New Campaign Focuses on Industrial Stormwater Pollution
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Summer 2013 A publication of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) RiverCHAT www.chattahoochee.org NEW CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER POLLUTION ook no further than Proctor Creek, a general permit under the starting in downtown Atlanta, for the National Pollutant Discharge Limpact of industrial stormwater pollu- Elimination System (NPDES) tion on nearby streams and neighborhoods. every five years that sets Recently selected as one of 11 waterways in out requirements for best the nation to participate in the EPA’s Urban management practices, Waters Federal Partnership, this tributary inspections, water quality to the Chattahoochee has long been plagued monitoring and reporting. by polluted runoff from sources such as CRK participated as the sole landfills, auto salvage yards, chemical and environmental representa- concrete plants. tive in the stakeholder group that negotiated and helped Controlling industrial stormwater runoff is a strengthen the permit, which daunting challenge throughout the Chat- was issued in 2012. tahoochee River basin. Our watershed is home to thousands of industrial facilities With thousands of industrial that operate equipment and store materials facilities across the state CRK’s Jess Sterling samples runoff from an industrial site in the Proctor Creek watershed. outside, which are exposed to precipitation. currently managed by a single Clean Water Act, or that it may be failing to In fact, state and federal environmental state employee, EPD is woe- meet the terms of the permit. regulatory agencies have identified the fully understaffed to ensure compliance and pollutants of concern from more than 28 enforce the permit. CRK has been told that Since last fall, we have communicated with types of industrial activities. For example, the agency does not have the resources to nearly 200 problem facilities and already food-processing facilities may discharge fully implement the permitting program. Our seen encouraging progress from our efforts. bacteria; auto salvage yards may discharge research shows that there may be as many An asphalt manufacturing plant in Gwinnett oil and grease; metals manufacturing may as 500 unpermitted industrial facilities in County has developed a pollution control discharge zinc, arsenic and chromium; the Chattahoochee watershed, and others plan and installed best management prac- and agricultural chemical production may that have filed paperwork but are failing to tices. A large auto salvage yard in Fulton discharge nutrients. comply with terms of the permit. County has hired an environmental consul- tant to help them comply with the law. Nearly 200 industries contacted In Atlanta’s Utoy Creek watershed, a metal- Given the inability and/or unwillingness of plating company that discharges into an im- the EPD to enforce the law, CRK is using this paired water body is taking steps to comply new regulatory tool (the permit) to help with an impending effluent limitation. And, clean up the Chattahoochee watershed. Our in the Proctor Creek watershed, a paving focus: industries that are not meeting water company has made visible progress to stop quality standards and are located near resi- the flow of contaminated stormwater from dential communities, recreation areas and its property. drinking water supplies. Since we expanded our patrol jurisdiction throughout the entire CRK will continue to help enforce the clean CRK uses Google Earth imaging to identify problem facilities. Chattahoochee basin in 2012, we are now water laws by advising these industries of investigating problem industries in the practices they must follow to keep our CRK has found that hundreds of industrial middle and lower sections of the watershed, river clean. operations in the Chattahoochee River wa- in addition to the upper section. tershed are not fully complying with clean water laws. In response, we’ve launched our With the use of advanced mapping tools Inside This Issue: latest initiative, “Protecting Streams and such as Google Earth, water quality test- ing, site visits, research and agency file Communities from Industrial Pollution.” Developer muddies water Page 3 Our goal: achieve compliance from 100 in- reviews, we are identifying facilities using dustrial facilities within four years. this comprehensive approach. Armed with this information and the regulatory require- Chattahoochee river cane Page 4 State program understaffed ments applicable to each facility, our intent is to work collaboratively with industrial Memorable river journey Page 5 To minimize the impact of stormwater dis- operators to achieve results. We notify each Drought harms farming, fishing Page 6 charges on waterways, the Georgia Envi- industry we identify that it may be discharg- ronmental Protection Division (EPD) issues ing without a permit in violation of the Bill pits north vs south Georgia Page 7 STAFF Sally Bethea Executive Director and Riverkeeper Reflections Tammy Bates Outings Manager My 92-year-old mother recently to protect public recreation on the moved to nursing care, and I be- Chattahoochee River from sewer Juliet Cohen General Counsel came the custodian of our family lines, roads and development. history: dozens of large envelopes, Laura Hartt Spotting zoning notices along the Water Policy Director bulging albums and even a small “horse-hair” trunk, all filled with river corridor, concerned citizens Duncan Hughes learned that both Fulton and Headwaters Outreach Coordinator handwritten deeds, certificates, Cobb Counties had plans to run Bonnie Jackson wills and other memorabilia from sewer lines along the river. Fulton Operations Manager the late 1700s to the 1940s. County’s plan called for a ledge Becca Klein In this unorganized jumble of to be blasted out of the Palisades’ Development Director births, deaths, news stories, old cliffs, above the water line, to ac- Mary Manson Receptionist photos and family trees, I have commodate the pipes. found an amazing woman — Michael Meyer Friends of the River — or as Watershed Protection Specialist my grandmother, Helen Cowles Whitehead. as they were informally called, David Lee Simmons “river rats” — stopped the Fulton Communications Director Born in New York City in 1880 and County sewer line. Their river Jill Sistino educated there in physical educa- protection efforts led to the pas- Regional Outreach Manager Helen Cowles Whitehead tion and social work, my grand- sage of a precedent-setting state Jessica Sterling mother moved to Norfolk, Va., as the land use law (the 1973 Metropoli- Program Assistant bride of a physician in 1909, and got involved in her tan River Protection Act), which has helped ensure a Jason Ulseth community. Today, we would call her an activist. green corridor for much of an 84-mile section of the Technical Programs Director Chattahoochee in the metro region. Christina York By the time she died in 1948, a few years before I Database Manager was born, she had helped improve public welfare In 1978, the river rats stood in the Rose Garden when BOARD OF DIRECTORS programs throughout the city — from better-quality President Jimmy Carter signed the law establishing Rebecca Cranford and reasonably priced food to programs for soldiers’ the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Sarah Dearman families and juvenile justice advocacy. a protected playground. Today, more than 3 million Denise Donahue people boat, fish, paddle, picnic, walk and jog in this In 1913 — exactly one hundred years ago — my grand- Gary Gaines national park every year — many of them unaware of mother helped establish, and for years supervised, Billy Hall the history behind the creation of this park that pro- Norfolk’s public playground program in five parks. The Victor Haydel vides 65 percent of the green space in metro Atlanta. first-ever municipal playground was installed in New Hugo Hernandez York City just a dozen years before Norfolk decided to Government and business may offer essential support Bill Hoffman provide its youth with a safe place to play, exercise, for needed improvements, but the germ for those vi- Christine Hung learn games and compete in a friendly atmosphere. sions is almost always found in the actions of individu- Dr. Victor Ibeanusi als and small groups. Communities depend on the Richard Jacobson Child and family welfare advocates, including my inspired actions of ordinary citizens, like the river rats Dave Kirkpatrick grandmother, saw the immense benefits offered by and my grandmother. Steve O’Day this innovative new concept — the public playground. Jamie Pryor David Shaffer Sixty years later in Atlanta, another group of visionary Charles Smith activists got involved in their community. They rallied Catherine Woodling Executive Director and Riverkeeper J. Rutherford Seydel II, Chair Our mission is to advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee Watershed Moment River, its tributaries and watershed. ATLANta OFFICE The “metro Hooch,” especially around Powers Ferry, is the 3 Puritan Mill closest escape to a river I have. I can be surrounded by God’s 916 Joseph Lowery Blvd. amazing beauty of nature and mountain scenery in the middle Atlanta, GA 30318 of a big city. Most days I paddle, I have the river all to myself. 404-352-9828 Jackson Thompson, my son (pictured), has been near rivers since GAINESVILLE OFFICE he was born. He has watched me from the shore since the age of 615 F Oak Street Suite 1000 2 weeks old. Most people use a baby tub to wash their child, but Gainesville, GA 30501 I used to fill up the bathtub and float him in his baby tub. 770-531-1064 — Rick Thompson, Sandy Springs LAGRANGE OFFICE 35 Lafayette Square What’s your “Watershed Moment”? Email your hi-res color image of the river, and about LaGrange GA 30240 100 words about its inspiration, to [email protected]. 706-882-3701 www.chattahoochee.org www.getthedirtout.org 2 River CHAT State Supreme Court denies petition On Patrol In March, the Georgia Supreme Court denied CRK’s petition for review of our appeal of a wastewater discharge permit issued to Forsyth For further details on CRK’s investigations and enforcement actions, go to County for its new Shakerag sewage plant.