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Editorial - May 2003 |
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Too many sewer spills |
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Published May 30, 2003 |
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It’s getting a little too common — these constant sewer spills. Often they are spilling into our waters in the Catawba River basin or feeder systems to Lake Norman. And many of the spills are occurring at facilities operated by municipalities. Heavy rains were blamed for spills operated by the city of Lowell. Approximately 73,600 gallons of treated wastewater was discharged from the town’s lift station and ultimately spilled into a tributary of the South Fork River. More than 13,000 sewage spills totaling more than 1 billion gallons were reported in North Carolina from 1998 through last year, but state regulators fined municipal systems only 28 times, according to a recent newspaper analysis. State water-quality enforcers judged that nearly all of the spills were excusable accidents caused by heavy rain that overwhelmed systems, blocked lines or led to mechanical failures. Critics contend that significant fines can lead to better systems. The Environmental Protection Agency says better maintenance and repairs would prevent many spills. Few cities are fined in part because North Carolina’s spill-enforcement rules awards points for quickly responding to spills and for preventative measures such as cleaning lines and keeping repair parts on hand. Enforcers weighing fines also consider the amount of effort utilities have made to prevent or respond to spills. Small businesses such as farms are more likely to be fined for spills, said Hope Taylor-Guevara of the advocacy group Clean Water for North Carolina. Farms accounted for at least 51 of the 127 fines the state levied for wastewater spills from 1998 to 2002, records show. “The range of excuses that DWQ accepts for abatement of a penalty are pretty amazing,” said Taylor-Guevara, whose group analyzed enforcement records last year. “You have plants that get off again and again with the same excuse.” More vigilance is needed if we are serious about protecting our environment. Better preventive measures must be explored to reduce spills, but that will never happen with a system that penalizes offenders with a slap on the wrist.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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