Saturday, January 17, 2009
Pollution of Georgia's estuarine systems.
Frequent commenter and professional fishing guide "Sea Pro" called me today to point out the notice on the GA DNR Wildlife site concerning warnings about eating fish from the Satiilla River Basin System.
http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/gaenviron/fish_advisory/GADNR_FishConsumptionGuidelines_Y2007.pdf
(See page 49.)
He cites this data as all the more reason we should all be opposed to the full development of Cumberland Harbour, citing his belief that the increased residential development on the shores of the listed rivers is the cause of the estuarine pollution. Given what Sea Pro does for a living, including running multiple charter boats out of St. Simons, I can certainly appreciate his concerns.
However, if you will look at the listed pollutants, you will find that every one of them, without exception, is associated with heavy industrial chemical processes - NOT residential development, including marinas. These are well known residuals from long closed Brunswick industries. That is not to say that unregulated development is not a concern, but so long as we disallow riverside septic tanks, maintain an efficient and effective sewage treatment system and discourage excessive lawn fertilization, I am not all that concerned about the effect of increased development upon the estuarine environment per se, and fish contamination in particular.
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6 comments:
jay, one other way to look at this as we were talking.
when these industries were running eachof them tested the water for discharge %. gilman paper i know tested twice a day incoming tide and outgoing tide. incoming is ***always*** cleaner.
putting boat in the other day city worker was collecting a water sample to send off i asked why on incoming tide it would pass all test. his repy to me was they never know when he takes the water he just has to send a sample.
thats a bullshit test and 5 years from now we will feel it.
seapro
Jay wrote: "but so long as we disallow riverside septic tanks, maintain an efficient and effective sewage treatment system and discourage excessive lawn fertilization, I am not all that concerned about the effect of increased development upon the estuarine environment per se, and fish contamination in particular."
That's all we have on the riverside, SEPTIC TANKS. From Mush Bluff to Harrietss Bluff and beyond, we ONLY have septic tanks. With the septic systems installed in the non-bonded subdivisions on the northend; I would say Seapro has a valid point.
I know the JDA receive a 100 million dollar bond to implemnet water and sewer in all of these areas. Then after they received the money they decided they did NOT want to be in the water and sewer business.
Which brings me to my next question: Who has the money? Will the County utilize THAT money to implement water and sewer through a private contractor or will they make the taxpayers pay twice by retrieving the second harvest from SPLOST.
If you will re-read the post, you will see that I was talking specifically about Cumberland Harbour, as was Sea Pro in his phone call to me on the subject. There are no - and will never be any- septic tanks in Cumberland Harbour. I know, because I worked out here for six months with Stan Smith's now defunct Underground Contractors when we put in all of the water and sewer lines. Moreover, I was obviously talking about prospective ( as opposed to retrospective)building practices.
If you will go to the GA DNR site (page 49) which I gave a link to, you will see that the listed pollutants (mercury, PCB's, etc) are all from heavy industry and not from residential construction, as Sea Pro was postulating.
Are you sure of your statement that the JDA actually floated a bond issue for $100 million dollars and took receipt of the money??
I meant "worked out THERE." Cumbeland Harbour is much to rich for my limited wallet.
RE: $100 million JDA bond issue. Although I was 99.(% sure, I checked just now (phonecon) wikth someone in county governemnt (no, not a commissioner) who surely knows. No - there never was a water/sewer bond issue floated by the JDA. I think you might be confusing it with the PSA bond for the St. Marys sewage treatment plant capacity increase. See Sandy's blog.
I wasn't saying that Cumberland Harbour has septic tanks. I was commenting on "so long as we disallow" I agree. We have septic in all of these other areas ALREADY. If we disallow anymore in the future, talking about prospective building practices.
Re: 100 Million JDA - I wonder why it was printed in the Tribune & Georgian that they did. In the second article it was reported that the JDA no longer wanted the responsibility.
I wonder if there is a way to query information from previous articles of T & G. I think I may still have my copy. I'll look....
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