AUBURN - The city of Auburn will pay an engineering firm $185,000 to assess and design rehabilitation work that will take place on the State Dam.

City Councilors unanimously approved Thursday a resolution awarding the engineering contract to Hatch Acres. And according to a city engineer, the state and federal government could kick in some cash for repairs.

Bruce Ross told councilors before the vote that the state Department of Environmental Conservation requires that the city undertake an emergency action plan, a dam break study and other procedures relative to the dam. Those studies would need to take place in order for the city to receive a $300,000 grant from the DEC for improvements.

“We're looking into the possibility of funds for the entire process,” Ross said.

The dam, located about 1.5 miles downstream from the lake adjacent to the water filtration plant on Pulsifer Drive, was originally built by the state and handed over to the city in the 1960s.

City officials have said in recent months that upgrades are needed to maintain its structural integrity and allow for proper control of the level of Owasco Lake and the Owasco River.

In other news:

* The city will pay $2,000 to remove any liability it has over a hazardous waste contamination incident in Niagara Falls.

In the early 1990s, the Frontier Chemical Royal Avenue Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility was closed and waste materials leaked into the soil and groundwater. The city had previously disposed of 165 gallons of hazardous waste at the facility.

The city legally and properly disposed of the material, but state and federal laws say any party that dumps chemicals in such a site can be held at least partially liable if there is a leak or spill.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.