Philip Services Corp. (PSC) agreement Monday with Fulton County to no longer discharge industrial wastewater into the county sewer system will have an effect on its operations. The extent of that effect and all operational options are currently being evaluated by company officials and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

“PSC Recovery Systems (PSC) agreed Monday to withdraw its request to renew its wastewater pretreatment discharge permit, which will expire December 22. PSC will instead transport its treated wastewater to other waste handling services, which do not utilize the Fulton sewage system, for disposal. The Fulton County sewer system is one disposal option for the company and discontinuance of the permit will not curtail operations at the plant,” PSC officials said in a Dec. 4 press release.

PSC Area Operations Manager Paul Butsavage said Tuesday the agreement with Fulton County has a impact on the plant’s operations as it relates to discharging industrial wastewater water into the Fulton sewer system. The company is working closely with EPD to explore potential options and would prefer to complete those consultations prior to announcing the scope of its options, Butsavage said. One option mentioned by Butsavage was the potential of trucking water off-site since it can no longer be discharged into the sewer system.

Butsavage said the Fairburn plant will continue to process solid waste in accordance with the company’s Solid Waste Handling Permit and will work closely with EPD to operate within the framework of the permit.

Regarding options open to PSC, EPD Solid Waste Manager Jeff Cown said Tuesday his office learned of the agreement earlier in the day and was not certain at this stage what options might be available to PSC.

“We are actively looking at this,” Cown said.

PSC has long held a pre-treatment Permit with Fulton County that provides for the discharge of industrial wastewater into the county sewer system once the treatment process is complete. PSC reached an agreement with Fulton County to withdraw its next Pre-treatment application that is set to expire Dec. 22. PSC also agreed to physically plug the on-site sewer connections and not to make application for future Pre-treatment permit for at least six years.

The agreement stems from the county’s investigation of PSC’s waste treatment and discharge practices, including an incident in June 2006 involving wash water containing the pesticide ethoprop, sold under the brand name MOCAP, and shipped to PSC from AMVAC in Axis, Alabama, according to Public Works Director Angela Parker.

Many of the hundreds of sickened residents in a 40 square-mile area around the plant have maintained that those illnesses originated from emissions of MOCAP and Propyl mercaptan that were brought onto plant property.

PSC is currently in compliance with EPD regulations. PSC officials cited an October study conducted by Georgia Division of Public Health stating, “We have no evidence the plant’s ongoing operations pose a health threat to the community.”

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