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Federal, State and Local Officials to Break Ground on $16M in Improvements to Johnson County, Kan., Middle Basin Treatment Plant

Release Date: 05/15/2009
Contact Information: Whitley, 913-551-7394, [email protected]

Environmental News

(Kansas City, Kan., May 15, 2009) - Federal, state and local officials will hold a formal groundbreaking ceremony Monday for the largest "green infrastructure" project in the State of Kansas to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – a $16 million series of improvements to Johnson County's Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant.

According to estimates, the wastewater treatment plant improvement project is expected to create 270 new green jobs, result in almost $600,000 in annual cost savings for Johnson County wastewater utility rate payers, and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,700 metric tons.

Components of the treatment plant improvements include the construction of a new anaerobic digester, a FOG (fats, oils and greases) station to more efficiently receive and treat used greases and oils from restaurants and industries, and a cogeneration system to produce virtually all of the plant's annual operating energy from captured biogases.

News media representatives are welcome to join invited participants Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby, Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Annabeth Surbaugh, Johnson County Wastewater General Manager John O'Neil, and EPA Acting Regional Administrator William Rice at Monday's ceremony.

WHAT: Groundbreaking for $16 million 'Green Infrastructure' project

WHERE: Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant, 10001 College Boulevard (Near College Boulevard and U.S. 69), Overland Park, Kansas

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 18, 2009

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009, and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at www.recovery.gov. The Recovery Act seeks in part to spur technological advances in science and health and to invest in environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.

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