Monthly Archives: March 2017

Agenda: Water, Agriculture, and Forestry; public meeting @ VSU 2017-03-28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PDF)

Valdosta, Georgia; March 28, 2017 — It’s a full agenda tonight about Water, Agriculture, and Forestry with in a public meeting at Valdosta State University, hosted by WWALS Watershed Coalition.

When: 6-8PM Tuesday March 28, 2017

Where: UC Theater, UC Center, Valdosta State University
1215 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31698

Event: facebook

Host: WWALS Watershed Coalition
the Waterkeeper® Alliance Member as Suwannee Riverkeeper®

Agenda:

Getting out on the rivers (5 minutes each):

About WWALS
—Dave Hetzel, WWALS Ambassador
Outings: cleanups and monthly paddles
—Phil Hubbard, WWALS Outings Committee Chair
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail: signs, landings, and addresses
—John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper

Science and practice (15 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A each): Continue reading →

Legal filing about Pilgrim’s Pride effluent into Suwannee River

Environment Florida filed a lawsuit 9 March 2017 against Pilgrim’s Pride about “effluents” into the Suwannee River, alleging a violation of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit, which is also a violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Here is PDF of that legal complaint, sent to us by the plaintiff’s attorney.

Suwannee Riverkeeper is always glad to see legal action going on that we don’t have to do. Here are a few notes.

Pilgrim’s Pride goes to some trouble to treat and disinfect their wastewater at its plant on US 90 west of Live Oak in Suwannee County, and then:

The wastewater discharged into the Suwannee River is also called the Plant’s “effluent.”
Outfall D-001 is an 18-inch diameter steel pipe that extends approximately 20 feet from the shore and discharges into the Suwannee River.
During the Suwannee River’s low flow periods, the pipe is not always completely submerged.
During the Suwannee River’s low flow periods, the Plant’s effluent discharging from the pipe can be seen.

And the complaint alleges the effluent is not entirely clean.

What about the waste that is not liquid? Continue reading →