THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 22, 1996 TAG: 9604190009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Your March 22 report on the state Department of Environmental Quality's approach to protecting Virginia's waterways (``Agency alters standards on Smithfield wastes'') misrepresents an innovative solution to a difficult problem.
Right now, Smithfield Foods discharges inadequately treated pollutants, including phosphorus, directly into the Pagan River. In 12-18 months, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District will have completed the expansion of the Nansemond STP to a state-of-the-art treatment plant with biological-nutrient removal.
However, rather than wait those 12-18 months, HRSD and DEQ have agreed to take an interim step. Sending a portion of the Smithfield Foods wastewater to the existing HRSD plant will remove not only far more phosphorus than is now being removed by the Smithfield Foods wastewater plant but also will discharge this treated wastewater into the James River instead of the much smaller Pagan River.
HRSD is duly proud of its exemplary record of compliance. In fact, the district was just recently named as the top industrial-waste pretreatment program in the United States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is understandable that it would not want to develop a brief record of essentially technical violations while incurring additional risk by agreeing to accept the Smithfield Foods wastewater prior to the completion of its Nansemond plant expansion. Consequently, the State Water Control Board agreed to this creative solution.
Chesapeake Bay phosphorus levels are at historic lows. These phosphorus levels will continue to be reduced by this cooperative effort, not increase as implied in your report.
FRANCIS L. DANIEL
Tidewater regional director
Department of Environmental Quality
Richmond, March 25, 1996 by CNB