Clean Water In the News

By NICHOLAS AZZARA
nazzara@bradenton.com

Two local governments and two private companies released excess amounts of pollution into Manatee waters, according to federal data being touted by a Florida environmental group.

Environment Florida used information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine 128 facilities in Florida that reported they exceeded their Clean Water Act permits more than 910 times in 2005.

Local violators include Bradenton Waste Water Treatment Plant, Palmetto Sewer Treatment Plant, Florida Power & Light and Wingate Creek Mine.

Representatives from two of the agencies downplayed the statistics.

"On Oct. 18, we'll celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and its goal was to make all our rivers and lakes swimmable and fishable," said Environment Florida President Mark Ferrulo. "Here we are 35 years later, and half of Florida's rivers and lakes are impaired and unsafe for fishing and swimming. The fact that so many facilities are exceeding their pollution limits is incredibly disturbing."

According to the report, Bradenton Waste Water Treatment Plant showed below normal levels of microorganisms and above normal levels of fecal coliform 13 times during 2005. A November reading that year showed it released amounts of fecal coliform, a bacteria found in human waste, at a level 700 percent higher than allowed.

The fecal coliform spike occurred on one day and was the result of a sampling or lab error, because other readings during the month were below what is allowed, according to Bradenton Public Works Director John Cumming.

Separately, during three weeks in 2005, microorganisms called ceriodaphnia and pimephales, did not survive testing using the treated water, probably due to incomplete removal of chlorine disinfectant from the water. Cumming said the tests are very sensitive, and minute amounts of chlorine may affect their outcome.

"I've seen that for the last 20 years around testing labs," Cumming said. "If they don't survive, the test fails. It happens occasionally, and it hasn't happened to our plant in the last year. It's not of concern, healthwise."

There were two days in 2005 when FPL exceeded its daily iron outputs by 750 percent and 230 percent, but spokesman Mel Klein said the water was contained, and none of it ran into the Little Manatee River, as reported in the EPA's statistics. FPL uses water to clean various materials at its power plant in Parrish. After cleaning the materials, the water is washed into a holding bin and then into a cooling pond where it is tested near the Little Manatee River. That water rarely mingles with the river, Klein said.

Klein said FPL found the excess iron and soon reported it to the state. Klein did not know how the excess iron made it into the water during the process, but said it may have happened when materials were shipped, instead of entering the water at any time.

"We know it would not have any impact on the river," Klein said. "Our people tell me that somebody has concluded that we put iron into the river. Well, we didn't."

Palmetto Sewer Treatment Plant dumped more than its share of nickel, phosphorus, solids and other bacteria seven times during the year, going 228 percent above nickel allowances in August 2005. Palmetto Public Works Director Chris Lukowiak did not return phone calls Thursday.

Wingate Creek Mine went over its monthly phosphorus output allowance by 13 percent during August 2005.

David Townsend, spokesman for the Mosaic Co., said the information on Wingate Creek Mine in the EPA database is incorrect.

"All but one of the listed exceedences is wrong," Townsend said. "I'm sure there are a lot of others on that list that are wrong, too."

The one time that Wingate did exceed its phosphate output allowance happened during a heavy rainfall, Townsend said.

Agencies in Sarasota County exceeded discharge permits 42 times.

The report analyzes all major facilities that exceeded Clean Water Act permits throughout 2005. Other findings in the report show Hillsborough County ranked 11th in the nation for the number of major facilities exceeding their Clean Water Act permits. Florida facilities exceeding Clean Water Act permits did so by an average of 216 percent.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act was amended in 1977 and became known as the Clean Water Act. It established a set of regulations for discharges of pollutants into U.S. waters and gave the EPA authority to set wastewater standards for industry. It became unlawful to discharge pollutants into navigable waters without a permit.

"We want the public to know that the EPA, under the Bush administration, is undermining the Clean Water Act, which has been one of the most successful environmental laws in this country," Ferrulo said. "Our waterways are cleaner than they were 35 years ago, but this report shows we still have a long way to go."

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