9.6 million gallons of raw sewage and billions of gallons of minimally treated sewage released to the Pearl River and its tributaries in the second quarter of 2019. From Apr-June 2019, 43 separate Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) discharges to "Waters of the State" occurred from the collection system sewer lines associated with the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). During this quarter, 165,760 gallons of raw sewage were released to Town Creek, 76,480 to Lynch Creek, 32,100 to Hanging Moss Creek, 10,150 to Purple Creek and 9.3 million gallons of raw sewage directly to the Pearl River. Total untreated sewage released by City of Jackson to the Pearl River watershed in the first two quarters of 2019 adds up to over 33.2 million gallons, enough to fill 50 Olympic size swimming pools. To put this amount in perspective, in 2016, Alabama Waterkeepers calculated the total sewage spilled for the entire year of 2016 throughout the entirety of Alabama waterways at 28.8 million gallons. The City of Jackson sanitary sewer system is exceeding this amount in 6 months into one watershed, our Pearl River. The US EPA suggests a benchmark of less than 4 SSOs per 100 miles of sewer per year. Last year, the City of Jackson had 18 SSO events per 100 miles of sewer. What is a a Sanitary Sewer Overflow? A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is an event in which untreated sewage is discharged from the sewage collection system into the environment prior to reaching the sewage treatment facilities. These discharges endanger human health, cause property damage, and degrade our local water quality.
What causes SSO events? The SSO events experienced by the City of Jackson collection system were caused by excessive flow, collapsed pipes, grease/fat buildup, and blockages from roots and solids. EPA Consent Decree In November 2012, the Jackson City Council entered into a consent decree with the EPA and MDEQ regarding operations at the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. The consent decree required the City to pay a civil penalty of $437,916, execute a $875,000 environmental project, and overhaul its wastewater treatment plant and collection systems. The City was given 18 years to fully comply, with the vast majority of the work to be completed within the next 11 years (by 2023). The City of Jackson was required to develop prioritization work plans, rehabilitation plans, preventative maintenance programs and supplemental environmental program timelines. The City is required to submit quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports to the EPA and must publish these on their website. Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant According to the 2019 quarterly reports, a Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant "Prohibited Bypass" that began on Dec 9, 2018 and lasted several months released 4.06 billion gallons of minimally treated sewage to the Pearl River. A "Prohibited Bypass" occurs when the plant is overwhelmed with excessive flow, usually due to high rain events, and bypasses must occur. "All bypassed volume is chlorinated, de-chlorinated and required samples taken prior to blending with the mechanical plant effluent and subsequently discharged to the Pearl River". Is public notification required during an SSO event?
Where have the City of Jackson 2019 SSO events occurred?
Check out our interactive map below to find out if a SSO event occurred in your City of Jackson neighborhood. Click on the pinned locations for information about the date, location, cause of the overflow, and amount of untreated sewage released. Large Scale Map Link
One Lake project's Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement (FS/EIS) and other required documents may be sent to the Army Corps of Engineers as early as this September, a spokesperson for the Pearl River River Vision Foundation reported at the Rankin Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District (Levee Board) meeting this morning. Here's a partial list of all of the potential hurdles required of the Levee Board before and after the FS/EIS report is sent to the Corps. Before sending the FS/EIS to the Corps, the project sponsors must:
Once complete, send FS/EIS and other required documents to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works ((ASA(CW)). Upon receipt of the FS/EIS, the ASA(CW) will refer the study to the Chief of Engineers for review and comments. The ASA(CW) will review for compliance with law, policy and procedures. ASA (CW) will submit to the Committee on the Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that describes whether the project if feasible and any recommendations or conditions. Office of Water Project Review (OWPR) will prepare comments. OWPR will dispatch letters transmitting information regarding the project proposal, draft environmental compliance documents and related documents to State and Federal agencies for comment. Once the FS/EIS is deemed acceptable to the ASA (CW), the project sponsors must:
ASA(CW) will prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact or Record of Decision. ASA(CW) will submit its recommendation to the Office of Management and Budget and then to Congress. If ASA (CW) issues positive Record of Decision, the project sponsors must then:
Follow Pearl Riverkeeper for news as this process progresses. 23.6 million gallons of raw sewage and billions of gallons of minimally treated sewage to the Pearl River and its tributaries in the first quarter of 2019. From Jan-March 2019, 65 separate Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) discharges to "Waters of the State" occurred from the collection system sewer lines associated with the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). In the first quarter 2019, raw sewage released from the West Bank Interceptor line totaled 23 million gallons, 4 times the total amount of raw sewage released during the entire year of 2018. Untreated sewage has flowed into most of the Jackson creeks that lead to the Pearl River, including Town, Eubanks, Belhaven, Lynch, Hanging Moss, Eastover and others. What is a a Sanitary Sewer Overflow? A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is an event in which untreated sewage is discharged from the sewage collection system into the environment prior to reaching the sewage treatment facilities. These discharges endanger human health, cause property damage, and degrade our local water quality.
The SSO events experienced by the City of Jackson collection system were caused by excessive flow, collapsed pipes, grease/fat buildup, and blockages from roots and solids. Higher than average rainfall in the first quarter of 2019 overwhelmed the system. In addition, the City of Jackson's aging sewer lines are crumbling and collapsing in many areas. EPA Consent Decree In November 2012, the Jackson City Council entered into a consent decree with the EPA and MDEQ regarding operations at the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. The consent decree required the City to pay a civil penalty of $437,916, execute a $875,000 environmental project, and overhaul its wastewater treatment plant and collection systems. The City was given 18 years to fully comply, with the vast majority of the work to be completed within the next 11 years (by 2023). The City of Jackson was required to develop prioritization work plans, rehabilitation plans, preventative maintenance programs and supplemental environmental program timelines. The City is required to submit quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports to the EPA and must publish these on their website. Recent City of Jackson actions
Consent Decree Renegotiation The City of Jackson has requested that the EPA review the Consent Decree for potential renegotiation citing lack of funding to complete the necessary requirements of the original decree. The EPA is currently working through that process. If there is a "major modification" to the Consent Decree, then the amended decree will go to public notice with an associated public comment period. Pearl Riverkeeper will keep you updated if this occurs. Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant According to the 2019 first quarterly report, there has been an ongoing "Prohibited Bypass" at the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant since Dec 9, 2018. A "Prohibited Bypass" occurs when the plant is overwhelmed with excessive flow, usually due to high rain events, and bypasses must occur. "All bypassed volume is chlorinated, de-chlorinated and required samples taken prior to blending with the mechanical plant effluent and subsequently discharged to the Pearl River". As of the end of the first quarter reporting period, 2.47 billion gallons of minimally treated sewage has been discharged to the Pearl River. Is public notification required during an SSO event?
Where have the City of Jackson 2019 SSO events occurred? Check out our interactive map below to find out if a SSO event occurred in your City of Jackson neighborhood. Click on the pinned locations for information about the date, location, cause of the overflow, and amount of untreated sewage released. Large Scale Map Link
According to EPA's most recent Toxic Release inventory (TRI) National Analysis, over 4 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into the Pearl River in 2017. The vast majority of this toxic waste came in the form of nitrates from 3 poultry processing companies, Tyson Foods, Sanderson Farms and Peco Foods.
Nitrate pollution has numerous "external costs" to the environment which are not paid for by the companies discharging this toxic waste. These external costs, borne by the taxpayer and the public in general, include:
In addition to the nitrate compounds dumped by the poultry processing industry, Georgia-Pacific and International Paper together contributed 335,159 pounds of toxic discharges to our watershed, including manganese compounds, methanol, nitrate compounds, ammonia, barium compounds and acetaldehyde. Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Monticello, MS released 13,864.62 pounds of carcinogenic acetaldehyde to the Pearl River. This Pearl River Basin chemical discharge data was compiled from the EPA's 2017 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis Report of chemical discharges to air, land and water. "The TRI tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the US must report annually how much of each chemical is recycled, combusted for energy recovery, treated for destruction, and disposed of or otherwise released on- and off-site." The discharge of these chemicals is legally authorized by each state through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Mississippi and Louisiana Departments of Environmental Quality test their waterways, designate the waterway sections as "attaining their designated use" or as "impaired" and make Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) discharge determinations. The TMDL is then used as the basis for discharge permit authorizations. "Since the creation of the TRI Program, the information collected and presented has provided a way for citizens to better understand possible sources of pollution in their communities. This better understanding can be the basis for actions, such as communications with facilities releasing chemicals to the environment and with regulatory authorities that have oversight responsibilities. This concept of citizen empowerment is summed up by the slogan, 'A Right to Know, A Basis to Act'." EPA.gov. Louisiana ranks 4 out of 56 states/territories nationwide based on total releases per square mile (rank 1 = highest releases). Mississippi ranks 11 out of 56. The TRI is easily searchable by state, county, city or zip code: https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/where-you-live. Join forces with Pearl Riverkeeper to help protect our watershed by signing up for our newsletter, becoming a member or volunteering for our Clean Water Team. Pearl Riverkeeper conducted an analysis on the 2017 Toxic Release Inventory National Analysis Report database published by the EPA. Errors are possible. Please consult the EPA website for the full report. Fascinating video of the One Lake project discussion at the Lower Pearl River Basin Task Force meeting, Louisiana State Senate. Particularly interesting discussion at the 1 hour 11 minute mark about serious impacts to water quality in Louisiana. Probably not good if a discussion of your DEIS includes comments like "they have some explaining to do", "that blows my mind; I can't believe what I am hearing", "pretty scary" and "do it first, hope for the best". Definitely worth the watch.
What is a a Sanitary Sewer Overflow?
A Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) is an event in which untreated sewage is discharged from the sewage collection system into the environment prior to reaching the sewage treatment facilities. These discharges endanger human health, cause property damage, and degrade our local water quality.
What causes SSO events? The majority of the SSO events experienced by the City of Jackson collection system were caused by either grease buildup or collapsed pipes. Other causes include excessive flow and blockages from roots and solids. The City of Jackson's aging sewer lines are crumbling and collapsing in many areas. View this City of Jackson video to learn more about how you can help reduce buildup of fats, oils and grease in the sewer system collection lines. How can SSOs be reduced or eliminated?
Is public notification required during an SSO event? Currently, neither the City of Jackson, MDEQ or the MS Department of Health is required to notify you if an SSO occurred in your neighborhood. In the event of an "overflow creating significant health hazard or significant volume has reached waters of the US and/or State", "(City of Jackson) will issue a news release and place temporary signs in the area of the overflow. Additional notification will be considered in conjunction with MDEQ and HCHD." Where have the City of Jackson 2018 SSO events occurred? Check out our interactive map below to find out if a SSO event occurred in your City of Jackson neighborhood. Click on the pinned locations for information about the date, location, cause of the overflow, and amount of untreated sewage released. Large Scale Map Link Norman Sisson and his Pearl River Clean Sweep team were the first to report the massive tire dumps on the Pearl River between the Old Brandon Rd bridge and Highway 80 in Jackson. The tires had likely been marring the landscape of the river for decades; hundreds of them imprinted with dates from the 1960's to early 2000's. This forgotten wasteland could be seen every time travelers passed over the Highway 80 bridge on their way to and from Jackson. The dump was located less than 2 miles from MDEQ headquarters yet it remained in place, leaching contaminants into the water and soil, providing a haven for mosquito populations and contributing to the blight that plagues our capital city. The local news reported on the issue here and here. Pearl Riverkeeper escorted members of the City of Jackson and MDEQ to the location on two separate occasions. Plans were initiated by MDEQ to remove the tires. Yet, one year later, when Norman Sisson again led his crew of boaters and kayakers down river to clean up this section of river, the tire dump remained. That is, until 2 Mississippi natives and local fishermen decided enough was enough. Concerned that the tires were being swept downriver after each high rain event, John Breland mobilized some friends for a Saturday morning cleanup event that exceeded all expectations. Over the course of several hours, John, Berry Blanton and 8 other dedicated volunteers removed 204 tires from the west side sandbar, leaving the area completely free of all trash, debris and tires. Shout out to organizer and leader, John Breland, heavy equipment operator, Berry Blanton, and all of the other hard-working volunteers for leaving this area better that the way they found out. You can thank them for contributing to a cleaner swimmable, fishable, drinkable Pearl River.
E. coli, a bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, can enter our waterways through agricultural runoff, wildlife, and leaking septic/sewer systems. Human risk of getting sick from recreating in open water increases as E. coli concentration increases and young people and people with a compromised immune system are at greater risk. E.coli itself can cause illnesses such as "swimmer's ear", upset stomach, and diarrhea, and E.coli can also indicate the presence of other more harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella and Giardia. Pearl Riverkeeper volunteers conducted 56 E.coli tests during 14 weeks in May through August at Natchez Trace Overlook, Old Trace Park, Lakeshore Park and Pelahatchie Bay Fishing Pier. Results were posted each Friday on the Pearl Riverkeeper website, Swim Guide and through text alerts. A location was marked Green if the test met EPA water quality standards or marked Red if the test exceeded the standard. We issued 9 "high E.coli" alerts over the 14 weeks of summer. Read the full results. What the data shows on the whole is that, in general, these Ross Barnett Reservoir locations are quite safe to swim. Heavy rains in the area had great impact on local water quality. Please use caution immediately after rainstorms as sewer overflows, failing septic and stormwater runoff can contain high levels of bacteria.
The state of Mississippi has over 26,000 miles of perennial streams and rivers. For the state's 2016 Water Quality Assessment, MDEQ assessed only 11% of our waterways and stated that the status of water quality on the remaining 89% (23,568 miles) is unknown. Citizen science from our certified water quality monitors can help fill in the gaps and provide early detection of water quality issues in areas not actively monitored.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Thank you to all of our volunteers, supporters, Swim Guide, MDEQ and Global Water Watch for making this inaugural year of Swim Guide a huge success! The proposed One Lake project would destroy 1,500 acres of Jackson-area wetlands that we will never get back. Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on the plant. According to a recent study, the economic value of the ecological services provided by wetlands is $5,582/acre/year.
-A bottomland hardwood swamp can remove the same amount of pollutants as a $5 million water treatment plant. -Wetlands function like natural sponges, storing water and slowly releasing it, reducing flood heights, allowing for groundwater recharge, and slowing the water's erosive potential. Maintaining only 15% of a watershed in wetlands can reduce flood peaks as much as 60%. Wetlands can reduce flood damage by $8,000/acre/year by absorbing stormwater. An acre of wetlands can store 1-1.5 million gallons of floodwater. -Two thirds of all fish consumed worldwide are dependent on wetlands at some stage in their cycle. -The cost saving for removal of carbon from the atmosphere is $2 of damage prevention annually per ton of carbon removed. Wetlands are estimated to store between 81 and 216 metric tons of carbon per acre. -Wetlands are home to 31% of our plant species. -Wetlands are some of the most biologically productive natural ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests. and coral reefs in their productivity and diversity of species. -Up to 50% of North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands. These wetlands belong to all of us and to our future generations, not to the One Lake developers. Learn more here: https://www.pearlriverkeeper.com/one-river-no-lake.html Sources: EPA and the Conservation Fund (https://valuewetlands.tamu.edu/…/wetland-ecological-benefi…/) |
AuthorPearl Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. Archives
September 2023
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