Eugene/Springfield Water Pollution Control Facility 1984-1991

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Section A: INTRODUCTION /HISTORY Page 3 The $54 million treatment plant was constructed under an unusual coordinated insurance program that provided workers' compensation insurance and builders' risk insurance for all prime contrac- tors, subcontractors, and sub-subcontractors. The program also provided property insurance for ma- terialsand equipment suppliers and liability insur- ^ TRANSITION In 1982, MWMC members, at the direction of the political bodies of their respective jurisdictions, decided to divide wastewater management re- sponsibilities between the two cities. Administration was contracted to the City of Springfield and operation and maintenance of the facilities to the City of Eugene. The seven MWMC cornmissionersremainedas thepolicy- making boalrl. Under a transition plan developed by the Springfield environmental affairs ' supervisoron July 1,1982, Springfield treatment plant s taffmembers became City of Eugene employees, and -- MWMC staff members became City of Springfield employees. The staff members of the merged treat- ment plants became responsible for both cities' old plants, as well as for the new facilities, which included the new treatment plant and off-site fa- cilities, pump stations, pressure lines, and sewers larger than 24 inches in diameter. The operations staff (City of Eugene) also became responsible for monitoring industrial waste and for laboratory operations at the re- gional plant. The administrative staff (MWMC at Springfield) continued to oversee constructionandgrants, bud- geting, user charge development, and all other financial management and accounting functions. Each city retained responsibility for sewers less than 24 inches in diameter and for billing and collection of sewer user charges. Lane County's role continued to be review and approval of the MWMC budget and representation of citizens in ance for the MWMC and its project managers. More than 100 contractors were insured in the program, and no worker fatalities or life-threaten- ing injuries occurred, even though more than a million person-hours were worked. Because insur- anceclaims were less than anticipatedfor a project of its size, premiums were returned to the MWMC. areas under consideration for annexation by the cities. As part of the transition plan, all benefirs and seniority were transferred with the individual em- ployees. The transfer required that Springfield workers affiliated with the International Brother- hood of Electrical Workers Union become mem- bers of Eugene's AFSCME Union. The new Water Pollution Control Facility significantly reduced the release of pollutants into the Willamette River.