August 2, 2007 Sewage Overflows in Roe Junction Area

Millions of dollars are being spent on sewer repairs in Morristown.

However, there are still serious problems that haven't been addressed in the Roe Junction area--- where the city sewer passes by on its way to several businesses and on to the East Tennessee Progress Center where Koch Foods is located.

I received information that there was a sewage overflow on July 19 in the Roe Junction area. Apparently, sewage was backing up and overflowing onto the street and into a nearby creek for about 30-45 minutes.

Eric Carpenter, Emergency Management Director, was called and was at the site part of the time.

Sewer complaints in the area are not new. Residents of the area complained about sewer odors to the city in the spring of 2005 after the new Koch deboning plant started up in the ET Progress Center. Some of the residents even came to county commission to ask for help.

The city apparently blames Koch Foods for the problem(s) and has imposed numerous "deadlines" for Koch to take care of the problem. As each deadline came and went, a new "deadline" was set.

Finally, in December 2006 the City fined Koch Foods and sent Koch a bill for costs incurred by the City for chemicals and labor to "treat" the problem. The city also reserved the right to impose additional fines and to request reimbursement for extra treatment costs incurred after December 2006.

In January 2007, Koch appealed the fines and costs. When the appeal was brought before the City Council, the council members were caught off-guard by the matter, and the appeal was postponed so the council could get more information.

The appeal has been put off and put off, but a resident of that area now tells me that Koch's appeal of the December 2006 fines and costs is "tentatively" scheduled for the August 7 meeting of the City Council.