The state Department of Natural Resources has given Madison’s sewage treatment plant citations for 32 air pollution violations.
The agency said the treatment plant was emitting too much toxic formaldehyde into the air. Inspectors also say the plant’s biogas created too much sulfur dioxide when it was burned. Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain.
An inspector from the DNR visited the facility earlier this year and identified the violations.
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“We’re embarrassed about this,” said Paul Nehm, the director of operations & maintenance at the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District. “We have had a great reputation, and we still think we do have a good reputation in the water field. And we intend to do all we can to not have similar problems again.”
Nehm says they are sending biweekly updates to the DNR regarding improvements and changes at the plant.
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