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Group
plans to sue city of Dublin Watchdogs allege river pollution
By Wayne Crenshaw, Telegraph Staff Writer DUBLIN - An environmental watchdog group has notified the city of
Dublin of plans to file a lawsuit over alleged illegal discharges of
waste water into the Oconee River.
The city has 60 days to fix the alleged problems or face a lawsuit,
the letter states. The notice was sent by the Georgia Center for Law
in the Public Interest, a nonprofit legal group representing the Altamaha
Riverkeeper.
Among other things, the notice alleges that the city's waste-water
treatment plant has discharged solids into the river.
"I've personally witnessed floating solids," said Justine
Thompson, executive director of the legal group. "That shouldn't
be there."
The notice also alleges excessive fecal coliform at a monthly average
of 274 milligrams per liter, compared to the permit limit of 200 milligrams
per liter.
City Manager George Roussel said he has received the notice but declined
to comment.
In April, Altamaha Riverkeeper James Holland took the Telegraph to
the treatment plant's discharge point on the river. Clumps of what
appeared to be solid waste were floating in the inlet discharge pipe
to the river.
Holland also said he had previously seen condoms hanging on limbs at
the discharge site. The city, he said, illegally cut back the limbs
on the banks of the site after the photos were circulated on the Internet.
The notice states that the city should have a sign at the discharge
point to alert users of the river. Failure to have a sign is also a
violation, the notice alleges.
Thompson said several industries along the Oconee have also been notified
that they do not have a sign at their discharge points.
If the lawsuit is filed and Riverkeeper proves the allegations in court,
the city could face fines of up to $27,500 per day per violation, according
to the notice.
Riverkeeper successfully sued the city of Cochran over waste-water
violations. The city ended up paying a total of $26,500 for polluting
the Ocmulgee River with waste water that had been inadequately treated.
Holland said he believes the action against the city of Dublin will
lead to the correction of a longstanding problem.
"Maybe we will get something done and get that pipe cleaned up," he
said.
Residents along the river downstream from the discharge pipe agreed
that there is a problem. Bobby Kight, who lives about 400 yards down
from the discharge pipe, said he particularly notices pollution when
the river is down. "What you will see on the banks will make you
sick," he said.
He has spotted what appears to be sewage sludge and condoms along the
banks, he said.
"We don't swim in that river," he said. "We won't eat fish
out of there."
Farther down the river, Laurens County Sportsman Club caretaker Wayne
Dimmen said he hasn't seen any obvious pollution, other than litter.
But he said some members of the club who travel up the river have complained
of foul odors.
Tom Allen, who lives near the Sportsman Club, frequents the river and
said he sees the problem at the discharge site.
"It stinks when it comes out," he said.
Riverkeeper is a private environmental organization that aims to protect
water quality in Georgia's rivers. The groups files suit under a provision
of the Clean Water Act that allows private citizens to take legal action
if they believe government regulatory agencies have failed in their
oversight duties.
Thompson said the problem at the Dublin treatment plant is not uncommon.
Many cities in the state, including Atlanta, have inadequate treatment
systems. "Our experience has been that some cities do not spend
the necessary resources to upgrade their plant," she said. "Cleaning
up sewers is not something you want to talk about to voters."
4/12/04 - Appears to be congealed grease on paddle.
4/12/04 - Another view of effluent stream
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60-day Notice to of
Intent to Sue (pdf)
4/8/04 - Stream bank around Dublin pipe.
5/7/04 Dublin pipe foam at mouth of receiving tributary stream as it enters the Oconee River approximately 7:30 am.
4/8/04 - Sludge floating in the Oconee River near Dublin WPCP
4/8/04 - Sludge floating in the Oconee River near Dublin WPCP
4/12/04 - Dublin pipe showing foam and trees removed from stream
4/12/04 - Dublin pipe effluent stream bank showing new stump
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