Sludge Watch ==> Texas- County joins public in asking for state hearings on sludge permits

[Maureen Reilly]

Resolutions on sludge permits OK'd in advance of tonight's meetings
By BRUCE ALSOBROOK, News-Telegram Managing Editor


April 14, 2008 - Members of the Hopkins County Commissioners Court passed 
two resolutions beseeching the state environmental agency to hold hearings 
on two permits sought by an Arkansas company to dispose of sludge in Hopkins 
County.

Commissioners Danny Evans, Burk Bullock and Beth Wisenbaker joined Hopkins 
County Judge Cletis Millsap in unanimously approving the resolutions in 
advance of a meeting on the sludge disposal issue scheduled for 6 p.m. this 
evening in the Hopkins County Courthouse. Commissioner Don Patterson was 
absent from the meeting as he was attending the funeral of one of his 
Precinct 3 employees, Daniel Eppars, who died Friday.

Residents in the area affected by the proposed sludge disposal plans have 
organized a meeting for tonight at 6 p.m. The meeting, open to the public, 
will either be held in the commissioners courtroom or the district courtroom 
on the third floor, depending on the size of the crowd that shows up.

Millsap estimated that between 200 and 300 people attended the last meeting 
held on the matter.

Commissioners were told that a representative of an organization in Hunt 
County that battled a similar situation will be speaking at tonight's 
meeting.

Terra Renewal Services Inc., a Russellville, Ark.,-based company, has 
applied to the state's environmental authority for permits to dispose of 
sludge in the county.

The company has applied for two permits from the state for the disposal of 
wastewater treatment plant sludge. One would authorize disposal on about 400 
acres of land south of FM 71 about two miles east of the intersection with 
FM 2235. The other is for a tract of 164 acres on County Road 4508, about 
three-quarters of a mile east of State Highway 19 and about 3 1/2 miles 
north of Sulphur Springs.

The resolutions ask the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which 
issues the permits, to hold public hearings in Hopkins County before 
deciding to approve or reject the requests.

"The disposal of wastewater treatment plant sludge can adversely affect the 
environment and health and safety of local citizens," the resolutions state, 
adding that the sludge "may include various contaminants, such as human 
waste, disease pathogens, and harmful chemicals ..."

Millsap said county officials are concerned about the possible impact of the 
sludge on both water quality and safety, as well as the impact of increased 
traffic to transport the industrial waste t the areas.

The resolutions passed without comment, but one citizen later asked the 
commissioners court members if they could require the state environmental 
agency to conduct tests on the properties mentioned in the permits.

Millsap told the questioner that there is little the county government can 
do as far as forcing any actions by TCEQ.

"Most of this case is before TCEQ, and it's out of our hands," Millsap said.

But the county judge also said elected officials are trying to find out what 
measures can be implemented in the future to address similar scenarios.

"We're still getting advice from our attorney on that," he said.

"We have got to first go through TCEQ," Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Evans 
added. "You have to realize that we're learning as we go on this. We're 
willing to learn, but we've got to make sure we get all our 'i's dotted and 
our 't's crossed," Evans said.


http://www.ssnewstelegram.com/news/2008/April/nt041408-2.html