The construction will continue to be divided into two phases, but Phase A construction will be expanded. This will allow the design team to continue uninterrupted in completing the WASM rehabilitation program. While certain regulatory actions over the past year bring most of the CSO plan into compliance with Surface Water Quality Standards, other actions by EPA and DEP require MWRA to perform additional planning work before the remainder of the CSO plan can be approved. The portions of the CSO plan subject to additional review include the recommendations for the Charles River, Alewife Brook and Mystic River and the recommendations for system-wide floatables control. This extension will retain the designer for two years after the project is completed, during the period of tunnel start-up.
Staff anticipate a number of additional change orders.
This settlement resolves litigation ongoing over three years, at a fraction of the potential cost. The settlement avoids costly and time consuming litigation over events that go back to 1991.