Siskiyou County’s Department of Public Health and Community Development has released a statement in response to a recent letter by the environmental organization the Klamath RiverKeeper,  pressuring the county to take action on an aging septage facility in the Montague area.
In the letter, the watchdog organization claims that the site is illegal, as no permit has been issued for the facility by the state Water Board, and that the county is remiss in not monitoring the sight for groundwater pollution or reporting discharges, as state law requires.
The letter, dated Oct. 13, demands that Siskiyou County comply immediately with its mandatory duties under California's Porter Cologne Water Quality Act, and states that the group plans to seek court-ordered compliance if the County does not correct the problem within 30 days.
The Porter Cologne Act is California’s version of the Clean Water Act and states that anyone discharging waste must report and obtain the appropriate permit.

County press release
The county press release follows:
“Siskiyou County residential development is dependent upon use of septic systems. Septic systems require maintenance in the form of periodic pumping of the tank solids. These solids need to be disposed of in an appropriate manner.
The County has maintained four septage sites in locations throughout the County since the 1980s.  Since then the County has voluntarily closed three similar facilities (Tulelake, Mt. Shasta and Happy Camp). The only remaining septage disposal facility in the County is located in the Montague area.
The County recognizes its responsibility to maintain its aging infrastructure. The septage disposal facility is part of an aging infrastructure that needs to be upgraded. We started preparing for this upgrade in 1996 when fees were implemented to pay for eventual replacement of the facility. 
In October 2003, the Water Board informed the County must develop a plan for management and disposal of septage waste generated within the County. At that time the County committed to identifying a long term solution within the next five years. Since 2003, the County has actively sought out opportunities to partner with existing publicly owned sewage treatment facilities to receive the waste, explored opportunities for construction of a privately owned facility and obtained grant funding to determine the feasibility of constructing a county owned replacement facility. As recently as March 2009, the County was exploring the possibility of a joint project with the City of Weed and Lake Shastina Community Services District.
Unfortunately, none of the options explored by the County have been determined to be viable projects.  We are now faced with implementing the last resort of closing the Montague facility and having waste hauled out of the County to an approved disposal facility. 
The County recognizes that this option will have implications on its residents as well as the owners of the septic pumping business owners. We are concerned that the additional costs associated with this option will be passed along to the consumer and could discourage proper maintenance of septic systems possibly leading to premature system failure. The County Public Health and Community Development Department encourages owners of septic systems to pump their tank every seven to ten years. The cost of pumping a septic tank currently ranges from $250 to $400 depending on the location and size of the tank.  Cost increases of 30% or more, due to the additional costs associated with hauling and disposal outside the County are expected.  Because septic system owners do not pay a monthly sewer fee, the cost of maintenance (pumping the tank) is not typically worked into the household budget. The County Public Health and Community Development Department encourages septic system owners to properly maintain their system and try to set aside the average annual maintenance cost ($60 to $80 per year) as way to meet this additional expense. 
At the request of the County Board of Supervisors, staff continues to explore options and opportunities for a long term solution.”