Latest news with #GeorgiaEnvironmentalProtectionDivision
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dougherty County portion of Flint River declared impaired
By David Dixon ALBANY — The Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Water Protection Branch recently added the section of the Flint River from the Lee County line to the Mitchell County line to the GAEPD Impaired Streams List (Section 305(b)/303(d)). In 2022, that portion of the Flint was designated as impaired for mercury in fish tissue and in 2024 for the human pathogen indicator bacteria E. coli. To meet the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act, Georgia assesses a percentage of its waters approximately every two years and publishes the 'Water Quality in Georgia' Integrated Report. This report describes the quality of all the waters in the state and contains a list of waters in good condition and those impaired/polluted, along with fish consumption guidelines. 'Due to the impaired listing, Dougherty County is required to begin monitoring the Flint River as part of our NPDES Stormwater Permit as a Phase I medium Municipal Stormwater System (MS-4) and submitting those results to Georgia EPD,' according to Dougherty County Public Works sources. The Dougherty County Public Works Department is in the process of finalizing a sampling and testing protocol to meet the requirement from GAEPD. The GAEPD has approved total suspended solids sampling as a substitute for mercury testing, a once-a-year requirement. The sample would be required to be taken at the upstream end of the defined urbanized area at the Marine Stormwater Canal (Marine Ditch) near Radium Landing and the downstream end at the discharge point at the Radium Spring Run (Skywater Creek). For bacteria testing, the GAEPD is requiring that four grab samples be collected within a 30-day window four times a year at these two sites. This will require collecting 16 total samples per calendar year. The requirement also stipulates that two groups of four samples be collected from May-October and the other two sets from November-April. These samples must be put on ice immediately after they are collected. DCPW will send these samples off for certified laboratory testing. Even though Dougherty County will not be required to test for mercury in this section, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Supervisor Rob Weller said, 'Mercury in fish tissue will still be tested by the DNR. In the case of the Flint River and other water bodies, the DNR will sample fish tissue for mercury and other parameters every 10 years. The next routine scheduled sampling date for the Flint River is 2031.' The mercury in fish tissue designation has been caused by accumulation of that toxic material in upper predatory fish like largemouth and striped bass. Mercury is released naturally into the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions and wildfires. It is also produced through human activities such as combustion of coal to produce electricity. Wind transport from far away sources of mercury also can contribute to the accumulated load. In the case of Dougherty County, the majority of this toxin would have been produced from the nearby legacy coal burning plants that have now discontinued burning coal. These sources were Plant Mitchell on the banks of the Flint River downstream of Albany, MillerCoors (now MolsonCoors) in Dougherty County, and the Crisp County Power Commission plant beside Lake Blackshear at Warwick. Unfortunately, mercury takes a long time to work its way out of the environment, so testing and publishing guidance on fish consumption is needed to inform the public of the potential danger of eating certain species. The designation of E. coli bacteria is directly caused by the city of Albany's Combined Sewer Overflow system. Although much work has been completed on eliminating the raw sewage that goes into the Flint River, until it is completely separated from the stormwater, issues with high bacterial loads, after even small rainfall amounts, will continue. 'We are, of course, interested in seeing this section of the Flint delisted by GAEPD,' Flint Riverkeeper Gordon Rogers said. 'I have personally been working on the mercury issue as Riverkeeper for first the Satilla, then the Flint, since 2005. We have seen improvements due to better emissions controls and closures, and expect to see more. 'Regarding E. coli, the work that the city is doing is the key to major success. We are pleased with their progress and expect to see bacterial levels drop in the next few years. Even now, there are many times when the river is perfectly safe to be in. Indeed, we have a couple of 'tube floats' coming up on May 30-31 that are open to the public.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Planned closure of federal center in Georgia triggers worries about ability to monitor water quality
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth leads a team in monitoring water quality and groundwater levels along the river that provides drinking water to millions of Georgians. Photo submitted by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Photo submitted by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Routine water sampling conducted by the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as part of a federal partnership revealed alarming levels of bacteria discharged into the river by Fulton County's largest wastewater treatment plant in 2023. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division issued several violations and a $300,000 fine against the city of Atlanta for maintenance problems causing numerous illegal discharges of pollution at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Facility in northwest Atlanta. Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's Chris Manganiello considers the Fulton County pollution drama as a reason to sound the alarm over the now-uncertain future of the U.S. Geological Survey's South Atlantic Water Science Center in Norcross. The center's lease recently appeared on the Elon Musk-led U.S. Department of Government Efficiency's list for possible terminations by the end of 2025, but it's still unclear what that means for the staff and the program's mission. The U.S. General Services Administration, which manages federal property, did not respond to the Recorder's emailed questions about the terms of the lease and the fate of the staff. Since the early 2000s, the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and the federal agency have collaborated on the BacteriALERT program that provides live updates to the public of the amount of E. coli contamination in a river that is a source of drinking water for millions of Georgians. 'Eventually after working with Fulton County, they came to an agreement with us that their plant was not functioning,' Manganiello said. 'This is a situation where we're pretty sure that we wouldn't have identified this problem without the help of collection from USGS sources.' Environmentalists and Democratic congressional members are expressing concerns about the planned lease termination, which the DOGE website says will save the federal government more than $1.3 million. The center is one of more than a dozen government offices in Georgia that could have its leases ended under the Trump administration's cuts. Riverkeeper members said that water gauges are essential for maintaining compliance with state and federal permits. The data collected by these gauges tracks flood levels and the National Weather Service contracts with the center to collect rainfall data. Manganiello, the Riverkeeper water policy director, said that the closure of the Norcross office and potential layoffs could at a minimum disrupt water monitoring for several months, which could lead to a significant decline in water quality and compliance. 'It's one thing if we all knew they're going to close this office because they moved into another location, that would be okay,' he said. 'But because we don't know what's going to happen if the lease is terminated and these people don't have a place to physically work, that means there's going to be a disruption in the maintenance of the physical equipment and to data collection and data processing.' Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth said the center operates water flow gauges essential for monitoring everything from bacteria to water flooding levels impacting water management in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. 'This science center is critical for many reasons, including the fact that they run all of the flow gauges for Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina,' Ulseth said. 'These flow gauges tell us how much water is in any part of the river throughout the system and is essential to municipal water to decision makers, dam operators, (utility) power operators and fishermen.' The government water monitoring benefits the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which draws 3.5 million annual visitors. The scientific water surveying covers a 48-mile stretch between the Buford Dam and Atlanta. The employees also track water levels, flooding and dam releases at the Buford Dam. 'They're fishing, they're tubing, they're kayaking,' Ulseth said. 'So the health of the river and the amount of pathogens that are in the river are very important to the people that are going there. With the bacteria alert program, we are able to actually predict the current levels of E. coli and give public health advisories in real time, which is a one-of-a-kind program in the entire country.' Atlanta Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock expressed their concerns about potential layoffs in a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The relocation plans remain unclear despite the office lease set to terminate in a few months, the senators wrote Tuesday. 'Staff at the (center) perform water quality testing to ensure the safety of drinking water and maintain water gauges across Georgia, including Lake Sidney Lanier and on the Chattahoochee River, which supplies most of metro Atlanta's drinking water,' Ossoff and Warnock wrote. 'Local officials in metro Atlanta rely on gauges at Lake Lanier to ensure enough water is drawn from the lake to provide water to millions of Georgians every day. These gauges also inform water flows for Georgia's agriculture industry, nuclear reactors across the state, and Department of Defense installations, among others.' The potential ramifications of staff layoffs at the Norcross science center is also being watched closely by Suwannee Riverkeeper John Quarterman in south Georgia. He said his organization relies on the data to predict the risk of flooding in areas like the Skipper Bridge on the Withlacoochee River north of Valdosta. 'It will be a problem for flood preparedness if (flood mapping) goes away, or if either of those gauges does,' Quarterman said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hall County allows free tire disposal for 2 days at county landfill
Attention Hall County residents, if you have some old tires lying around your property, the county has a free way for you to dispose of them. Tire Amnesty Days gives people in Hall County the option to dispose of their junk tires at the county landfill in Gainesville at no charge. It happens on Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18. A grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division covers all costs, allowing residents to dispose of up to 10 tires for free. 'Tire Amnesty Days are an excellent way for our citizens to legally and safely dispose of old tires,' Hall County Solid Waste Superintendent Nathan Smith said. 'This program also helps keep our roadways safe by keeping tires from being left behind on the side of the road or in other various locations around the County.' Tires need to be 20 inches or less in diameter and cannot be attached to a wheel. Tractor-trailer, farm, and agricultural tires will not be accepted. Vehicles with more than 10 tires will be charged for overages. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Marijuana, other THC products may pose heart hazard, research shows Disabled vet has VA benefits cut after agency claims he has job at diner he has never been One of 2 men killed by falling tree on Georgia golf course was a police officer [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘Maintenance failures:' Almost $300,000 fines proposed against City of Atlanta over sewage spills
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division proposed fining the City of Atlanta almost $300,000 over continued maintenance failures at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Plant. According to the documents published by EPD, the RM Clayton WRC 'has experienced numerous outfall spills and permit limit exceedances due to operational and maintenance failures at the facility,' with the latest proposed fines focused on issues from July 1, 2023 to Nov. 30, 2024. The order was issued on Feb. 3, proposing a $290,817.33 settlement between Atlanta and EPD, as well as requirements for repairs and response to address 'elevated nutrients.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: After Young Thug trial, Georgia lawmakers introduce bill to limit use of lyrics, art in court cases 2 disappear from boat found circling on Lake Oconee Roswell officer killed in the line of duty had received award for saving man's life In layman's terms, state officials are proposing Atlanta pay close to $300,000 for the latest set of issues flagged by EPD and submit a plan to them for repairs at RM Clayton WRC, plus how they plan to address the pollutants that entered the water system. Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, who said that as it was a state action and was pending, they would not provide comment, nor would the city. Since the end of 2018, this is not the first time Atlanta has been ordered to pay a fine and make adjustments due to issues at RM Clayton WRC. According to EPD records the most recent three were: Nov. 29, 2018: $31,760.00 settlement Jan. 9, 2019: $365,513.00 settlement May 21, 2024: $163,056.81 settlement The latest proposed settlement has a comment period through March 5, before it may take effect. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
