http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/house-passes-compromise-bill-on-stormwater-rules House passes compromise bill on stormwater rules http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/house-passes-compromise-bill-on-stormwater-rules Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:52:51 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/senate-oks-stormwater-compromise Beaufort County and 11 of its allies are “half-way home” to getting http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/senate-oks-stormwater-compromise Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:02:10 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/compromise-in-stormwater-rules-passes-through-committe Compromise in stormwater rules passes through committee http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/compromise-in-stormwater-rules-passes-through-committe Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:35:59 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/compromise-reached-on-coastal-stormwater-rules Neither the environmentalists nor the development community got everything they wanted. But http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/compromise-reached-on-coastal-stormwater-rules Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:39:39 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/solidly-grounded-runoff-rules WILMINGTON - The state Environmental Management Commission recently http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/solidly-grounded-runoff-rules Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:23:16 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/save-water-or-else-__ Save water, or else ... http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/save-water-or-else-__ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:50:22 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pollution-is-a-property-rights-issue http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pollution-is-a-property-rights-issue Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:04:24 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-protections-are-under-siege-congress-needs-to-move-quickly lean water protections are under siege; Congress needs to move quickly http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-protections-are-under-siege-congress-needs-to-move-quickly Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:42:21 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/proposed-stormwater-rules-focus-of-debate-on-clean-water-lobby-day By Gareth McGrath http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/proposed-stormwater-rules-focus-of-debate-on-clean-water-lobby-day Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:30:34 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/charlotte-enters-lawsuit-over-water The City of Charlotte will now be a part of a U.S. Supreme Court case over water rights. Last http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/charlotte-enters-lawsuit-over-water Thu, 29 May 2008 15:16:01 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/stormwater-control-again-reaches-legislature RALEIGH, N.C. — http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/stormwater-control-again-reaches-legislature Tue, 27 May 2008 16:20:56 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/bill-filed-in-n_c_-house-to-halt-new-stormwater-rules Senate bill to follow by mid-week By DAN PARSONS Staff Writer The http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/bill-filed-in-n_c_-house-to-halt-new-stormwater-rules Thu, 22 May 2008 12:44:19 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/citizens-have-powerful-tools-to-stop-sedimentation-pollution Much recent attention has been paid to the http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/citizens-have-powerful-tools-to-stop-sedimentation-pollution Thu, 29 May 2008 14:35:14 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/in-defense-of-the-horsepasture-reclassification Submitted by Bill Thomas: Outstanding Resource Waters! What a blessing that we in Transylvania County have a river that meets this prestigious state water quality designation. Many may be unaware of the National Wild and Scenic Horsepasture River in the western part of the county. It was designated by Congress in 1986, the bill signed by President Ronald Reagan, with overwhelming support of hundreds of people, including the then-county commissioners. If you have seen the river you understand why it is so special, and if you haven’t, you need to visit it. It is only natural that one would want to protect it. The Sierra Club has been criticized for initiating the proposal by the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to upgrade the water quality classification of the Horsepasture River from Class B Trout waters to Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW). The implication is that the Sierra Club is promoting environmental protection over economic development and jobs, but we reject this choice, maintaining that in fact, jobs and prosperity depend crucially on our natural environment, and that we can have, and deserve to have, both. I’ll bet most would say that what is truly outstanding about Transylvania County is the clean water in our numerous drop-dead gorgeous creeks and rivers embedded in the incredibly beautiful forests and mountains in which we live. They have enormous economic as well as spiritual value. “Selling” them amounts to burning the furniture to stay warm. The proposed reclassification would result in management of the entire Horsepasture watershed (in both Transylvania and Jackson counties) to ORW standards to protect existing water quality. Buffer widths along streams are increased to 30 feet from the 25 already required by the current trout stream classification, which does not seem like much of a problem, but no new waste discharge permits would be permitted. Existing waste discharge permits would be unaffected. Thus the concerns expressed by our county commissioners, the McNeely family, and other upstream developers about the effect on economic development really revolve around housing or industrial projects that would require wastewater treatment plants, or expansions of existing ones. Developments using septic systems where wastes are not discharged to the river and its tributaries would not be affected. Stormwater discharges are permitted, with restrictions on how they are handled. As far as is known by DENR — which did talk with county planners well before the hearing — no developments are currently proposed that would run into problems with the proposed classification. (This is one of the potential difficulties that the public announcement and hearing are intended to uncover before the Environmental Management Commission makes a final ruling.) At the moment the objections expressed appear to be generic concerns about what might be a problem in the future. So what is it to be? Sacrifice existing water quality for the sake of developers, or protect it for all of us, as is the expressed state policy? I confess that for me personally it is the majesty and grandeur of the Horsepasture and its surroundings that move my soul and lead me to call for protection and preservation. The time to save something is while you still have it! I and the Sierra Club feel strongly that the future welfare of our region depends heavily on protection of our natural assets. This reclassification is not a done deal. The final decision rests with the Environmental Management Commission after they review comments and DENR’s recommendations. You are urged to make your comments by June 2, by either writing to: Elizabeth Kountis, DENR-Division of Water Quality, Planning Section, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C., 27699-1617. She can be reached at 919.733.5083, extension 369, or by email at Elizabeth.Kountis@ncmail.net. (Bill Thomas was the president of the Friends of the Horsepasture River from 1984 to 1986, leading efforts to help obtain the national Wild and Scenic designation and the state Natural and Scenic River designation. He was also Sierra Club’s point man on creation of Gorges State Park, which is adjacent to the Horsepasture, and now serves on its Advisory Committee. He can be reached at billthomas@citcom.net.) http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/in-defense-of-the-horsepasture-reclassification Thu, 15 May 2008 16:37:47 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/regulations-on-the-horsepasture-river By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer The Horsepasture River offers a wide variety http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/regulations-on-the-horsepasture-river Sun, 03 Jun 2007 02:44:01 -0500 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/new-runoff-rules-aim-to-protect-coast A state environmental panel approved stronger rules today to protect coastal waters from runoff pollution. "It's http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/new-runoff-rules-aim-to-protect-coast Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:17:54 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-lake-input-sought The updated master plan for Jordan Lake will receive public comment today at a session held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The listening session is the start of a 30-day public comment period on the updates, which address demand for more swimming beaches and trails, among other long-term concerns."People are concerned about water quality in the lake, and certainly right now they're concerned with the water quantity in the lake," said Carol Banaitis, who is on the Jordan Lake planning team of the Corps.Banaitis said the drought is not addressed in the plan. The listening session is not intended for residents to air concerns about the drought.The master plan was written in 1982, and this will be the first major update to address changing demographics of the visitors and uses for recreation.Concerns about the safety of the water are misguided, Park Supervisor Megan Lynch said.She said that tests have always revealed legal levels of fecal chloroform and that pollution is concentrated in the northern part of the lake, away from recreation.She said the pollution dissolves before it reaches swimming areas."We have never had any issues with the cleanliness of the water," Lynch said.The plan includes nothing to allow private developments or new construction."The resource cannot take anymore facilities being put on it," Lynch said. "On a busy weekend, the lake is very crowded already."Several times every summer, people must be turned away because of the lack of swimming space.Lynch said that she had not yet read the plan."(The Corps of Engineers) are the ones who are designing and guiding this general plan," she said.The arrangement at Jordan Lake is unique because the Corps of Engineers leases the land to the state of North Carolina, Banaitis said.The public comment period is held to see if the plan "missed things that the public recognizes a need for," she said.The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at the Jordan Lake Visitor Assistance Center, 2080 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure.According to a press release, the Corps is looking to hear public interest and desire on "recreational development, natural resource conservation and cultural resource protection."The meeting will last about two hours and be informal, Banaitis said.Banaitis said that after the 30-day period, input will be taken into consideration and the plan will be finalized. She said no time table exists for implementation of the plan.Banaitis encouraged interested people to attend the meeting or read the report online. She stressed the importance of the master plan."The master plan addresses how the land will be developed from here on out," she said.Copies of the draft report are available at the visitors center and state park office. Banaitis said it will likely be online by today. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-lake-input-sought Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-act-failures-and-successes-here-over-35-years  To see that the federal Clean Water Act still has work to do, look at New Hanover County's tidal creeks.In the 13 years that Mike Mallin has been monitoring the tidal creeks, water quality has generally gone only one way - down."All one has to do is look at all of the areas we now have that are permanently closed to shellfishing," said Mallin, a water quality expert with the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "The coastal development regulations we had in place were inadequate. That's why we're in this fix today."At the same time, there is evidence on the other side of New Hanover County at the Cape Fear River that the act, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this month, has worked.Long avoided because of pollution woes, Wilmington's riverfront is thriving as the cleanup on land and in the water changes the waterfront's character and how people perceive it.Passed in 1972, the Clean Water Act was a response to massive public anger and frustration at the pollution wrought upon the nation's natural resources.The landmark legislation was meant to make all of the country's waterways swimmable and fishable by the mid-1980s."That was a little overly ambitious," said Jay Lehr, science director for the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, which promotes free-market solutions to economic and social problems. "We didn't make it in 11 years, and we haven't in 35 years, either."But we're getting close."Environmentalists agree."It's not a 100 percent victory," said Dave McNaught, a public policy analyst with the North Carolina office of Environmental Defense. "But we've come an awfully long way."Boyd DeVane, who joined what was then known as the N.C. Division of Water and Air Quality in 1974, remembers how the state's rivers and creeks used to look - and how they smelled.He said it wasn't unusual to find untreated waste being dumped into rivers or harmful bacteria counts in the millions below wastewater treatment plant discharges.Thanks to tougher regulations and the opening of the federal checkbook to help communities build or upgrade treatment plants, those days are largely gone."It wouldn't have happened without the federal government stepping in and mandating that certain things happen," DeVane said, noting that pollutant levels along many waterways have dropped even as populations within those watersheds have skyrocketed.But getting tougher with those who had pipes emptying into rivers and creeks was the easy part.DeVane said that before the Clean Water Act, there was little concern over or research into the damaging effects of so-called "non-point" discharges."Back then we didn't even think about runoff from construction sites or stormwater or forestry operations," he said. "We didn't think about those being big pollutants. We were just focusing on those sources we knew were giant fish-killing discharges, like industries and wastewater plants."But controlling non-point sources is still very much a work in progress, especially when it comes to balancing economic and environmental needs."I think all of us in the public, from the arch-conservative to the arch-liberal, realize we have to do a better job in protecting our water quality and our air quality," McNaught said. "But how we do that is where there's a lot of divergence."Regulators, environmentalists and the state's development community are currently tussling over tougher new stormwater requirements for the state's 20 coastal counties.Developers fear the regulations could make smaller projects uneconomical and limit what could be built where, especially close to shellfishing waters.Environmentalists argue that the stiffer rules are needed as coastal water quality falls and as people and buildings increasingly crowd the state's tidal creeks and estuaries, leading to the closing of more shellfishing waters.Lehr, who helped author the Clean Water Act, admits that even after three decades of regulatory oversight, there's still work to be done.But he said some environmental advocacy groups "cherry pick" scientific data to scare the public and score political points, using sampling results that are so negligible they aren't a health threat to try and stop or curtail economic development."Our lab ability has outstripped our common sense in protecting the public health," he said, alluding to new systems that can detect pollutants in parts per trillion and even smaller quantities.McNaught said while there have been plenty of success stories, all one has to do is look at the ongoing violations of discharge permits by private and public facilities to see that problems remain.And the current stormwater battle shows how tough it can be to pass environmental regulations."Here we are 20 years later, and we still ain't got it right," McNaught said."But at the end of the day, you've got to say it's been good." http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-act-failures-and-successes-here-over-35-years Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/theres-still-work-to-do-to-clean-up-nations-water Thirty-five years after passage of the Clean Water Act, our waterways are still polluted, and the protection we largely take for granted is virtually nonexistent. In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, promising that the sewage stench, oil spills and burning rivers of the 1960s would be a distant memory. We have come a long way since the author of “The French Broad,” Wilma Dykeman, said the river was “too thick to drink and too thin to plow,” but we have a long way to go. Congress must pass the Clean Water Restoration Act to re-establish the full protection of the Clean Water Act and ensure our wetlands and streams receive legal protection. They must also support infrastructure to keep sewage out of drinking water and the rivers, lakes and streams we fish and swim in. Congress should support federal and state environmental enforcement, because much of this pollution is illegal and no one should be allowed to break the law. Urge Congressman Shuler to support this critical legislation.The health of our rivers, lakes, streams and coastal waters deserves our protection. They do, after all, belong to each one of us. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/theres-still-work-to-do-to-clean-up-nations-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/group-pollution-of-waterways-continues More than half of businesses and municipalities are discharging more pollution into North Carolina waterways than is allowed by the Clean Water Act, an environmental group reported today. The group used data submitted by the state's largest industrial and municipal facilities on their compliance with the Clean Water Act in 2005. The 1972 law is aimed at making U.S. waterways free from contaminants. Researchers found that 57 percent of facilities exceeded the legal limit for discharges at least once."As the Clean Water Act turns 35, polluters continue to foul our rivers, lakes and streams," Environment North Carolina Field Organizer Margaret Hartzell said in a news release. "With so many facilities dumping so much pollution, no one should be surprised that nearly half of America's waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing."The group describes itself as a statewide, citizen-based, environmental advocacy organization. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/group-pollution-of-waterways-continues Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tougher-rules-likely-for-storm-runoff Swimming warnings at beaches and shellfishing bans along thousands of acres of waters are signs that the state's current rules limiting storm runoff aren't working in coastal counties, state water quality regulators say. The acres of coastal waters permanently closed to shellfishing has increased about 13 percent in the past two decades, state data shows. Today, about 76,000 acres of coastal waters are permanently closed because of high pollution levels that make the oysters and clams dangerous to eat, according to the state Division of Shellfish Sanitation. An additional 43,000 acres close temporarily because of bacteria after rains of 1 to 2 inches."The pollution associated with stormwater runoff is the No. 1 water-quality problem in North Carolina," said Tom Reeder, chief of Division of Water Quality's wetlands and stormwater unit. "The existing rules aren't really protecting the water quality of coastal North Carolina."So the state Division of Water Quality is seeking to toughen the stormwater rules in the 20 coastal counties to curb the polluted waters that rush from highways, parking lots and housing developments.Environmentalists, homeowners and state officials want the state to adopt tougher limits, saying runoff not only affects shellfish but human health when swimming beaches must be closed because of high bacteria levels. Meanwhile, home builders say the changes would raise the cost of building at the coast and lead to an increase in high-density development at the water's edge to justify the expense.Current regulations allow subdivisions to be built so densely that they overwhelm the land's capacity to filter mud, feces and chemicals from roofs, roads and yards before the pollution reaches the water. The current rules allow developers to build on up to 25 percent of a tract of land before controls are required.Possible changesThe new rule would require developers to design stormwater controls such as detention ponds and basins to limit runoff within a half-mile of shellfish waters when they build on more than 12 percent of a tract. Scientists say that water quality suffers when more than 10 percent of a lot is built upon without having well-designed controls to capture rainwater before it rushes pollutants into nearby waterways.At present, developers are usually only required to get a stormwater permit if the development disturbs an acre or more. The rules would lower that to a quarter acre.The rules also would require wider buffers of grass, shrubs and other vegetation along waterways to slow and filter runoff. The current requirement is 30 feet, and the proposed change would raise that to 50 feet.Tougher rules concern builders such as Hiram Williams of Pender County. He questions the need for wider buffers, saying a 30-foot zone, if well-designed, should adequately filter pollution."They're just taking away the right to use a lot of people's property," Williams said.Lisa Martin, director of regulatory affairs for the N.C. Home Builders Association, said home construction and real estate are vital parts of the coastal economy, just like tourism."This is going to affect affordability on the coast," she said.Larry Sneeden of ESP Associates, land planning and engineering design consultants in Wilmington, said the expense of more stormwater controls would have the unintended consequence of promoting higher-density development near sensitive waters."I hate to see the trend we're going to see with everything going high density," Sneeden said.But damage from runoff has an economic effect, as well. Michael Mallin, a researcher at UNC-Wilmington, said his research of tidal creeks in southeastern North Carolina found a strong link between fecal contamination in the creeks and the ratio of roofs, driveways, sidewalks and parking lots. He said in areas where less than 10 percent of the area was developed, the waters were still open to shellfishing; the creeks were closed because of high bacteria in areas with higher-density development. He said that once more than 20 percent of an area is covered with hard surfaces, waterways become too polluted for shellfishing.Troubles on the coast"Stormwater is a far more serious threat to human health than we previously understood," said Lawrence Cahoon, a colleague of Mallin's at UNC-W. "Too many of our public waters are filthy and dangerous."The state posted swimming advisories on beaches 21 times this summer because of high bacteria. That was down compared to 2006, thanks to dry weather, which causes less runoff. State data indicate the number of beach closings has increased significantly in the past five years.Jim Swartzenberg of Jacksonville, who raises oysters and clams in Stump Sound, said the proposed stricter rules would make it possible for fishermen to keep making a living. He said a developer was planning to build 1,100 homes on 575 acres near waters where he fishes. Swartzenberg said the developer tried to plan an environmentally sensitive project and met with him repeatedly to hear concerns. Even so, his shellfishing waters were closing for longer periods because of land-clearing activities.At a public hearing in Wilmington last week, Annetta Cobb, who lives near the Shallotte River in Brunswick County, said she can still get clams and oysters from the river near where she lives. But she said she has watched as shellfishing bans have inched closer and closer to her property."I've seen the water be degraded," Cobb said. "You can't do this too soon for me." http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tougher-rules-likely-for-storm-runoff Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/hearing-draws-ideas-on-permit-rules Changes could happen in 2008By NIKIE MAYO, News EditorProposed http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/hearing-draws-ideas-on-permit-rules Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/water-transfers-to-get-harder N.C. approval to pipe water from one river basin to another, which ignited an ongoing water war in the Charlotte region, will be harder to win under a new law that went into effect last week.The legislation grew out of the quest by Concord and Kannapolis, in the water-short Rocky River basin, for water from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers. A state environmental board in January granted the cities 10 million gallons a day from each river, but only over objections from opponents who felt unfairly treated.Gov. Mike Easley signed a new approach into law on Friday. It will change how future transfer requests are decided and could have special impact in the Charlotte region, where fast growth is likely to strain water supplies.Seventeen municipalities in the Catawba basin are still challenging the Concord-Kannapolis approval before a state administrative court. The cities say they weren't given proper notice of the request nor allowed to fully respond to it.South Carolina, which fears too little water will be left flowing across its border, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block future transfers until a water-sharing mechanism is established between the two states.The new N.C. procedure requires earlier and broader public notice of future requests. It allows for a mediator to try to resolve differences. It gives the public a chance to respond to proposed decisions before they're final."It brings everyone into the process from the very beginning," said Mike Bennett, assistant to the city manager in Hickory, a community on the Catawba. "It defines the process more clearly, defines what groups need to receive notification and allows all involved to speak about possible impacts or benefits."The bill gives the future water needs of the basin from which water would be piped greater priority than those of the receiving basin. It also spells out more clearly the standards that requests must meet.A city has to prove, for example, that it really needs more water, has no alternative and won't misuse what it's given."The burden of proof is going to be more difficult," said Tom Fransen, river basins section chief for the N.C. Division of Water Resources. "How much more difficult, until we actually go through one, may be hard to say."It took Concord-Kannapolis six years, under the old rules, to win about half the amount of water the cities originally wanted. That laborious process, coupled with the new requirements, may dissuade local governments from seeking transfers, Fransen said.Union County is trying to avoid the need for a basin transfer to boost its water supplies. County commissioners agreed Aug. 20 to pursue working with neighboring Anson County to draw water from the Pee Dee River, a move that wouldn't need a basin-to-basin permit.The Concord-Kannapolis permit could indirectly shape how the state regulates basin transfers.The Supreme Court is not expected to decide whether to review the S.C. challenge until this fall. North Carolina argues that the Supreme Court doesn't need to get involved, saying that renewal of Duke Energy's license to manage the Catawba will determine the amount of water flowing south of the border.The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, in addition, is challenging the environmental analysis that supported the Concord-Kannapolis decision.The new law recognizes that communities upstream and downstream of where the water is removed can also be affected by basin transfers, said Michelle Nowlin of the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents the foundation.But Nowlin said the changes still don't ensure that aquatic life, such as fish and mussels, would be protected when a transfer is approved. "You can follow all the procedures," she said, "and still have a bad outcome." http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/water-transfers-to-get-harder Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/-ltlt-to-protect-more-of-the-little-tennessee A conservation agreement between a private landowner and the Land http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/-ltlt-to-protect-more-of-the-little-tennessee Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/creeks-waters-may-face-murky-future 225 houses proposed along wild, scenic riverBy: Bruce HendersonA Florida developer wants to build http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/creeks-waters-may-face-murky-future Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/toll-of-mills-river-fish-kill-unknown By: Harrison Metzger MILLS RIVER -- The extent of a July fish kill in the river that http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/toll-of-mills-river-fish-kill-unknown Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/fungicide-found-in-river-and-city-water By: Scott Parrott MILLS RIVER -- Test results confirmed an agricultural fungicide was http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/fungicide-found-in-river-and-city-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/banks-channel-waters-often-contaminated http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/banks-channel-waters-often-contaminated Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/take-more-care-with-mills-river http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/take-more-care-with-mills-river Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pwc-water-is-only-fix-for-benzene By: Don Worthington Installing public water lines is the only solution to underground http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pwc-water-is-only-fix-for-benzene Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/dole-offers-bill-to-limit-chemical-found-in-camp-lejeune-water RALEIGH, N.C. — North http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/dole-offers-bill-to-limit-chemical-found-in-camp-lejeune-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cape-fear-samples-yield-unsafe-levels-of-beach-bacteria By: Gareth McGrathCastle Hayne | The sign at the 11-acre park warns visitors that they swim in the Northeast Cape Fear River at their own risk because of currents, sharp drop-offs and the lack of lifeguards.But those might not be the only dangers facing swimmers at New Hanover County's Castle Hayne Riverside Park."I don't know if people should be wading or swimming at that park until some further water quality testing is done up there," said Larry Cahoon, a marine biologist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "I think there's the potential of a real public health threat there."Research by a UNCW graduate student looking at water quality around public boat ramps and other waterfront areas in New Hanover County turned up high levels of bacteria in the river's sandy bottom just yards from the park's small beach.The study by Renee Harrington, based on samples taken in 2005, found levels of fecal coliform and enterococcus bacteria in the river sediment well above the state and federal limits for safe water-contact activities.Harrington's research was published in the 2005-06 New Hanover County Tidal Creeks Project report, which came out in February.The sediment samples from the county park averaged 1,919 fecal coliform colonies per 100 milliliters and 1,476 enterococcus colonies per 100 milliliters. Water column samples weren't nearly as high, but increased significantly after the sediments were disturbed.The state limit for safe water contact is 200 colonies for fecal coliform and 35 colonies for enterococcus in salt water and 33 in fresh water.Contact with bacteria-infested water can cause gastrointestinal and skin problems. High readings regularly prompt swimming advisories along the state's beaches and sound areas.But because the riverfront park is along an inland waterway, there isn't any water quality monitoring by state regulators. New Hanover County also doesn't do any regular water sampling.No follow-up samples have been taken since Harrington's, so it wasn't clear whether the problem remains.David Rice, New Hanover County health director, said Wednesday he wasn't aware of any water quality problems at the park but that he planned to look into the matter.Frequentedby familiesThe stretch of the Northeast Cape Fear River through Castle Hayne is popular with swimmers, wakeboarders and fishermen.Tuesday, like most typical summer days, found plenty of people enjoying the river at the popular fishing and swimming hole.None said they had heard about any potential water quality hazard or ever even experienced a problem at the park, such as foul-smelling water, dead fish or sickness after swimming or boating."I've never seen anything out here," said Camie Westbrook, of Castle Hayne, who has been coming to the park all her life. "We've never had any problems."But as their children splashed in the river, Westbrook and Jackie Clark, of Harrells, said the public deserved to know what exactly is lying on the river bottom."We're here all the time, so it would be good to know," Westbrook said.Sediment problemsHarrington, who now lives in California, couldn't be reached for comment.But Cahoon, who oversaw Harrington's work, said the data raise some worrisome questions.North Carolina, like the federal government, has strict rules covering bacteria levels in the water and what constitutes a public health hazard."But there are no such standards for sediments because we're only beginning to appreciate that they can act as reservoirs for these pathogens," Cahoon said.Sediment testing isn't cheap, and researchers admit there isn't enough background science right now to establish what would trigger a health hazard.But officials are increasingly finding that bacteria can live for months at the bottom of waterways.The pathogens then can get kicked up when the water is disturbed, such as by a swimmer or wading pets."That's why we haven't lifted the swimming advisories in Hewletts Creek and Bradley Creek because we don't know what's in the sediment," said J.D. Potts, manager of the state's Recreational Water Quality Program.Readings 'stuck out'Both New Hanover tidal creeks have experienced large sewer spills recently, especially Hewletts, where millions of gallons of untreated wastewater have spewed into the creek from the troubled Northeast Interceptor sewer line.Harrington's research also recorded levels of bacteria in sediment samples from several other boat and public sites, particularly the Bayshore neighborhood boat ramp along Pages Creek.But it was the Castle Hayne park where the readings were exceptionally high - so high that they skewed the study's summary results."That just stuck out like a sore thumb," said Mike Mallin, a water quality expert at UNCW.Because the park numbers were consistently high, Mallin and Cahoon both said there's more than likely a contaminant source near the park site.Potential culprits might include an illicit drainage pipe, a stormwater ditch, leaking septic tanks or feces from wildlife. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cape-fear-samples-yield-unsafe-levels-of-beach-bacteria Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/bill-bans-new-hog-waste-lagoons By: John FuquayRALEIGH — New hog waste lagoons will be permanently banned in North http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/bill-bans-new-hog-waste-lagoons Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cary-has-weird-water-mix-up By: Toby ColemanCARY - The bitter water pouring from Vinay Jain's tap was a water conservation measure gone foul.For http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cary-has-weird-water-mix-up Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/hog-lagoon-phase-out-nearing-final-north-carolina-approval RALEIGH, N.C. — The http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/hog-lagoon-phase-out-nearing-final-north-carolina-approval Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-fund-works-to-protect-state-water By: D.G. Martin http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-water-fund-works-to-protect-state-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/feds-ok-demise-of-dillsboro-dam By: Nanci Bompey DILLSBORO — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/feds-ok-demise-of-dillsboro-dam Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/agreement-on-sewers-to-get-public-airing Draft sets June repair deadlineBy Chris Mazzolini The months-long negotiations between Wilmington officials and state http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/agreement-on-sewers-to-get-public-airing Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cleaning-up-jordan-lake Jordan Lake, in addition to being an important habitat for wildlife (including a breeding population of bald eagles) and a recreation area for people throughout the Triangle, provides drinking water for communities south and east of Orange County, including Durham, Cary, Apex and Chatham County. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/cleaning-up-jordan-lake Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/sewer-overflows-draw-fines-for-union TWELVE MILE CREEK FACILITY State says the plant failed to do anything to improve its problems By: Julia Oliver http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/sewer-overflows-draw-fines-for-union Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-water-rules-debated Environmental plan gets flak By: Carolina Astigarraga CARRBORO - http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-water-rules-debated Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/city-leads-watershed-protection-effort By: David BrackenRALEIGH - More than two years after Raleigh conceived of the idea, a http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/city-leads-watershed-protection-effort Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/2-compounds-a-tad-high-in-durham-water Little danger seen to publicBy: Matt Dees DURHAM - City officials once again are contending with potentially http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/2-compounds-a-tad-high-in-durham-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/public-to-weigh-in-on-jordan-lake-pollution-fix From Staff Reports  Triangle residents can weigh in tonight on a state plan to reduce pollution in Jordan Lake.A public hearing will be held in Carrboro at 6:30 p.m.The http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/public-to-weigh-in-on-jordan-lake-pollution-fix Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/proposed-lake-rules-divide-is-sharp  By: Daniel GoldbergCARRBORO -- One definition of a watershed is it's http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/proposed-lake-rules-divide-is-sharp Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/macon-considers-floodplain-moratorium By: Quintin EllisonA countywide moratorium on floodplain and watershed development http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/macon-considers-floodplain-moratorium Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tests-find-new-durham-water-problem By: Ray Gronberg http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tests-find-new-durham-water-problem Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/forest-service-faces-water-quality-suit Environmentalists want some Tellico watershed trails closedBy: Nanci Bompey MURPHY — Environmental advocacy groups are planning to sue the U.S. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/forest-service-faces-water-quality-suit Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/fests-ecological-efforts-go-beyond-eno By: Lynn Bonner DURHAM - The annual party that celebrates one of the cleanest and http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/fests-ecological-efforts-go-beyond-eno Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-lake-hearings-planned RALEIGH -- Three hearings are scheduled this month http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/jordan-lake-hearings-planned Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/sediment-makes-crabtree-creek-run-milky-white http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/sediment-makes-crabtree-creek-run-milky-white Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/grease-blockage-causes-sewage-spill From Staff ReportsDURHAM - About 72,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a sewer manhole at http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/grease-blockage-causes-sewage-spill Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/new-hanover-eases-its-limits-brunswick-lists-water-rules http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/new-hanover-eases-its-limits-brunswick-lists-water-rules Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/toxins-in-park-linked-to-dumping By: Joe KillianGREENSBORO — When city officials closed Barber Park last week, the http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/toxins-in-park-linked-to-dumping Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/activists-protest-to-end-pig-waste-pits http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/activists-protest-to-end-pig-waste-pits Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/300000-gallons-of-sludge-pumped-from-swamp By: Jennifer CalhounLAURINBURG — At least 300,000 gallons of illegally dumped sludge has http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/300000-gallons-of-sludge-pumped-from-swamp Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/testing-at-park-yields-toxins By: Joe KillianGREENSBORO — Results of the first round of tests at Barber Park were released Tuesday, showing high levels of toxins in the soil and groundwater but low levels of heavy metals.The southeast Greensboro park has been closed since soil there tested positive for lead, mercury and other contaminants last week."We may find higher levels through further testing," said Jeryl Covington, director of the city's environmental services department. "We don't know what's in there or what we might find. But for now, what we've found shouldn't make people concerned."But the tests, conducted by Greensboro's Research & Analytical Laboratories, were positive for petroleum as well as potentially harmful chemicals in the soil and groundwater. The chemicals, which include chlorobenzene and chlorotoluene, are known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. The PAHs discovered are common in solvents, gasoline additives and certain paints."Luckily, everyone in the area has public water and no one is drinking the groundwater," Covington said. "If they were drinking the groundwater, we would be concerned."Phil Singer, director of the Drinking Water Research Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, said PAHs are a major health concern."The compounds that are PAHs have a number of different health effects," Singer said, "but many of the compounds themselves are carcinogens, cancer-causing agents."The park will remain closed indefinitely while more soil and water testing is done and the state decides how to handle the problem, Covington said. Testing will continue this week and will include samples taken at varying levels beneath the ground.Officials aren't sure how the contamination occurred, but Covington said there are clues in the history of the land that is now Barber Park. As early as 1923, the property had unspecified "industrial uses" — a common euphemism for waste dumping. "This was in a period before any environmental regulation," Covington said. "Often, people just filled areas with waste, covered over it and farmed."The land in question wasn't farmed, but Covington said it could have been used as a dumping ground for Greensboro's coal gasification plants. These plants created fuels that heated homes and powered streetlights and boilers. Coal gasification plants also created a toxic byproduct called "coal tar." This tar was often dumped in remote areas or used beneath the streets. It contains many of the chemicals now turning up in Barber Park. According to environmental experts, bad environmental practices were also common at early sewage plants. The South Buffalo Wastewater Treatment Plant operated for 50 years on the land that is now Barber Park."Sewage plants would often have what they called 'lagoons' — areas where they just put sewage and let it settle," said John Nantz, senior environmental health specialist with Guilford County's Department of Environmental Health."The lagoons weren't lined then, so some of that could have gotten into the ground, into the water," he said.Before modern environmental regulation, Nantz said that sewage, petroleum and chemicals were often handled poorly. Also, sludge that had high concentrations of heavy metals and other harmful contaminants was commonly produced from waste and used as fertilizer. According to city records, contractors encountered this sludge in 1987 when converting the land from a sewage plant to a public park. Its removal cost the city an extra $33,000 during road paving.Because the source of the contamination isn't yet known, officials aren't sure which arm of the state's department of environment and natural resources will oversee the case. But Covington said she probably would recommend that the state allow the contamination to break down naturally."Mother nature is an amazing remediator," Covington said. "The plumes of groundwater with contaminants will dissolve themselves over time."She said the park could reopen before that process is complete, but its gates will remain locked for now as tests continue. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/testing-at-park-yields-toxins Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/dam-break http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/dam-break Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/airport-gets-more-time-to-clean-up-sludge A staff report MAXTON — The state has given the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport one more http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/airport-gets-more-time-to-clean-up-sludge Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/chemical-has-pittsboro-water-customers-worried By: Emily Matchar High levels of a chlorine byproduct in the town's water supply have some http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/chemical-has-pittsboro-water-customers-worried Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/a-drought-for-the-ages By: Patrick O'DriscollDrought, a fixture in much of the West for http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/a-drought-for-the-ages Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tainted-water-at-lejeune-suspected-in-deaths  By: The Associated PressThousands of Marines and their families went to serve their country at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/tainted-water-at-lejeune-suspected-in-deaths Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/25000-gallons-of-untreated-sewage-leaks2 By: Staff ReportsAbout 25,000 gallons of untreated wastewater from the TZ Osborne Treatment Plant discharged on Wednesday, the city reported today.The discharge occurred for about 4½ hours due to a contractor hitting a force main. The plant is located at 1625 Oakleigh Dr. The untreated wastewater entered North Buffalo tributary of the Haw river basin. The line was repaired to prevent further discharge. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/25000-gallons-of-untreated-sewage-leaks2 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/relief-for-residents-not-just-hog-farmers http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/relief-for-residents-not-just-hog-farmers Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/lawmakers-others-seek-final-fix-for-n_c_s-hog-lagoons It's been a decade since North Carolina banned pork farmers from building new hog waste lagoons. In that time, environmentalists have tallied the ponds' damage to both rivers and land, and neighbors have complained about their overpowering stench. Scientists have proposed new ways to deal with the sewage, but swine producers have swooned at the cost and complexity.With the September expiration of the lagoon moratorium on the horizon, there are a clutch of proposals at the statehouse on what to do next. While one would simply extend the moratorium for another few years, two others are aimed at resolving the debate once and for all."People are interested in helping us find solutions now," said Lamont Futrell of Wilson, who leads a grass roots group of small swine farmers. "We're seeing the most interest ever in helping us solve this problem, and even helping turn it into something profitable."North Carolina is second only to Iowa in hog farming, with $6.7 billion in annual sales, 46,000 jobs, and 10 million animals that produce 13 million pounds of manure and urine each day.The waste is typically flushed from barns into open-air lagoons, and later sprayed on fields as fertilizer. It's an easy, relatively inexpensive way to deal with the material, but the sewage has polluted waterways during floods. Neighbors are both angered by the smell and worried about potential health hazards.The state began adopting stricter lagoon regulations in the early '90s. But a chain of spills - starting in 1995, when 25 million gallons of sewage leaked into the New River near Richlands - led lawmakers to ban construction of new lagoons in 1997, a "temporary" solution that has already been extended four times. The moratorium also has some loopholes, enough for the state's hog industry to expand by 500,000 swine in the past 10 years.In 2000, pork butchers Smithfield Foods Inc. and Premium Standard Farms Inc. agreed to pay $17.3 million for research on new ways to handle the waste. Last year, researchers at N.C. State University offered five alternatives that - while reducing ammonia and pathogen emissions - are up to five times more expensive as a lagoon system."Some people felt that we might hit on a silver bullet," Futrell said. "We didn't find one."But that research also provided a starting point for compromise.Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-Pender, plans to introduce legislation soon that would effectively block most new lagoons, but also help swine farmers willing to experiment with other ways to treat hog waste pay for the new technology. Her bill would include $10 million in grants for between 50 to 100 farmers."Hopefully, other farmers would then join voluntarily, or perhaps the Legislature would consider mandating participation in the future," said Dan Whittle, a senior attorney in the Raleigh office of Environmental Defense. The volunteer farmers will force down startup costs by demonstrating that the technologies are workable, he said, and by identifying buyers for electricity, "super soil" and other potential byproducts.Under Justice's proposal, existing lagoons could remain in place, but waste systems on new or expanding farms would have to meet performance standards that call for major reductions in odor, water and air pollution, and pathogens.Justice said she deliberately avoided an outright ban, recognizing that lagoons are used in some of the new technologies - most notably, a proposal backed by the North Carolina Pork Council and Progress Energy to capture methane gas for electricity generation."My belief is that one day the waste will be as valuable as the hogs, because they will find - either by burning it, by using it as energy, by converting it to soil supplement - that the waste that we've all hated so much becomes something of value," she said.Two other proposal are already before lawmakers. One, filed by Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin, would bar new lagoons and sprayfields that fail to meet environmental performance standards. The second, sponsored by Rep. Dewey Hill, D-Brunswick, would simply extend the moratorium for another three years."That doesn't make one effort whatsoever to solve the problem," Futrell said. "If we extend the moratorium three years or five years, we're going to get five years down the road and be sitting right where we are."Futrell, whose organization helped Justice and Environmental Defense to write the bill, said farmers are happy to try better ways of doing business - if the state will help with the bankroll."Farmers are innovative people. We can't just go out and buy everything, so we have to make things work for us. With enough people trying something, somebody will eventually come up with a system that's going to work," he said."Do we have solution today? No, ma'am. But we would like to find one. And if we sit idly by and do nothing, we're not going to find one." http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/lawmakers-others-seek-final-fix-for-n_c_s-hog-lagoons Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/state-mulls-stricter-stormwater-rules MOREHEAD CITY — State environmental authorities are considering http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/state-mulls-stricter-stormwater-rules Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pollution-cleanup-bill-won39t-get-a-vote-this-session   http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pollution-cleanup-bill-won39t-get-a-vote-this-session Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/guarding-groundwater  Editorial For five years, state lawmakers sensibly have declined to pass a bill http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/guarding-groundwater Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/well-safety-pumped-up  Lawmakers pass bill on monitoring, water testing http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/well-safety-pumped-up Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/save-shellfish---and-our-heritage Here's a rare piece of good news for North Carolina's shellfish and for http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/save-shellfish---and-our-heritage Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/too-close-for-comfort http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/too-close-for-comfort Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/editorial--path-to-cleaner-waters Raleigh and Durham residents shell out a little money each month to http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/editorial--path-to-cleaner-waters Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/house-votes-to-open-offshore-drilling   http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/house-votes-to-open-offshore-drilling Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/land-rush-runoff-threaten-inner-coast39s-water   http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/land-rush-runoff-threaten-inner-coast39s-water Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/shellfish-at-center-of-murky-issue-in-n_c_-clean-water-fight GARY D. ROBERTSON http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/shellfish-at-center-of-murky-issue-in-n_c_-clean-water-fight Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/testing-of-new-wells-under-fire http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/testing-of-new-wells-under-fire Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/foul-fish-may-extend-to-neuse http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/foul-fish-may-extend-to-neuse Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/flawed-test-data-hides-contamination Water systems muddy their results by testing homes least likely to have lead Pat Stith, Catherine Clabby and David Raynor, Staff Writers http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/flawed-test-data-hides-contamination Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-wells-left-to-chance2 The state has more than 25,000 contaminated sites but no law to ensure wells are safe http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-wells-left-to-chance2 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/study-lists-alternatives-to-hog-lagoons RALEIGH, N.C. -- Making the disposal of hog http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/study-lists-alternatives-to-hog-lagoons Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/study-lists-alternatives-to-hog-lagoons2 Making the disposal of hog farm waste more environmentally friendly http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/study-lists-alternatives-to-hog-lagoons2 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/closing-of-local-waters-to-shellfishing-points-to-coasts-declining-water-quality By Gareth McGrathStaff WriterSince August 2004, all of the waters between Ocean Isle Beach and the South Carolina line have been temporarily closed to clammers and oystermen.After adding more monitoring stations, regulators are re-evaluating the area with the hopes of reopening some sections to shellfishing soon – although the Intracoastal Waterway will likely remain closed, said Patti Fowler, an environmental supervisor with N.C. Shellfish Sanitation.The situation in southwestern Brunswick County is a symptom of what’s taking place along much of the North Carolina coast, where rapid development is quickly followed by the unintended – but well-documented – consequence of falling water quality.New Hanover County’s six tidal creeks have seen their water quality crash as development within their watersheds has increased.Statewide, almost 12,000 acres of shellfishing waters have been lost since 1984, raising the number of permanently closed acres to more than 56,000.But like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, the loss of healthy oyster beds signifies more than just missed opportunities for fishermen.“People move to the coast to live along tidal creeks and the Intracoastal Waterway to enjoy the rich wildlife that enjoys that habitat,” said Tom Reeder, with the N.C. Division of Water Quality’s Wetlands and Stormwater branch. “But if you start losing that, what do you have left? Is clear water enough?”Too much to filter?While state officials have launched a series of new measures to try to stem – and they hope eventually reverse – the gradual decline in coastal water quality, the current situation has been decades in the making.Overfishing, the loss of oyster reefs and disease have decimated the state’s oyster catch, with harvests plummeting from 1.8 million bushels in the early 20th century to an average of 50,000 bushels this decade.The mass migration to the coast in recent decades, and more specifically the runoff from fertilizer to dog waste that human intrusion generates, has further exacerbated the pressure on shellfishing waters.“Back when the stormwater rules were adopted in the late 1980s, I don’t think anyone envisioned the exponential expansion we’ve been seeing all along the North Carolina coast,” Reeder said. “It’s just been rampant growth almost everywhere.”The population of New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, for example, has skyrocketed from 220,000 in 1980 to 312,000 in 2005 – with most of that growth in a narrow ribbon along the coast.Hoping to at least begin addressing the problem, the General Assembly last year approved a plan to establish an oyster hatchery program centered around the state’s three aquariums.Although still in the organizational phase, officials see the program helping boost fortunes for both shellfish farmers and the coast’s water quality.The mollusks play an important role in water quality, with a single oyster able to filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. Thus the healthier and more abundant the state’s oyster population, potentially the cleaner North Carolina’s coastal waters.Consolidating rulesThe state also is looking at new measures on land to prevent the pollutants from making it to the water in the first place.A proposed stormwater program would simplify control efforts by replacing a hodgepodge of often confusing programs with one set of rules. The proposal also is a tacit admission that the current patchwork of rules and regulations hasn’t worked – although some environmentalists think the proposed universal stormwater management program is just as lax.The most controversial part of the program would allow high-density development, which would include collection systems, in areas near sensitive waters.“We’re not trying to handcuff development at all,” Reeder said. “What we’re offering is to remove some of those restrictions in return for making sure you control the stormwater that your project produces.”Mike Mallin, a water-quality expert with the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said the health of shellfishing waters is directly proportional to the amount of roofs, roads and other hardened surfaces found within a watershed.Pass the roughly 12 percent impervious mark, and water quality starts to fall. Reach 30 percent and you start creating an environment for nasty things like toxins.But Mallin said there’s still room for New Hanover to protect its tidal creeks by building smarter where development has yet to occur and – although it’s expensive and often politically unpopular – retrofitting already built-up areas to improve stormwater treatment.“In some of our creeks like Bradley Creek, we’re probably beyond bringing them back,” he said. “But we can hold the line and maybe seek some improvements in others, like Hewletts.”Developer adaptsBuddy Milliken isn’t waiting for direction from the state or local officials with his Woodsong development in Shallotte, where runoff eventually flows in Lockwoods Folly.He is using pervious concrete to help collect stormwater and a man-made wetland to help treat it. He also plans courtyard gardens to help treat runoff before it even reaches the collection system.“I don’t think degradation of the environment has to be an inevitable consequence of development,” Milliken said.But he said regulators also must be willing to work with the development community to offer incentives to get builders to go beyond the minimum requirements.“You don’t cut the lights off on the economy. You adapt.“This is not an experiment. It’s a business enterprise,” he said as the sounds of saws and hammers echoed through his under-construction neighborhood. “But that doesn’t mean it has to be sterilized when it comes to the environment.”Milliken admits he’s selling as much a lifestyle as a home, largely because the clustering of home sites to create large common areas isn’t for everyone.But he firmly believes there’s a growing market for developments like his that are socially, financially and environmentally viable.“If we want to protect what’s drawn us all here, then we need to adjust how we go about continuing to grow,” Milliken said, “and I think there’s a growing realization among everyone about that.” http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/closing-of-local-waters-to-shellfishing-points-to-coasts-declining-water-quality Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/storm-water-runoff-erodes-some-buncombe-hillsides http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/storm-water-runoff-erodes-some-buncombe-hillsides Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pork-giant-agrees-to-new-waste-curbs http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/pork-giant-agrees-to-new-waste-curbs Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/stormwater-degrades-water-quality Runoff from rain and melting snow can transport pollutants http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/stormwater-degrades-water-quality Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-wells-left-to-chance The state has more than 25,000 contaminated sites but no law to ensure wells are safe http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/clean-wells-left-to-chance Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/ideas-for-hog-waste-treatment-are-too-expensive-farmers-say http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/ideas-for-hog-waste-treatment-are-too-expensive-farmers-say Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/state-should-move-to-protect-lake http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/state-should-move-to-protect-lake Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:14:31 -0600 http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/city-hears-runoff-plan A proposed storm-water ordinance unveiled by city of Winston-Salem officials last night would increase the requirements for controlling runoff to reduce water pollution and flooding, and impose steep fines on developers who fail to follow management plans for their sites. It requires that developers and homeowners associations of new projects put money aside to maintain retention ponds and other structures, and it creates a storm-water appeals board to review decisions by the city’s storm-water director. The new plan was reviewed by the public-works committee of the Winston-Salem City Council. The committee will consider the proposed ordinance again at its March 18 meeting. The new plan comes six months after the public-works committee postponed action on an earlier version of the rules in an effort to gain the support of city officials, business groups and neighborhood advocates. The current storm-water ordinance had to be reworked to make sure that the city complies with state and federal rules requiring that runoff be controlled to remove silt and other pollutants to improve water quality. However, the proposed ordinance also contains rules for managing water quantity, provisions that aren’t required by the state or federal government. Runoff has long been a concern of city-council members, who frequently hear complaints from residents about flooding when it rains. Runoff is also an expensive problem. Last year, the council approved having the city pay 70 percent of the cost of storm-water-control improvements on private property. The council has also discussed taking part in a federal buyout program of flood-prone properties, which would require local matching money. Greg Turner, the assistant city manager in charge of public works, began the discussion by summarizing the ordinance’s major components and pointing out changes to the proposed plan made by staff since last fall. The plan requires developers to design storm-water control systems that are able to handle runoff from storms so big that they occur on average only every 25 years. The current standard is a 10-year storm. The new proposed ordinance sets a civil penalty of $1,000 for violations, and allows city officials to issue stop-work orders until compliance problems are fixed. The new plan also allows developers to submit project proposals based on the “old” storm-water rules for up to four months after the new ordinance is approved. Turner said that allowing projects to be grandfathered in under the old rules gives builders time to make the transition. After the overview, the committees then took comments from the crowd of more than 35 people attending the hearing. Builders and real-estate agents said that the 25-year standard is too strict and would make new houses unaffordable. They also called for the city to take over maintenance of any storm-water retention ponds, saying that homeowners associations couldn’t handle the job. “It’s really shortsighted to think that a homeowners association will be able to deal with this,” said Grover Shugart, an area developer. However, neighborhood advocates said that the 25-year design standard was needed to prevent future flooding problems and that the builders’ request that city money be used to maintain the ponds was simply a way to get taxpayers to subsidize the cost of private development. http://www.environmentnorthcarolina.org/in-the-news/clean-water/clean-water/city-hears-runoff-plan Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:15:17 -0600