie and Clackamas river basins.
At issue is a deadline to spend the $50 million grant by Dec. 31, 2026. If construction begins as scheduled June 1, the project would be complete by November of 2026.
SB 1189 allows the project to bypass the Three Basin Rule so construction may proceed on time. The plant would still need to obtain appropriate permits to operate.
