Feb. 2010: Phase-out
PERC Now - brochure highlighting adverse effects from the dry
cleaning solvent Perchloroethylene, emphasis on Durham County, NC
impacts
Aug. 12, 2009: League launches state-wide
campaign to involve communities in safe cleanup of dry cleaning
sites - 42 North Carolina Counties have contaminated soil and
groundwater: Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League launched a statewide community-centered campaign to ensure
the public is involved with cleanup of dry-cleaning contaminated
sites. The League’s goals include educating residents about
the dangers of toxic dry cleaning solvents, securing community
level influence on state decision making, and protecting water
quality and human health. The League is working with their
network of chapters and organizing new community groups located
near these contaminated dry cleaning sites. BREDL Press
Release
Community forum to look at
risks of sewage sludge spreading on farmlands: The
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), and the Center
for Health, and Environment and Justice (CHEJ) will host a
community forum concerning the risks to public health and the
environment from the spreading sewage sludge from wastewater
treatment plants on farmlands. The forum will specifically focus
on issues related to sewage sludge spreading on farmlands in
Orange, Alamance and Chatham Counties, NC. The forum will take place on Thursday, June 4 from 7-9 p.m., at the Cane Creek Baptist Church Activity Center, 6901 Orange Grove Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278. A press briefing will take place at the Center at 6 p.m. where the speakers will discuss with members of the media the risks associated with land application of sewage sludge on public health and the environment.
More info: BREDL Press Advisory
April 3, 2009: BREDL
comments on NC DENR Division of Waste Management proposed
Septage Management rules. BREDL comments that additional changes
to the rules would provide better protections to public health,
farmlands and surface waters in the State of North Carolina, and
provide further clarification in addressing specific rules and
procedures under the proposed septage rules.
Feb. 6, 2009: BREDL comments on NC Division Air
Quality’s Proposed Boundaries for Ozone Nonattainment Areas
in North Carolina. Read BREDL Comments.
As part of our comments, BREDL requests that the NC DAQ support
the following recommendations to its Proposed Nonattainment
Boundaries:
• Follow the EPA’s guidance in adopting a
regional approach in determining nonattainment boundaries
by including all NC counties in whole as cited in
EPA’s Presumptive Boundaries.
• Consider combined contributions of air toxics -
VOCs, carbonyl compounds and PM components - that
contribute to ozone pollution.
• Consider single sources of ozone pollution in
rural counties, such as incinerators and coal-fired power
plants, in nonattainment boundaries.
• Consider permits from significant ozone
contributing industries, such as Fibrowatt LLC, that plan
to build incinerators in rural counties.
• Consider combustion sources from industry that are
contributors to ozone pollution.
• Consider the impacts of multiple sources of
“ozone contributors” in rural counties and
adjacent counties.
• Purchase additional ozone air monitors to
accurately assess ozone levels in nonattainment areas.
North Carolina's health-based air toxics rules and
the elusive federal MACT are neither duplicative nor
equivalent. The Clean Air Act's technology-based
standard is well and good, but a given pollution source
100 yards away from a community will have a vastly
greater impact than the same pollution source 200 yards,
500 yards or 1000 yards away. North Carolina's acceptable
ambient levels take into account the distance of
smokestacks from property lines and hence from people. In
fact, full implementation of the state toxics limits,
without exemptions, is the best such protection available
to the residents of this state. We urge the NC
Environmental Management Commission to eliminate
exemptions for industrial boilers.
This September 2008 video shows a hill in Alamance County, NC, off Hwy. 87, where multiple tankers of sewage sludge was spread a day before Hurricane Hanna hit. The video was taken the following day during which rains from Hanna released sludge from the sludged field, down a hill, through the beaten-down grass “buffer” zone and into erosion channels running 100 yards along the road where it reached Cane Creek, swollen out of its banks.
The sewage sludge that was spread on the field came from the City of Burlington’s Wastewater Treatment Plant
In an interview with Channel 8 the day before the rains hit, a representative from the NC Agricultural Extension Service stated that the grass buffer zone would prevent sludge runoff from reaching surface water. Also, the representative stated that the grass would take up any contaminants that may be contained in the sludge.
When asked if spreading sludge would take place prior to the Hurricane, the Division of Water Quality said it had no way to predict the weather and that there are no regulations that address the spreading of sludge in the event of a hurricane or other inclement weather event.
October 6, 2008: BREDL
Comments to U.S. EPA on the Proposed DRAFT Problem
Formulation for Human Health Risk Assessments of Pathogens in
Land-Applied Biosolids
August 28, 2008: BREDL and Carolina Concerned Citizens submit
recommendations to NC DENR and Orange County Health Department
regarding protection of public health and the environment from
the potential impacts of land application of sewage sludges. Read
BREDL and Carolina
Concerned Citizens letter
May 30, 2008: BREDL comments on the draft permit renewal for the City of Burlington to land apply sewage sludge on farmlands located in Alamance County, Chatham County, Caswell County, Guilford County, Orange County, and Randolph County, North Carolina.
Public Comment Deadline May 30, 2008 Permit renewal to land apply sewage sludge in 6 counties
April 18, 2008: BREDL's comments
on the Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (Chatham
County, NC).
April 11, 2008: Groups
Support Sewage Sludge Investigation - Today the
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League hailed Senator Barbara
Boxer’s decision to hold Senate hearings on toxics found in
drinking water and sewage sludge. The League joined with 68
public interest groups from several states around the country in
support of the investigation by the Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works. Read BREDL Press
Release
Jan. 23, 2008: First State-Held Public Hearing
to Take Place in NC on Land Application of Sewage Sludge -
Read BREDL Press
Advisory
Nov. 5, 2007: BREDL comments
regarding the City of Raleigh's request for a variance from
groundwater regulations for the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment
Plant.
August 2007: The Center for Health, Environment and Justice,
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and its chapters
conducted a 10-county “Don’t Dump on Us Keep North
Carolina Healthy” tour urging state leaders to oppose “mega-dumps”
and to adopt sound policies for dealing with solid waste in North
Carolina. Photos and articles from
the tour.
July 17, 2007: N.O. - B.S. Forms to Address Sewage Sludge | Group Fears Pollution of Jordan Reservoir Dressed in hazmat suits, rubber boots, gloves, and dust masks, members of Neighbors Opposing Bio-Sludge (N.O. - B.S.) took sludge to the podium today to speak on why additional monitoring and testing of treated sewage sludge - also known as biosolids - is needed in order to determine the effects of land application of sewage sludge on the ailing Jordan Reservoir. Read N.O.-B.S./BREDL Press Release
