Friday, February 16, 2001
Friday, February 16, 2001 |
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Line Creek lacks signs of quality water, environmentalist argues
By JOHN
MUNFORD
Fearing that water quality in Line Creek is getting worse, environmental activists are seeking an independent review of tests and studies that have been performed on the water for the past few years. Dennis Chase of the Line Creek Association recently made a presentation about deteriorating water quality in Line Creek. One clue that the quality of the water is deteriorating is the shrinking number of organisms found living in the water, he said. The population of a particular type of mussel has shrunk dramatically, he explained. For example, in samples Chase took in September, he found 678 specimens at Line Creek near Ga. Highway 54. Further down the line, at Rockaway Road, he found only 126 specimens. "It's a very significant change between two habitats," Chase said. Chase warned that two future projects could potentially worsen Line Creek's water quality: The county water system's construction of Lake McIntosh as a water reservoir. Peachtree City increasing the amount of treated sewage it discharges into the creek to 6 million gallons per day. The reservoir would limit the amount of water flowing to the part of Line Creek where the sewage plant discharges, making the discharge less diluted with normal water, Chase said. And increasing the sewage discharge by over 1 million gallons will further damage water quality, he added. A plea to Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox to fund $800 to $1,200 to hire an out-of-state expert to review tests and studies on Line Creek was rebuffed, Chase said. Chase had also indicated the association's willingness to stick by the results of that study, whatever they were. Partially, the reason for Lenox turning the plan down is because a federal grant is being pursued to study the same items in Peachtree City, Chase noted. But that study could come in too late, he warned. So Chase presented a few suggestions to members of the Line Creek Association. One is to pay for the study through LCA funds, which has the drawback of giving the appearance that the results will be slanted, Chase said. Another suggestion was to raise the funds from people in the community to fund the review of the documents. Chase also wants to alert federal agencies about the issue, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. Chase added that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division is too understaffed to study these issues thoroughly before issuing the appropriate permits. Yet another alternative, yet less viable to Chase, was the possibility of filing a lawsuit. Chase said he would poll the members of the association to determine which avenue to take first. The expansion of the daily sewer system discharge could simply be a move to acquire the last remaining amount of discharge that's left on Line Creek, Chase said, admitting that his views might be "harsh." Judging water quality can also be subjective, Chase warned, explaining that he judges it partially by the biology of the water. Chase also warned anyone against fishing, or wading in, Line Creek.
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