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Groups lock horns at public hearing
by Kristina Leighton, Wake Weekly Staff Writer
A public hearing on the town of Butner's request to increase the nitrogen it puts into Falls Lake last week turned into a face-off between those who see it as essential to the survival of area towns and those who see it destroying Falls Lake.
An unexpected packed house prompted North Carolina Division of Water Quality officials to extend the deadline on submitting comments to Oct. 8. So many showed up at the hearing -- including several locals -- that the Butner meeting hall filled to its 125-person capacity. Security officers turned the overflow away. Some had driven several hours to attend the meeting and stood outside the windows to hear the exchange inside. The town of Butner submitted a request earlier this year to double its nitrogen discharge by purchasing additional credits from a Pamlico County utility company and moving them 200 miles upstream to Knap of Reeds Creek, a tributary of Falls Lake. Nitrogen is a byproduct of the sewage treatment process. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is the largest nutrient pollution transfer for water proposed in the United States. Falls Lake provides drinking water for more than 340,000 people, including those in Raleigh, Rolesville and part of Wake Forest. In response to the request, Neuse River Foundation activists voiced concerns that the added nitrogen will promote further algae growth in the lake, disrupting aquatic life and even causing health problems in humans. Neuse Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks has attributed recent fish kills in the lower Neuse estuary to excess nutrients in the water, and said he worries it is a sign of things to come in Falls Lake if more nitrogen is added. Millions of fish in the lower Neuse near New Bern are reported to have died in the last few weeks, many plagued with open sores. After hearing some opposition, the N.C. Division of Water Quality agreed to host a public hearing before making a decision on the matter. An appointed hearing officer presided over the meeting. The N.C. DWQ is the ultimate authority on whether or not the transfer can take place, but even their decision can be challenged in court. Several Granville County, Creedmoor and Butner town leaders spoke on the desperate need the area has for the increased sewer capacity. The additional nitrogen credits would allow the town to increase its sewer plant from 5.5 million gallons a day to 7.7 million gallons a day. The town of Creedmoor sends its sewage waste to Butner for treatment. Leon Turner, the director of economic development in Granville County, said the county is concerned with its ability to provide adequate employment. Without the added sewer capacity, the area will have no way to grow, he said. "We're at a virtual dead-end in South Granville County in our ability to attract jobs," he said. "We urge you to approve this permit -- our viability depends on it." Without the additional sewer capacity, many in the area will have to rely on septic tanks, he said. Supporters also cited a study conducted by the engineering firm TRC/ Triangle, Inc. which determined such a transfer would have no significant environmental impact. Department of Health and Human Services representative Terry Hatcher said that with its new facility, the John Umstead Wastewater Treatment Plant would actually reduce its discharge of nitrogen and phosphorous through the year 2017. "The fact is, on the first day it opens and begins discharge, we will be cleaner than we are today," he said. Others suggested critics look at Durham and Hillsborough. Butner contributes only one-tenth of the nitrogen those two cities discharge, town leaders said. "Our goal is not to harm anybody's drinking water," said Angela Mangum, a Creedmoor town commissioner. "We just want a brighter future for our county and to have our basic needs fulfilled with access to water and sewer." Several others from the Wake Forest and Raleigh areas spoke to the DWQ about the importance of protecting their drinking water and the quality of Falls Lake. "We in Wake Forest completely support Butner's efforts to grow," said Wake Forest Town Manager Mark Williams. "But all we seem to have in front of us is educated guesses about what these changes will do to Falls Lake. "All we ask is that you guarantee us our drinking water won't be affected by the changes you're proposing before you proceed," he said. Rolesville Town Commissioner Frank Eagles, who is also a member of the Friends of Falls Lake committee, also spoke against the change. "If this water is going to be so clean, why don't you pump it into your own lakes?" he asked. "We don't want to play in it, we don't want to fish in it and we don't want to drink it." Wake Forest resident Cindy McGuire said she worries about the effects excess nutrients in the water might have on her grandchildren, whom she regularly takes to swim in Falls Lake. "If they get sick, I'll need your phone numbers, because I need to know where to send the bills," she said. Naujoks and Baldwin said approving the proposal is illegal. A section of Knap of Reeds Creek, the stream into which the treated water would be directly dumped, is already considered impaired. Allocating 61,130 pounds of additional nitrogen without determining the reasons behind the impairment would be a violation of the Clean Water Act, he said. "The state must deny this permit or we will see you in court," Naujoks said. Supporters of the transfer said they felt unfairly singled out by the opposition. "I think people here tonight have taken the smallest player in the crowd to vent your frustrations over the damage that has been done to Falls Lake," said David Currin, a Granville County Commissioner. Jimmie Overton, the appointed hearing officer for the N.C. Division of Water Quality, will accept comments through Oct. 8. He will then have 90 days to make a decision on whether or not to approve Butner's proposal.
Last Updated On: September 30, 2004
Copyright 2004 The Wake Weekly