The DEC could deal a deadly blow to the beleaguered $29-plus million streambank rehabilitation project next month, but Schoharie County officials are not overly concerned.
DEC officials, in a letter dated January 20, stated that the department is suspending the permits for the project due to compliance concerns and work specifications.
County officials have 15 days, until February 5, to object to the suspension of the permits. If there is no response, the suspension will become effective as of February 5.
The county is working on it and plans to send a response, according to county Administrator Steve Wilson.
The NRCS, the federal agency funding most of the work on the project, suspended payments in June and work on the project ground to a halt in September.
Speaking on the phone Monday afternoon, Mr. Wilson was not overly concerned about the letter or the potential suspension of the permits.
"We frankly thought these permits were suspended already," he noted.
The January 10 letter was more of a formal notice and "kind of routine," he added.
"I see it (the letter) as them being late in their paperwork. It was something everyone knew about. It seems very routine to me."
The DEC letter, which was addressed to board Chairman Earl VanWormer, public works commissioner Dan Crandell and Mr. Wilson, stated that two previous letters had to be sent to the county about non-compliance issues. Those letters were sent on December 10, 2015 and January 12, 2016.
Until the permits have "been modified," no work is allowed on the project.
"The permits issued on February 1, 2015, will remain suspended until the Department has complete information that warrants permit modifications, until the Department revokes the permits or until the pending non-compliance and violations" have been resolved, the letter stated.
Though the funding suspension is still in place, Mr. Wilson said, movement is being made toward lifting that suspension.
"There has been plenty of movement."
NRCS officials have met with Mr. Wilson, who started late last year, and new AECom management about the suspension and the project. AECom is the firm the county hired to manage the project.
AECom has sent corrective documents to the NRCS and preparing more specific documents to send to the NRCS and the county, according to Mr. Wilson.
The letter from the DEC noted that the county agreed to work with AECom to address the non-compliance issues and submit a corrective action plan to the DEC, and NRCS by February 1.
In December, Schoharie County supervisors agreed, in a split vote, to borrow an additional $15 million to continue the streambank rehabilitation project.