Catawba Riverkeeper- EPA Hearing Comments
Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman delivered these comments to representatives from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the September 14, 2010 public hearing in Charlotte, NC.
Good evening. My name is David Merryman, and I am the
Catawba Riverkeeper with the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation based right here in
Charlotte and working throughout the watershed in North and South Carolina. As
an advocate for the Catawba River, I cannot sit idly by while Duke Energy and
SCANA discharge their heavy metal-laden coal ash pond wastewater into the
public’s drinking water and contaminate local groundwater supplies.
EPA must protect our nation’s water resources from broken and non-existent state regulations of coal ash. Here I have NPDES permits for ash ponds in NC and SC. These permits have no limits for heavy metals known to be constituents of coal ash.
While four high-hazard ash ponds continue to discharge unlimited amounts of metals into municipal drinking water supplies, old retired ponds at sites throughout our nation lay as subsurface threats and sources of groundwater contamination. These sites must be cleaned up to remove a constant dormant threat to public health.
We’ve heard a lot about “stigma.” Let’s think about this a moment: a ‘stigma’ for a substance that causes cancer is warranted; a ‘stigma’ for a substance that’s toxic and leads to death is warranted. I’m talking about chromium and arsenic – known constituents of coal ash. I’m fairly certain this word, “stigma,” is warranted. If industries can prove to the public – without a shadow of a doubt – that products produced from this coal ash are safe, and I’m confident the American people are smart enough and willing enough to accept them into society.
The lack of clarity between state coal ash regulations, the continued, unlimited discharge from coal ash ponds and the leaching of metals in groundwater from existing and retired ponds must be stopped.
Without cradle to grave management and enforceable guidelines for storage and clean-up, we run the risk of continuing to place corporate profits ahead of public health and environmental safety.
Subtitle C is the only option that will protect our water and the citizens of the United States of America.
Thank you.
Photo provided by Mark Houser
