No Excuse Tuscaloosa

 This is completely irresponsible.

I first reported a major sewage blowout and discharge along JVC Road in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 07 2022. I said then it's time to come clean about Tuscaloosa's failing sewer system. It wasn't the first such incident at the same location. In fact there have been many. According to the city's own reporting there have been 388,565 gallons blown out there just during the last 5 year permit period. I should also say that I have serious doubts about the validity of their reporting. 

The cleanup and mitigation began back in early Nov. The city sewer head stated that they were aware of the problems along the line as early as 2020. I know for a fact they have known longer than that. She stated that the city had been working on a plan since 2020 and was letting the system "limp along" hoping it would last until plans were complete. The day after I reported it on 11/07/22 there were about a half dozen people with clean hands and shirts showed up and hovered around the back of a pickup truck for a while and by golly they had a plan! Why did Tuscaloosa drag their feet until a catastrophic failure forced action. I assure you it will cost much more now as an emergency repair that if Tuscaloosa had just done what was required to protect the health and safety of everyone living downstream?

I for one will be happy to see the replacement of this bottleneck of problems. However, in doing so, the contractors have rules they have to follow and the city has a responsibility to insure that contractors working for the taxpayers obey all regulations and rules set in place to protect downstream residents from further negative impacts. I have watched from the sidelines and overhead to see how the contractor would approach this problematic construction. 

I didn't have to wait long to see first hand the negligence, for lack of better word. Absolutely no Best Management Practices (BMPs) were installed as they should have been. There was one attempt back in mid Nov. at the creek crossing. It failed in the first rain event and has not been replaced and or upgraded since. Across the interstate where the Right of Way (ROW) runs through a designated wetland there are no protective BMPs anywhere.

As far as I can see they are leaving us with little option but to bring in ADEM and see if the state can get them under control. It's a shame Tuscaloosa administration doesn't seem to take environmental protection seriously.  

With that said, The following complaint was filed today with Alabama Deputy. of Environmental Management (ADEM)

Heather Jones, ADEM

"Ms. Jones

Please accept this citizen complaint on behalf of John L. Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper and Friends of Hurricane Creek as it pertains to the sewer line replacement on JVC road in Tuscaloosa.

I first reported a sinkhole and sewage overflow at #1 JVC Road on 11/07/22. From that date to the present there has been a lot of excavation with little or no attention to BMPs. The City of Tuscaloosa owns the mess and John Plott is the contractor. I am not sure who will actually be held as the responsible party but both know better than to create such a mess without concern for offsite impacts. Please advise as to who is actually the responsible party.

The roadside at the site of the sinkhole and all along JVC road is being excavated for new pipe and a line bore under I-59. There is only one small silt fence along JVC road ditch. It was not installed properly to begin with and does nothing to stop or even curb the offsite transport of sediment to the unnamed tributary of Cottondale Creek. 

On the other side of the creek near the Interstate Drive entrance there was a silt fence and hay bales set up early in Dec. It failed in the first significant rain event and has not been replaced or modified since. Last night after several hours of rain the BMPs were partially submerged. Photos would not pick it up but the water was about 1/2 way up the hay bales with heavy sediment flowing into the creek.

Across the interstate where the old gravity feed line ran. It is mostly designated wetland according to the flagging ribbon I found. The entire sewer ROW is being used as a haul road and constriction entrance for the line bore to come. There are NO BMPs in the wetland area anywhere. The Roar along the ROW crosses the stream several times with no stream protection or BMPs.

Turbidity samples taken yesterday afternoon, 12/14/22 after about 3/4 inch of rain produced 134 NTU upstream and 3,340 NTU immediately downstream of the bridge. This level of increase is unacceptable. Hurricane Creek is a TMDL stream with a demand for significant reduction in turbidity. No place within the disturbed area has BMPS and the result is several thousand NTU violations.

The city and Plott know better. This must stop. There is no NPDES signage even though the disturbed area easily surpasses the need for a permit and adequate BMP plan immediately.

I am formally requesting an immediate inspection and or stop work order from ADEM until ALL BMP issues have been adequately resolved. It falls under the city general permit then the city should be held responsible and the same for Plott. 

-- 

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"