Friday, February 23, 2001
Friday, February 23, 2001 |
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Environmentalists ready to call in the feds
By JOHN
MUNFORD
Worried that Line Creek isn't as healthy as it used to be, local environmental activists are ready to call in the big guns if the city won't agree to have a neutral party review environmental studies performed on the tributary. Dennis Chase of the Line Creek Association told the Peachtree City Council last week that LCA is prepared to notify federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if the group's proposal is rebuffed. "We want to find out how sound that (watershed) assessment really is," Chase said. "Our view is that there are very serious flaws in this document." Chase said LCA wants the information to be reviewed by an out-of-state professor who specializes in such matters. If any irregularities are found, the professor could issue certain recommendations for improving the situation, Chase added. The review would likely cost around $1,000, and LCA would be willing to contribute funds to that, Chase said. Time is of the essence since two impending projects could dramatically affect the water quality in Line Creek, Chase said, including: 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. Dragging in the federal agencies "would be a lengthy process" and could delay both those projects, Chase warned. "That doesn't bode well for any of us," he said. The EPA alone could request more information that could take a while to produce, Chase said. And an endangered species study could take more time, he added. Larry Turner, general manager of the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority, said it will likely be another six months before the EPD is prepared to give the city permits to increase the amount of sewage it can treat. LCA wanted to avoid funding the study fully so it wouldn't appear the results were biased, Chase added. Mayor Bob Lenox said he wanted staff to consider the idea before council approved it. He added that council also recently spent $130,000 for a watershed study to do just what Chase is suggesting. But one of the disputes the LCA has about the city's watershed assessment is how to interpret it. Chase explained that requirements of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division are not as stringent as they should be. The EPD wants a proposed monitoring program to include water quality testing on a quarterly basis instead of the twice-yearly tests proposed by the city. EPD also has asked for recommendations to improve the existing watershed assessments of the city and the county. Councilwoman Carol Fritz also questioned EPD's measures, saying that about eight studies once said Line Creek was "impaired" but just one follow-up study allowed EPD to remove that negative designation. Fritz said one of the original reasons the city had put Chase's independent study idea on hold was that funds were being sought by scientists to conduct a study in Peachtree City that would provide similar results. Now, however, she supports the LCA position of getting an independent evaluation of Line Creek "so we can better understand the issue." Fritz said the cost was very small consider the possible benefits it might bring. Lenox said he didn't mind spending the money, but he is wary of having to redo all or parts of the watershed assessment because of the potential recommendations from the independent professor who might review the documents. Councilman Robert Brooks said he understood the concerns were that the watershed assessment was not as accurate as it needed to be. Lenox instructed City Manager Jim Basinger to meet with Chase to discuss his concerns and report to council in the near future. At a recent LCA meeting, Chase expressed concern that water quality in Line Creek could be deteriorating due to the shrinking number of aquatic organisms found living in the water. For example, in samples Chase took in September, he found 678 specimens at Line Creek near Highway 54. Further down the line, at Rockaway Road, he found only 126 specimens. "It's a very significant change between two habitats," Chase told the LCA.
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