Updated 04/18/07
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Blast, Inc.
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Wilson, Ink.
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Photos by Gary Simpson
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CCEC Bulletin: 10/16/07
water, water…problems here and everywhere…
We have often given you information about issues and asked you to communicate to others about them…such as the Haw River and Jordan Lake etc., but it is rare that we have mentioned the Rocky River. We are asking you today to take action on the following NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 19th.
The Rocky River runs from the western part of Chatham County, into the Siler City reservoir system, through Chatham County in a southeasterly direction and ends up in the Cape Fear watershed. It is a narrow, beautiful waterway that ambles often between wide banks of pristine woods. The Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant services Siler City and two major chicken processing plants. The effluent from the treatment plant contributes to approximately 90% of the flow in the river below the area of Love’s Creek during dry weather.
The Rocky River has been known as a Class C recreational area for fishing, boating and wading and these activities have already been compromised with excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that result in large algae blooms. Added to this have been high sedimentation levels as a result of increasing development. A second reservoir is being planned for Siler City which will further reduce the water flow and further the degradation of the River.
The NPDES permit for the Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant is being considered for renewal. The present draft permit from the Division of Water Quality (DWQ) did not review the continuing Wastewater Treatment Plant violations, nor the longstanding problems with leaky pipes. The draft reduces and/or eliminates monitoring for mercury and other metals and chlorides. The draft also DOES NOT PLACE LIMITS ON NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS.
CCEC has joined in the request by the Friends of the Rocky River (FORR) and Rocky River Heritage Foundation (RRHF) for NC DWQ to hold a Public Hearing on the draft NPDES permit for the Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant. This permit would allow Siler City to continue dumping wastewater into Loves Creek and the Rocky River without making any changes to the way it does business. The new draft permit is weaker than the existing permit.
CCEC IS ASKING YOU TO WRITE A LETTER TO:
Ms. LeToya Fields
NPDES Program
Division of Water Quality
1617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
AND REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS DRAFT NPDES PERMIT #NC0026441 TO BE HELD IN CHATHAM COUNTY.
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