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Public Comment Period Deadline this Friday!
The last day public comments will be accepted on the latest C&H permit modification request is this Friday, August 7. If you have not sent a comment, now is your last chance. See below for some BRWA areas of concern. Feel free to use these or your own.
Email comments to: : Water-Draft-Permit-Comment@adeq.state.ar.us
The comment period on the C&H modification request to install synthetic pond liners, a cover and gas flare is currently open until August 7.
Areas of Concern
1. Liquid and solid waste must be removed from the ponds before liners can be installed. Sludge removal will inevitably disturb the existing clay liner this may cause embedded waste to further seep through the clay and into the ground and groundwater at an accelerated rate.
2. Swine waste has permeated the clay liner and some residual will remain after surface sludge is removed. When the liners are installed over the clay containing embedded residual organic waste, decomposition may produce methane and other gasses.
3. Seam failure, punctures, mechanical damage, etc have caused membrane liners to fail and leak. These leaks may not be catastrophic but may occur slowly and go unnoticed until groundwater is negatively affected.
4. The gas flare may impact air quality at the nearby Mt Judea school, town and nearby residences. The public should be informed of what the components of this discharge will be and what the potential health impacts may be.
Read the full explanation and BRWA Comments by clicking here.
Some background on our public hearing request:
On July 17, the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance requested a public hearing on these permit modification requests by C&H. We received no reply from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality until after a second request was sent. We are having difficulty deciphering the ADEQ response!
It reads, copied word for word:
“We received you request and is under review. We will make our recommendation to the Director for the decision at the public notice is August 7, 2015. We will notify with the Director decision in this regard.â€
This seems to say that a decision on our request for a public hearing will be announced on the last day of the public comment period, or does it?
Court Ordered Environmental Assessment Draft Report
This morning we received word that the draft Environmental Assessment required under the settlement related to our federal lawsuit has been made available. While our review of the report is underway, we note that no data from other C&H studies other than the U of A study were considered. The public has 30 days from August 5, 2015 to submit comments. A public meeting will be held at the Jasper School, located on South Street off Highway 7 in Jasper, AR on Thursday, August 27, 2015 from 6 to 9 p.m.
To read the draft report click here:
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Please go to DONATE NOW to contribute and become a part of our campaign.
If you would rather send a check, please make it payable to “Buffalo River Watershed Alliance†and mail to: Buffalo River Watershed Alliance
Box 101
Jasper, AR 72641.
Thank you for your continued support.
Buffalo River Watershed Alliance
buffalowatershed@gmail.com |
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