Oconee County commissioners on Tuesday night, at their agenda setting meeting, gave tentative approval to spending $1.4 million on the decommissioning of the Rocky Branch Land Application System (LAS) wastewater treatment site.
The decommissioning of the 246-acre site on Rocky Branch Road should begin four to six weeks after the commissioners give final approval to the agreement at their meeting on June 2 and can be completed two months later, according to Water Resources Department Director Adam Layfield.
At that point, grading can begin for the Dawson Park planned for the site.
The initial phase of the park includes 10 sports fields with parking.
The second phase includes an additional six fields and a gymnasium with space for eight full-sized basketball courts.
The county has set aside $25 million for initial construction of Dawson Park, and the county Industrial Development Authority is contributing $4 million to cover the costs of using synthetic turf on the fields.
Voters on Tuesday approved renewal of the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), which includes another $10 million for Dawson Park.
The $1.4 million for the decommissioning tentatively approved at the Commission meeting on Tuesday will come from the Water Resources Department Enterprise Fund balance.
Existing Contract
Layfield told the Commission that the decommissioning work can be completed by Po Boys Plumbing Inc. of Winder under its existing contract for Water Mains and Sewer Collection Systems Improvements.
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Layfield presented the Board with a Task Order agreement with Po Boys for the decommissioning work.
Included is demolition of facility buildings and other above-ground structures, fencing, and gates.
Also included is demolition of the four existing storage/treatment ponds, including the aerators, liners, bollards, connecting pipes, and concrete flumes.
Po Boys will be responsible for dewatering, handling, testing, hauling, and proper disposal of sludge and wastewater “encountered” during the demolition.
Layfield said in an email message on Friday that “the design consultants have been, and continue to be, in communication with EPD regarding the decommissioning process.” The reference is to the state Environmental Protection Division.
“As the work moves forward,” he said, “the contractor and consultant will coordinate with EPD and provide any required closeout items, documentation, or other information needed as part of the decommissioning process.”
Layfield said in that email exchange on Friday that the flow of sewage to the site has “not been diverted at this time. This is currently scheduled to occur in early fall.”
Soil Testing
In August of 2024 and again in February of this year I had asked County Administrator Justin Kirouac and Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell about soil testing at the LAS site.
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In response to both messages, Kirouac said the county was working with the state EPD.
“All of the solids at the LAS are confined to the ponds,” Kirouac wrote in his response on Feb. 12 of this year. “Only treated water is sprayed to the fields” he added.
“We proactively did preliminary testing of PFAS at the LAS Spray fields in 2024 just to assess the current status of the soils,” Kirouac wrote in that Feb. 12 message. PFAS are often referred to as forever chemicals.
“EPA doesn’t have a specific standard for soil but uses advisory Regional Screening Levels (RSLs) to assess contamination,” Kirouac said, referring to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“As of early 2025, residential soil screening levels for certain PFAS, such as PFOA an PFOS, are generally around 2.35 mg/kg,” Kirouac wrote.
The tests, performed by Con-Test of East Longmeadow, Mass., showed the highest level found at the LAS site of 0.0013 mg/kg, Kirouac said.
Kirouac provided me a work order with results from Con-Test for sampling at 10 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2024, listing the results of its tests.
Other Action At Meeting
Before the meeting officially began on Tuesday, the Board held its second public hearing on its proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.
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Finance Director Melissa Braswell went through her full presentation of the budget, repeating comments she had made when she released the budget at the Commission meeting on May 5.
No citizen spoke at the hearing on the budget.
The Board is scheduled to adopt the budget at its meeting on June 2.
In other action, the Board tentatively approved the purchase of a Tanker Truck for Fire Station No. 2 in Farmington at an estimated cost of $240,000 in SPLOST funds, accepted $15,000 in grant funds from the Atlanta Humane Society for Animal Services for fencing at the Animal Center south of Farmington, and tentatively agreed to donate a 1993 surplus International Fire Engine to Toombs County.
The Board tentatively agreed to spend $60,000 in an agreement with Georgia Transmission Corporation so the company can replace a pole with a guy wire on Macon Highway opposite the Administrative building with a pole that does not have a guy wire.
“This is related to our U.S. 441 sewer collection system upgrade,” Board Chair Daniell said. The county is laying a 12 inch line that will carry treated water from its Calls Creek Plant to the Middle Oconee River.
“We attempted to try to bore under it,” Daniell said of the guy wire. “Georgia Transmission did not feel comfortable with that.”
Commissioners Chuck Horton and Mark Thomas were not present at the meeting on Tuesday night.
Items tentatively approved at the agenda setting meeting will be on the June 2 agenda for final approval.
Video
The video below is on the county YouTube channel.
Braswell began her presentation at 6:24 in the video.
Layfield began his comments on the LAS decommissioning at 29:43 in the video.
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