Environmental changes are tough here and for neighbors.
At least one area township is looking toward Oakland County for a possible solution.
Earlier this month Fenton Township Trustee Sean McDermott suggested to fellow board members that a septic system inspection proposal, like that considered in Oakland County should be considered. (See The Citizen, June 9, 2003)
The proposed septic tank inspection ordinance would put all 80,000 septic systems in Oakland County, including about 7,000 locally, on a five-year inspection cycle or each time the property is sold. County officials? concern stems from several factors including a report from both Wayne and Washtenaw counties that estimates 30 percent of all septic systems are failing.
Similarly, Fenton Township, with a host of lakes, a dependance on groundwater and where 20 percent of homeowners depend on septic systems is realizing equal concern.
Supporters of the ordinance say the program is needed to protect the county’s groundwater which many residents depend on for drinking water. The ordinance, which would carry a fee of up to $300, would prohibit the transfer of property if an inspection was not completed within the last five years or if the system was not in proper working order. It would also force landowners to maintain their system.
Opponents are content to leave well enough alone and let homeowners take care of their own property, like it is now. If a problem arises with the septic system symptoms, including wet ground, odors and system failure would appear, it would send a signal for repair. Moreover, as one township official claimed, ‘we don’t need Big Brother breathing down our necks.?
Regardless, the Fenton Township board, along with a throng of residents, quickly hushed McDermott.
While the Fenton Township scenario differs to the extent that hooking on to a municipal sewer line may be an option (one that Brandon and Groveland residents don’t have) the outcry remains the same’be good stewards of the environment.
Making decisions like a septic system inspection is tough, yet one that must be made.
The old days of no, or little regard for environmental concerns are gone, lost about the same time bottle returns were mandated, landfills were regulated and leaded gasoline was no longer available. Wetlands are now protected, underground storage tanks must be upgraded and air has standards.
While we accept the changes now, at the time opposition raged. Businesses battled the bottle law, auto industry fought against changing fuels, and the cost of replacing leaking fuel tanks was touted.
McDermott, like others before him may lose reelection or tossed on the recall wagon for speaking boldly regarding environmental issues. However, given the lack of responsibility toward the environment currently shrouding the septic tank s in Northern Oakland County, local officials should take heed.