Politics & Government
Oconee County Releases Names Of Employees Who Resigned From Troubled Calls Creek Sewage Plant
A Georgia Environmental Production Divison officer also visited the Calls Creek plant today, but he would not say the purpose.
Oconee County late Friday identified the two employees whose resignations were accepted in the wake of the discharge of inadequately treated sewage water into Calls Creek from a county wastewater treatment plant.
They are Gene Price, wastewater supervisor, and Anthony Occhipinti, maintenance supervisor.
Price resigned on May 21, two days after County Administrative Office Jeff Benko received a report from consultant Bob Sheldon that was very critical of the operation of both of the county’s wastewater treatment facilities.
Price made his resignation effective May 22, saying “I have secured employment elsewhere.”
Occhipinti resigned May 3, or two days before Sheldon even began his investigation of the two plants.
Occhipinti resigned effective May 15, saying “The work atmosphere has changed drastically over the last few years and not for the better.”
Also today, Steve Walker, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division officer to whom the county first reported the problem at the Calls Creek plant on April 29, visited the plant just outside Watkinsville for the first time.
Walker said the visit was not a follow-up to that April 29 report and was not a scheduled routine inspection, but he would not tell the reason for the visit.
For more on the story including a map of Calls Creek showing the location of the sewage plant, go to Oconee County Observations.
Pictured: Entrance to Calls Creek plant.