Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
Groups Blast EPA Plan To Reduce Waste Treatment During Floods
11/05/03
Sabrina Eaton
Plain Dealer Bureau
Washington- Environmental groups are raising a stink over a new Bush
administration plan to allow sewer plants to only partially treat waste during
floods.
They say public health is threatened by the Environmental Protection Agency plan
announced Monday that would let plants bypass two out of three waste treatment
procedures during high flow periods.
"More Americans would get sick from waterborne illnesses because of this
indefensible and illegal policy change," said Nancy Stoner, director of the
Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean Water Project.
The policy draft would allow municipal sewage treatment plants to skip two out
of three treatment phases during rains heavy enough to overwhelm their
facilities. The partly treated waste would then be treated with chlorine and
blended with fully treated waste before it is discharged into waterways.
Advocates of the policy, including the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage
Agencies, say the practice prevents backups into homes and discharge of
completely untreated sewage into lakes, rivers and streams.
For decades, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and other facilities in
Ohio have resorted to partial treatment during emergencies, but the federal EPA
has cracked down on the procedure in other parts of the country.
The new policy was written to make enforcement consistent throughout the nation,
said Jim Hanlon, director of the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management. He said
all discharged water would still have to meet cleanliness standards required by
each plant's discharge permit.
"We feel the environment and human health are being protected," said Hanlon, who
anticipates the policy will be finalized next spring after the EPA reviews
comments on the plan.
Ohio officials believe the practice will be safe if water quality permit limits
are met, said Linda Oros, spokeswoman for the Ohio EPA.
"It is partially treated, but it is treated," she said.
Regional Sewer District Executive Director Erwin Odeal said that abandoning the
emergency practice known as "blending" in favor of stricter standards would cost
sewer agencies "countless billions" in upgrade costs.
Environmentalists say those upgrades are exactly what's needed.
"I would say we should be investing more money into our water infrastructure to
protect human health," said Navis Bermudez of the Sierra Club.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
seaton@plaind.com, 216-999-4212