NEWPORT-An official study of the odor problem associated with Newport Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed, according to Department Manager Carrol Proffitt.

In his monthly report to Newport Utilities Board of Directors on Tuesday, Proffitt outlined the next steps in dealing with the issue.

Proffitt said NU is looking "at a system similar to the one in place in Gatlinburg...We have a game plan for now."

That "game plan" includes seeking various grants and a state loan to help cover the estimated $1.6 million price tag to "encapsulate the basin and provide scrubbers for the air," he explained.

The grants will include both state and federal monies, he continued.

For more details, please see the Thursday edition of the Newport Plain Talk.