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alikiThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking to let sewer plants release a blend of untreated waste and processed sewage during heavy rains or snow. Often plants functioning near capacity are swamped during severe storms, causing storage tanks to overflow and spill raw sewage into bodies of water. Virtually all of New Jersey's coastline, bays and all inland waterways would be subject to higher levels of pollution if the EPA scheme is approved, said 26 organizations signing onto a Tuesday letter to the EPA.
This would included 500,000 people who draw drinking water from the Delaware River would be put at risk along with wildlife in smaller streams, the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, opponents said. "Anyone on the street can tell you what goes down your toilet should not come out of the faucet," said Douglas O'Malley, clean water advocate for the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group.
Debate hinges on whether blending is a permanent solution or the federal government should send states and municipalities money to fix aging infrastructure. Across the state, 170 million gallons of sewage are released each day, according to one 1998 estimate. Typically, this waste is given two phases of treatment -- one involves sifting out solids and the other destroying viruses, parasites and other pollutants. After that it is disinfected with chlorine.
Bush is seeking to let swamped plants skip the second step before releasing water.
The dangers are two-fold, O'Malley and others said. While relaxing standards throughout the nation Bush is also looking to slash the EPA budget by $2.3 billion. The result would be older facilities not being upgraded. "Pretty soon if it goes through we'll be saying 'Welcome to New Jersey, don't drink the water," said Kelly McNicholas of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
"These rules would allow contaminants found in the Third World to come through our taps at First World prices." Jim Halion, director of the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, disagreed in a Tuesday interview. The option to changing the rules is allowing swamped plants to spill raw sewage into waterways, EPA officials contend.
Halion said every sewer plant in the nation currently has a permitted limit of contaminants it can discharge. Under the blending proposal they would still need to meet those guidelines, Halion said. "Our feeling is that as long as they meet that permit, what the treatment plant operator does is their own business," Halion said, adding EPA officials are looking at ways to begin an estimated $120 billion in upgrades nationwide needed to sewer facilities.
Sen. Stephen Sweeney, D-3 of West Deptford, derided the Bush plan. "If the proposal is allowed to stand it will set the nation's water preservation efforts back decades," Sweeney said.
"Shellfish operations that have just gotten back on their feet in South Jersey will be decimated once again. Swimmers, bathers and other recreational users of ours rivers, bays and oceans will stand a much greater chance of becoming contaminated." Samuel Wolfe, the Department of Environmental Protection's assistant commissioner handling the matter, said the state plans to submit comments critical of some parts of the rules but doe not oppose them.
"All it is is a draft policy or guidance. Nothing in it is legally binding," Wolfe said."It is flawed because they are treating blending as a permanent solution to a problem. Gov. James E. McGreevey, who enacted strict wastewater rules last year to choke rampant development, has been at odds with Pres. George W. Bush's environmental policy in the past. McGreevey and officials in several states are already involved in litigation to force power plants in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio to reduce pollution.
By Terrence Dopp
Bridgeton News - 2/4/2004
This would included 500,000 people who draw drinking water from the Delaware River would be put at risk along with wildlife in smaller streams, the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, opponents said. "Anyone on the street can tell you what goes down your toilet should not come out of the faucet," said Douglas O'Malley, clean water advocate for the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group.
Debate hinges on whether blending is a permanent solution or the federal government should send states and municipalities money to fix aging infrastructure. Across the state, 170 million gallons of sewage are released each day, according to one 1998 estimate. Typically, this waste is given two phases of treatment -- one involves sifting out solids and the other destroying viruses, parasites and other pollutants. After that it is disinfected with chlorine.
Bush is seeking to let swamped plants skip the second step before releasing water.
The dangers are two-fold, O'Malley and others said. While relaxing standards throughout the nation Bush is also looking to slash the EPA budget by $2.3 billion. The result would be older facilities not being upgraded. "Pretty soon if it goes through we'll be saying 'Welcome to New Jersey, don't drink the water," said Kelly McNicholas of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
"These rules would allow contaminants found in the Third World to come through our taps at First World prices." Jim Halion, director of the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, disagreed in a Tuesday interview. The option to changing the rules is allowing swamped plants to spill raw sewage into waterways, EPA officials contend.
Halion said every sewer plant in the nation currently has a permitted limit of contaminants it can discharge. Under the blending proposal they would still need to meet those guidelines, Halion said. "Our feeling is that as long as they meet that permit, what the treatment plant operator does is their own business," Halion said, adding EPA officials are looking at ways to begin an estimated $120 billion in upgrades nationwide needed to sewer facilities.
Sen. Stephen Sweeney, D-3 of West Deptford, derided the Bush plan. "If the proposal is allowed to stand it will set the nation's water preservation efforts back decades," Sweeney said.
"Shellfish operations that have just gotten back on their feet in South Jersey will be decimated once again. Swimmers, bathers and other recreational users of ours rivers, bays and oceans will stand a much greater chance of becoming contaminated." Samuel Wolfe, the Department of Environmental Protection's assistant commissioner handling the matter, said the state plans to submit comments critical of some parts of the rules but doe not oppose them.
"All it is is a draft policy or guidance. Nothing in it is legally binding," Wolfe said."It is flawed because they are treating blending as a permanent solution to a problem. Gov. James E. McGreevey, who enacted strict wastewater rules last year to choke rampant development, has been at odds with Pres. George W. Bush's environmental policy in the past. McGreevey and officials in several states are already involved in litigation to force power plants in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio to reduce pollution.
By Terrence Dopp
Bridgeton News - 2/4/2004
