A foamy substance has been spotted in the Susquehanna River near the Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant in Vestal.

George Kolba, who chairs the board that oversees facility operations, says the foam is the result of the "startup of a new procedure" at the treatment plant.

Kolba responded to concerns raised by a caller to WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program Tuesday.

Although Kolba didn't provide specific information about the substance and the process now in use at the Vestal Road facility, he said it's "completely safe."

Kolba said the foam may continue to be seen in the river until the plant "is running at higher capacity with all the ingredients" used in the process. He said it will subside once the procedure has been fully implemented.

A massive construction project at the sewage treatment facility is nearing completion.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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