New Complaint (Quick Trip)

A new complaint was filed today at the Quick Trip construction on Buttermilk Rd. Once again the polluter at Quick Tricp is not following the rules. They have made minimal effort to fix their problems all while going on with business as usual. It's time for a stop work order until all Best Management Practice issues are in compliance. The taxpaying citizens of Tuscaloosa deserve to be treated better. This company is not from here and obviously doesn't have too much concern for locals. 

When they do open, we should all boycott!

New sod covers part of the site.

It would be wrong of me not to say there have been some improvements but there have also been new violations! They have completely dug up and destroyed a public street and turned it into their private concrete staging and washout area. The road is impassable at times due to all the equipment and when you can get by you have to drive through mud or rainy days and wet concrete slurry on others. 

 

Tuscaloosa inspector cruised through08/16/21

Where is the City of Tuscaloosa in this? Absent. I know the inspector has been on the site and he has told landowners that he has filed reports and even promised over 2 months ago to do something about it. Either he didn't turn in the reports or whoever is above him is shuffling them into piles to be ignored. At any rate I am going to start pushing ADEM to audit the city for compliance with their Ms4 permit as well as the agreement they have with ADEM to keep stormwater runoff under control or violators held accountable. 

Remember this when it comes time to vote. No politician who has been a part of allowing this behavior deserves to serve our community in the future. 

Citizen Complaint 08/16/21

Please accept the following complaint on behalf of John L. Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper and Friends of Hurricane Creek against the Quick Trip construction activity located at the intersection of Buttermilk Road and I-59 in Tuscaloosa County. N 33.17065 W 87.44712

 

NPDES permit number ALR10BHQ0.

 

1.There is no NPDES permit placard at the gate identifying what and who this is. They were cited for that last week in an NOV from ADEM dated 08/03/21. This may seem like a small thing but it is also the easiest to fix. Simply post the permit on the fence at the gate. The fact that there is still no permit posted on the last day for them to respond is a flagrant disregard for ADEMs NOV.

 

2. About 1/3 of the slopes in the pond are still bare and show rills. (01)

 

3. Inspector Roberts noted sediment inside the BMP along the northern side of the pond where the concrete retaining wall ends. If he had taken a few more steps and looked over the wall he would have seen a large plume of bright red sediment running about 50 feet through the woods. (02-02b)

 

4. No attempt at all has been made to mitigate the offsite runoff onto the state ROW at I-59. There is a row of used tires placed there deflecting sediment through the fence and onto the ROW. I am not sure who put them there but they coincide with the property line. The owner of the car dealership has been exceptionally rude and trespassed me from the property. ADEM should investigate this issue and hold both parties responsible if applicable. (03-03b)

 

5. The pond has shown no signs of modifying it to come into compliance with the handbook. (04)

 

06. The company has completely destroyed a public street. Valley Lake Rd. It was a peaceful residential street before this started. It was paved, has mailboxes, businesses, and residents who live there. It is not part of their construction site. The permit boundary does not include destroying a public street and leaving the residents without safe egress. There are ruts, mud on rainy days and now concrete splashing up on tax paying citizens vehicles.

There is a sign in the office area that says “Concrete Washout” but there is no concrete anywhere in sight. It’s all in the public street. (05-06b)

 

 As it looks on the surface the company has no intentions of coming into compliance. ADEM would be negligent to allow this to continue. A cease and desist should be issued at once and held in place until all BMP issues are addressed. They are going on with business as usual today with minimal repairs since the NOV was issued. In some areas there has been no repairs at all.

 

Again I should note that the city of Tuscaloosa has been aware of this and has had inspectors out there regularly. Either the inspectors are ignoring this or their supervisors are. At any rate, the city is not living up to the Ms4 standards of enforcement. I would suggest a complete and thorough audit of the Tuscaloosa Ms4 for compliance. The city is the firs line of defense. ADEM is woefully understaffed so it should fall to city inspectors to hold egregious polluters like this one accountable before it has to be reported to the state. In short, I believe Tuscaloosa is not living up to their permit.

 

I helped get an ordinance passed in the city several years ago which gave the inspectors the authority to take action of fines and up and or including stop work orders. Nothing like that has happened here. The city hired Mike Mullen who is familiar to ADEM to come in and train the inspectors on how to read the BMPs. They have the authority and have been trained at one time. Tuscaloosa also needs to be held accountable.    

John L. Wathen,

Hurricane Creekkeeper
Friends of Hurricane Creek
 
Creekkeeper is a member of
Waterkeeper Alliance
www.waterkeeper.org
 
Who has the authority to say someone else
 is not being a good steward of the environment?
 
Anyone who notices