Problems last week with the private sewage system at Landmark Village Mobile Home Park on Milam Road will result in a consent order issued by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

Residents say raw sewage spilling onto the ground and into a nearby creek is not the only issue facing residents of the 524-home community.

Environmental Specialist Tilden Bembry said Monday that EPD will soon enter into a consent order with Landmark Village owner ARC Affordable Residential Communities.

The order, Bembry said, normally includes a corrective action plan and a fine. The order will stem from a sewage release into a small creek adjacent to the development’s pump lift sewage station. The creek is classified as “waters of the state of Georgia.” The creek empties into Whitewater Creek, a drinking water source for portions of Fayette County.

Attempts to contact ARC Division Manager Steve Messer were unsuccessful.

Though tied into the Fulton County sewer system, reports of sewage spilling onto the ground were received by Fayette County Environmental Health on Nov. 14, according to Environmental Health County Manager Rick Fehr.

A visit to the site confirmed that a temporary pump was leaking sewage onto the ground, he said. Maintenance workers on site explained that the problems would be resolved.

That resolution had not come by Nov. 16. Nor had a response from company officials been forthcoming, Fehr said. EPD became involved when Fehr notified the agency on Nov. 20.

Calls about the continuing problem were received by Fayette EMA on Nov. 21 and 22. Those calls triggered the involvement of EMA, Fayette Marshal’s Department and Fayette Environmental Health.

Visits to Landmark resulted in maintenance workers receiving explicit instructions to correct the problem that caused the public health concern, Fehr said.

While at the site last week, Fayette marshals and Fayette EMA Lt. Scott Roberts instructed maintenance workers to secure the fencing around the lift station area.

The gate had been removed, leaving sewage tanks open, causing a potential health hazard for any young children that might venture into the area, Roberts said.

Roberts said the malfunctioning temporary pump had thrown raw sewage onto the ground around the pump, evidenced by the dried sewage still on the ground. Fayette officials stayed on the property until the gate had been replaced.

A replacement pump that should resolve the problem is slated to arrive sometime this week, Bembry said.

James Chichinsky has lived at Landmark Village for seven years. His back yard is less than 50 feet from the development’s small sewage facility. Problems with the sewage system had been ongoing since the summer but worsened significantly nearly a month ago, Chichinsky said. The system operates on two pumps, he said, and a loud alarm sounds when one of the pumps goes off-line.

“There is usually a light scent of sewage but three and a half weeks ago it became much stronger. That is when both of the pumps went down,” Chichinsky explained. “I called the office and was told it would be fixed in five days, but it wasn’t. When they did put in a temporary pump the flexible pipe connected to the pump must have had a loose connection because sewage began spewing out on to the ground. The smell was bad and it got into my house.”

Chichinsky described having to continuously sanitize his home to fight back the smell that permeated the house. During those few weeks, he frequently called the ARC district supervisor but never received a return call. Now that Fayette County is involved, Chichinsky hopes the issue can be resolved once and for all.

“Me and my kids shouldn’t have to live like this,” he said.

Other Landmark residents like K. Sierra Leone and Stetson Todd said raw sewage flowing onto the ground and into the creek are not the only problems at the development.

Other issues included increases in crime, the condition and number of abandoned homes and a general deterioration of the park. Sierra Leone thought it interesting that the sewage spill came at the time of a $25 rental fee increase beginning Jan. 1 that will bring her monthly space rental to nearly $400.

Commenting Monday, Fehr said the county is looking at other issues at Landmark such as the accumulation of trash and debris, vacant homes and vehicles without proper tags.

As a long-time resident at Landmark, Sierra Leone said upgraded county ordinances are needed. Such a move would prompt ARC to provide a healthier and safer residential environment for its residents, she said.

“It’s outrageous when property owners turn into slum lords. The county should step in. And when conditions aren’t brought into order the county should change the ordinances to protect the citizens. Local ordinances have to change with the times,” Sierra Leone said.

Problems like having large numbers of people sharing one home and a growing number of abandoned homes that pose safety risks for children at play are two of the persistent issues that are changing the living environment for the worse, Sierra Leone said, noting some of the changes at Landmark in recent years. Some of those changes include an influx of Hispanic residents.

“The problem is not with the Hispanics. They come to this country wanting what everyone else wants for their families,” said the bilingual Sierra Leone, a long-time advocate for Hispanics. “But the way they do it sometimes destroys communities. And I believe our community has been destroyed. We’re at rock bottom. I’ve never seen it worse. I think the county will help since the property owners are not responsive.”

After speaking with concerned residents last week, South Fulton/Fayette Community Task Force (SFFCTF) Chairman Connie Biemiller contacted Fulton and Fayette counties about the sewage issue. The problem at Landmark Village is another unfortunate example of a public health concern, she said.

“It has become more and more apparent to the South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force that a Neighborhood Environmental Watch Group must be put in place within our communities for the ongoing safety of our neighbors,” Biemiller said. “We urge ARC Properties to take better care of their residents. It is our understanding that ARC does not appear to respond in a timely manner when reluctant residents finally complain of hazards. We would hope that ARC Properties is not taking advantage of residents with possible non-citizen status and allowing them to live in hazardous conditions.”

Sierra Leone said the assistance of SFFCTF was appreciated. The task force was formed after hundreds of nearby residents reported illnesses during the summer and fall after what they said was exposure to emissions from a local waste treatment plant.

“I’m glad the task force is involved,” Sierra Leone said. “The situation here is another example of how people’s health is affected.”

ARC Affordable Residential Communities operates 57,600 home sites in nearly 280 locations in 24 states from New York to California, according to the company’s Web site. ARC is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

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