Recent Smoking Guns Identified
Pollution of Wheeler Lake, particularly the area downstream of the Decatur Utilities Waste Treatment facility has been a topic of claims and denial for over a year. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has issued a list of non-compliant entities in Lawrence and Morgan Counties in north Alabama (http://adem.alabama.gov/newsEvents/notices/mar17/3sid2.htm). The Industrial Section, Water Division identified companies and a city utility that were determined by ADEM to not have met the standards required by their permit.
Obviously, one could assume that an entity in “Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards” would be guilty of discharging polluted waste or otherwise allowing non-compliant water/liquid to be exposed to the environment. The public notices published by ADEM does not specify the level of non-compliance but only as “Significant Non-Compliance” which probably indicates levels much higher than allowed by permit.
Also not specified is the area(s) contaminated. Considering the location of those in violation the public could deduce Wheeler Lake was on the receiving end of the discharges.
The Decatur Utilities (Decatur Utilities WWTP) is identified in each of the non-compliance notices. Such inclusion puts Decatur Utilities WWTP in the center of the Wheeler Lake contamination issue.
Here are the ADEM’s non-compliance notices for you to read and decide for yourself who is contaminating an area of Wheeler Lake, and as a result, fish and other water dependant organisms and public drinking water.
Lawrence County, Alabama
Pursuant to 40 CFR Part 403, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is required to Public Notice any Industrial User that is in Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards at any time during the previous twelve months. This notice is intended to inform the public that Morris Farm Landfill, SID Permit Number IU084000290, located at 4 County Road 418, Hillsboro, Alabama 35643, which discharges wastewater to the Decatur Utilities WWTP (AL0048593), was in significant non-compliance during the fiscal year 2016 by discharging wastewater in exceedance of the permit limitations in Part I.A of the permit.
Decatur Utilities Wastewater Service Area. Source Decatur Utilities
Morgan County, Alabama
Pursuant to 40 CFR Part 403, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is required to Public Notice any Industrial User that is in Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards at any time during the previous twelve months. This notice is intended to inform the public that Polyplex USA, LLC., SID Permit Number IU085200553, located at 3001 Mallard Fox Drive NW, Decatur, Alabama 35601, which discharges wastewater to the Decatur Utilities WWTP (AL0048593), was in significant non-compliance during the fiscal year 2016 by discharging wastewater prohibited by the general pretreatment guidelines in 40 CFR 403.
Pursuant to 40 CFR Part 403, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is required to Public Notice any Industrial User that is in Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards at any time during the previous twelve months. This notice is intended to inform the public that Decatur-Morgan Reg MSW Landf, SID Permit Number IU085200552, located at 500 Landfill Drive, Trinity, Alabama 35673, which discharges wastewater to the Decatur Utilities WWTP (AL0048593), was in significant non-compliance during the fiscal year 2016 by failing to analyze parameters required to be sampled by Part I.A of the permit.
Pursuant to 40 CFR Part 403, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is required to Public Notice any Industrial User that is in Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards at any time during the previous twelve months. This notice is intended to inform the public that Wayne Farms Further Processing, SID Permit Number IU085200478, located at 100 Plugs Drive, Decatur, Alabama 35601, which discharges wastewater to the Decatur Utilities WWTP (AL0048593), was in significant non-compliance during the fiscal year 2016 by discharging wastewater in exceedance of the technical review criteria found at 40 CFR 403.8(f)(2)(viii)(B).
Pursuant to 40 CFR Part 403, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is required to Public Notice any Industrial User that is in Significant Non-Compliance with applicable Pretreatment Standards at any time during the previous twelve months. This notice is intended to inform the public that Alphapet, Inc., SID Permit Number IU085200551, located at 1301 Finley Island Rd, Decatur, Alabama 35601, which discharges wastewater to the Decatur Utilities WWTP (AL0048593), was in significant non-compliance during the fiscal year 2016 by discharging wastewater prohibited by the general pretreatment guidelines in 40 CFR 403.
ADEM
Industrial Section
Water Division
Post Office Box 301463
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1463
