The level of phosphorous that the Groton wastewater treatment plant can discharge into Owasco Inlet is being called into question by state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R- Fayette, who wonders why the Department of Environmental Conservation has taken nine months to fully address the problem.
“The DEC should immediately restrict the amount of phosphorous that is allowed to be discharged by the Groton wastewater treatment plant,” Nozzolio said in a press release, noting that Groton's four-pound limit is double the amount the village of Moravia is allowed.
A legal settlement over the plant's initial violation determined the currently permitted level of phosphorous. But the plant had managed to keep its levels closer to two pounds per day. The DEC is working on a permit that would permanently set the total at 4 pounds, but it has yet to officially put forward the proposal, a step that would allow for public comment.
The daily allowance of 4 pounds of phosphorous was “something in a draft for a (State Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit which we are continuing to develop,” said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said. “It's one we are working on currently, and the draft hasn't been completed.”
She said the 4-pound figure had been discussed at meetings, and that it is still being discussed while the draft is in progress.
“It's actually a lower level than what they had before,” Wren said. She noted that, at its peak in 2003, the Groton plant had been producing 12.2 pounds of phosphorous daily.
“It has been significantly reduced from what it had been operating at before,” she said.
The village of Moravia is held to 2 pounds of phosphorous, while Groton, only 12 miles away, can operate at 4. Wren explained that the figure arrived at is determined according to the situation at each facility.
“A number of factors are taken into consideration that are specific to the facility,” she said, “such as hydrology and water depths.”
Before the draft is completed, the DEC committee will evaluate phosphorous limits to include in the SPDES permit. They will put what they consider to be the final limit in the SPDES draft, according to Wren. They will then provide a public comment period whereby citizens can provide input on the permit provision.
After the permit period is closed, the DEC staff will evaluate the information and modify the SPDES into a final draft.
Last summer, Nozzolio called for the DEC to conduct a full and thorough review of the village of Groton's application for its new wastewater treatment plant. At that time, the DEC said, as part of the review process, it would allow local residents to express their concerns with the treatment plant in a period of public comment.
But nine months later, this public comment period has not begun.
“We've made great progress in the last two years,” said Bruce Natale, Cayuga County environmental engineer. “Now we need the DEC to lower the allowable phosphorous discharge from this new, larger plant to protect the Owasco Inlet and Owasco Lake for the next decade and beyond.”
“Allowing increased amounts of phosphorous into Owasco Lake would absolutely halt the progress that has been made to clean up the lake. This would be a major step backward in our efforts,” Nozzolio said.
Besides polluting the lake, phosphorous causes significant weed growth.
Nozzolio had acquired $325,000 in state funding in 2006 to allow a team of researchers to test, observe, and explore Owasco Lake to find sources of nutrients that had caused the degradation of the lake. They sampled water, including runoff events following storms and rain.
A year later, the water quality, especially in the southern end of the lake, had improved.
Wren said that once the SPDES draft is complete, it will take between 30 and 60 days for the actual permit to be issued.
“The DEC wants the public to be aware that in order for the community to fully address the issue of pollution, a basin-wide approach to the discharge of phosphorous into the lake has to be taken,” she said. She indicated that use of fertilizer and stormwater runoffs also needed to be addressed.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
A legal settlement over the plant's initial violation determined the currently permitted level of phosphorous. But the plant had managed to keep its levels closer to two pounds per day. The DEC is working on a permit that would permanently set the total at 4 pounds, but it has yet to officially put forward the proposal, a step that would allow for public comment.
The daily allowance of 4 pounds of phosphorous was “something in a draft for a (State Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit which we are continuing to develop,” said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said. “It's one we are working on currently, and the draft hasn't been completed.”
She said the 4-pound figure had been discussed at meetings, and that it is still being discussed while the draft is in progress.
“It's actually a lower level than what they had before,” Wren said. She noted that, at its peak in 2003, the Groton plant had been producing 12.2 pounds of phosphorous daily.
“It has been significantly reduced from what it had been operating at before,” she said.
The village of Moravia is held to 2 pounds of phosphorous, while Groton, only 12 miles away, can operate at 4. Wren explained that the figure arrived at is determined according to the situation at each facility.
“A number of factors are taken into consideration that are specific to the facility,” she said, “such as hydrology and water depths.”
Before the draft is completed, the DEC committee will evaluate phosphorous limits to include in the SPDES permit. They will put what they consider to be the final limit in the SPDES draft, according to Wren. They will then provide a public comment period whereby citizens can provide input on the permit provision.
After the permit period is closed, the DEC staff will evaluate the information and modify the SPDES into a final draft.
Last summer, Nozzolio called for the DEC to conduct a full and thorough review of the village of Groton's application for its new wastewater treatment plant. At that time, the DEC said, as part of the review process, it would allow local residents to express their concerns with the treatment plant in a period of public comment.
But nine months later, this public comment period has not begun.
“We've made great progress in the last two years,” said Bruce Natale, Cayuga County environmental engineer. “Now we need the DEC to lower the allowable phosphorous discharge from this new, larger plant to protect the Owasco Inlet and Owasco Lake for the next decade and beyond.”
“Allowing increased amounts of phosphorous into Owasco Lake would absolutely halt the progress that has been made to clean up the lake. This would be a major step backward in our efforts,” Nozzolio said.
Besides polluting the lake, phosphorous causes significant weed growth.
Nozzolio had acquired $325,000 in state funding in 2006 to allow a team of researchers to test, observe, and explore Owasco Lake to find sources of nutrients that had caused the degradation of the lake. They sampled water, including runoff events following storms and rain.
A year later, the water quality, especially in the southern end of the lake, had improved.
Wren said that once the SPDES draft is complete, it will take between 30 and 60 days for the actual permit to be issued.
“The DEC wants the public to be aware that in order for the community to fully address the issue of pollution, a basin-wide approach to the discharge of phosphorous into the lake has to be taken,” she said. She indicated that use of fertilizer and stormwater runoffs also needed to be addressed.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net