The town of Walden could face federal penalties for improper oversight of work being done by the privately owned Walden’s Ridge Utility District, according to resident Ed Jolley. He floated a warning to town officials during a deluge of public comment about long-standing water issues on Wilson Avenue.
“The work is not in compliance with federal law,” he said, referring to a new water line being installed next to a blue-line stream. “They’ve already put chert and stuff in. The Army Corps and other folks would be highly interested in that. It is a no-no. They’ve already started taxing big cities like Chattanooga. We can’t afford this stuff here, not here in Walden.”
Blue-line streams are major channels for aquatic life because they flow year-round. As such, work around them is federally regulated to ensure minimal disturbance. Enforcing these regulations falls to the applicable municipality.
“I will admit the water company putting in new line leaves a lot to be desired and we’ll address that,” said Mayor Peter Hetzler. “Admittedly we are evidently not up to par on everything we need to be, but we do try and we will continue to try.”
Jolley urged officials to issue a stop-work order until the situation has been inspected and resolved, noting other unmet regulations. He said that with several required permits not having been filed yet, it is the town’s best bet at foregoing responsibility.