Public will get another 60 days to comment on Bishop's Lodge wastewater permit

Jul. 2—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to give the public another 60 days to comment on a permit that will allow Bishop's Lodge to discharge up to 60,000 gallons a day of treated wastewater into Tesuque Creek.

The lodge's plans to release wastewater into the creek during the winter months from a small treatment plant it is installing has stirred fierce opposition from neighbors, who also contend they were given inadequate time to comment.

But EPA gave no indication in its notice that it was responding to neighbors' complaints. The agency wrote it was reopening the public comment period to give Bishop's Lodge a chance to correct errors in its application, and it didn't identify the mistakes.

Lodge representatives have said they expect to discharge about a third of the treated wastewater into the creek that the permit allows after they add a spa, a pool and a fitness center to the 100-room resort.

Still, many downstream residents of Tesuque village and three pueblos oppose any substantial discharges, saying they're concerned pollutants that can't be filtered out, such as pharmaceuticals and PFAS, will contaminate the aquifer that supply their wells.

This is a developing story and will be updated.