Environmental Management Commission Faces Criticism for Siding with Polluters

Last week, the Environmental Management Commission heard from several representatives of wastewater treatment plants to better understand the challenges that NC Department of Environmental Quality is facing in regulating toxic pollutants in wastewater discharges. Among the most vocal was Greensboro’s wastewater treatment plant supervisor. The commission heard complaints from the regulated polluters with a request for the commission, with a solid majority anti-regulatory and pro-industry, to take over the authority from NCDEQ to issue these permits. The commission did not hear from drinking water utilities or downstream communities from these industrial polluters.

The commission does have the authority to take over these permits, and will likely have a much heavier hand in these processes, which could result in devastating impacts on our surface waters. This decision follows a court ruling for the City of Asheboro’s discharge permit, which removed NCDEQ’s authority to regulate 1,4-dioxane on their wastewater permit. This case was also fought heavily by Greensboro and Reidsville. These wastewater treatment plants, along with the EMC, are unraveling any state regulatory authority to regulate toxic pollutants in our state waters.

Though the EPA has set drinking water standards on PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, surface water standards for these toxins are not being enforced. Drinking water treatment facilities will be required to install treatment technologies to meet those limits, while the polluting industries up stream are free to continue discharging the toxins. This means that as drinking water customers, we are subsidizing the industrial polluters’ right to dump toxins into our water supplies through our own drinking water bills.

The EMC is not an elected body, but are appointed by the governor and legislative members. It is imperative that we are talking with our representatives, who can influence the EMC members, about the negligence of the majority of members on the commission. The EMC must allow NCDEQ to do their job, regulating polluters and upholding the Clean Water Act, rather than cater to the interests of those polluting industries.

Written by: Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper