​One Lake project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 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 DEIS report is sent to the Corps. 

Before sending the DEIS to the Corps, the project sponsors must:

• Incorporate and address all DEIS public comments submitted during the most recent public comment period
• Incorporate and address all Army Corps of Engineers Draft Agency Technical Review comments to DEIS 
• Obtain required Independent External Peer Review
• Obtain required Biological Opinion from United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
• Obtain required Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report from USFWS
• Obtain required comment letters from all pertinent Federally Recognized Indian Tribes and conduct additional cultural resource studies/examinations, per Section 106, National Historic Preservation Act
• Schedule, pay for and obtain Final Agency Technical Review from Army Corps of Engineers

Once complete, send DEIS and other required documents to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works ((ASA(CW))

• Upon receipt of the Draft EIS, the ASA(CW) will refer the study to the Chief of Engineers for review and comments
• 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
•  The DEIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• 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
• 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:

• Prepare and release Final EIS 
• List Final EIS on Federal Register
• Conduct public comment period associated with Final EIS
• Raise money to pay for project design
• Conduct pre-construction engineering and design 
• Develop required Adaptive Management Plans for habitat loss replacement and reconstruction
• Complete purchase of mitigation properties necessary for Adaptive Management Plans
• Conduct engineering, technical and environmental studies of identified Hazardous Toxic and Radiological Waste (HTRW) locations in the project area to include several unregulated, unlined landfills and a creosote slough (Map of HTRW locations)
• Develop HTRW mitigation plans and obtain approval from EPA and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
• Pay for removal and/or mitigation of project-area HTRW sites
• Obtain Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) approval for bridge engineering solutions (One Lake Project could lead to bridge failures, MDOT says)
• Facilitate creation of a multi-city development master plan (Jackson, Flowood, Pearl and Richland will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and policing new properties)
• Establish covenants to control land use and development along the riverfront
• Obtain necessary EPA/MDEQ permits including ACE wetlands permits, ACE rivers/harbors permit, endangered species and marine mammals takings permits, coastal consistency review, Section 401, 402 and 404 permits, Federal Clean Water Act Letters of Permission, MDEQ minimum flow requirements and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits
• Conduct public comment periods associated with EPA/MDEQ permits
• Receive authorization from Congress to create a structure that impedes the navigable capacity of   waters of the United States (Rivers and Harbors Act)
• Outline legal arrangement between Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (Ross Barnett Reservoir management) and the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District (Levee Board)
•  Conduct voluntary buy-outs of any properties in the project area
• Expand the Levee District to encompass any residences or properties in the One Lake project area that will directly or indirectly benefit from the project
•  Levy special improvement assessment taxes on properties in the new Levee District
•  Obtain state bonds to pay for the local cost share of the project
•  Lobby Congress for funding appropriation of the federal cost share
•  Receive funding appropriation from Congress
•  Conduct project construction 
• Obtain new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mapping of the flood plain
•  Sell property along newly constructed lake
•  Pay annual maintenance and debt service costs estimated at $600,000 per year

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. ​

• Health impacts: Sewage spills contain bacteria, viruses, and a host of other pathogens.  Health hazards range from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to more serious illnesses such as Hepatitis and Dysentery. 
• Environmental impacts: Spills degrade water quality by increasing the concentration of pollutants and nutrient levels which in turn decreases the amount of  dissolved oxygen in the water.  Low dissolved oxygen can cause fish kills and is harmful to all aquatic species.  Since 1996, the entire "Jackson Segment" of the Pearl River has been listed by MDEQ as "impaired" for nutrients/organic enrichment and low dissolved oxygen.  The "Jackson Segment" is not meeting even the lowest MDEQ water quality standards for aquatic life support or contact recreation.  The City of Jackson is rendering this entire section of the river unusable. 

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. 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.  

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.  

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:

• Loss of tourism and recreation revenue
• Decline in property values
• Algae blooms, eutrophication (reduction in dissolved oxygen) and fish kills
• Dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico
• Commercial fishing: reduction in harvest and increased processing costs associated with elevated shellfish poisoning risk
• Human health: heavy metals and pathogenic microbes in nitrate waste can cause harm and disease through direct contact with skin, consumption of drinking water or contaminated shellfish
• Increased drinking water treatment costs
• Restoration: costs associated with restoring impaired waterbodies and developing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and other watershed plans

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. 

• Health impacts: Sewage spills contain bacteria, viruses, and a host of other pathogens.  Health hazards range from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to more serious illnesses such as Hepatitis and Dysentery. 
• Environmental impacts: Spills degrade water quality by increasing the concentration of pollutants and nutrient levels which in turn decreases the amount of  dissolved oxygen in the water.  Low dissolved oxygen can cause fish kills and is harmful to all aquatic species. 

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?

• Consistent investment and maintenance of sewer collection systems is necessary to decrease the frequency and severity of sewer overflows to the Pearl River. The aging sewer lines and pipes must be upgraded to accommodate current needs and future growth.  ​
• Sewer system cleaning and maintenance must receive adequate staffing and funding.
• Residents can help by limiting fats, oils and grease (FOG) released to the sewer system.

The sewer collection system of a large municipality is an asset worth billions of dollars.  Properly funding ongoing maintenance and rehabilitation adds value to the original investment by maintaining the system's capacity and extending its life. 

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 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…/)

by Will Selman

​​The Pearl River system hosts two unique turtle species: the Ringed Sawback (Graptemys oculifera) and the Pearl Map Turtle (Graptemys pearlensis).  Neither of these species can be found anywhere else in the world… only the Pearl River system of Mississippi and Louisiana!  The Ringed Sawback was designated as federally threatened in 1986, while the Pearl Map Turtle was petitioned in 2011 to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.  Both turtle species are of conservation concern for a number of reasons mainly associated with alterations to their river habitat.  Alterations include construction of dams, channelization of rivers, and excess river sedimentation.