3-story fertilized mulch fire causes major contamination, fish kill on the South River

9.6.2024 South River at Forrest Park Rd runs black with soot and toxic runoff. Dissolved Oxygen levels cannot support aquatic life.

Mulch accumulates heat. Paired with very little rain in the area for weeks, the pile spontaneously combusted.

9.9.24 South River at Intrenchment Creek. Credit: SRWA

9.9.24 Dead Sunfish (Bream), South River at Bouldercrest Rd. Credit: Therese Kelly

9.8.24 Dead minnow, South River at Constitution Lakes. Credit: Peter Peteet

9.9.24 Crayfish, South River at Bouldercrest Rd, approx 5 river miles downstream of the fire. Credit: Therese Kelly

For immediate release

September 9, 2024 (updated 9.12.24)
Documentation (see file names for info inc. image credits)
POC: Margaret Spalding, Executive Director, South River Watershed Alliance, 706-254-9526  / mspalding@southriverga.org; Dr. Sarah H. Ledford, 404-413-5780; Philip Meeker (witness & resident near the fire) 3176400613; Dr Jacqueline Echols, SRWA, 404-285-3756

PRESS RELEASE

Massive fertilized mulch fire causes major contamination, confirmed fish kill on the South River

2099 Jonesboro Rd SE and 561 Harper Rd SE, Atlanta GA 30315 (Atlanta District 1, Jason Winston) - A mulch pile, believed to contain fertilizer (or animal waste of some kind) and methyl bromide (from pallet wood) among other chemical substances, caught fire on Thursday September 5th in the neighborhood of Lakewood and the headwaters of the South River. Witnesses reported a blazing “mountain of mulch” approximately 3 stories high, which has since been dismantled by the Atlanta Fire Department who continued to fight/monitor the smoldering fire into 9.8.24. This location is less than 1 mile from the South River and sits on a tributary of the river. An unknown amount of contaminated, deoxygenated runoff from the Fire Department’s attempt to tame the blaze (dousing the flames over the course of four days) exited the site via the tributary and/or a stormdrain.

On Friday afternoon, Georgia State University Department of Geosciences and the South River Watershed Alliance’s (SRWA) Water Quality Monitoring Team (WQMT) interns, Therese Kelly and Finn Gillette, observed that the South River at Forrest Park Rd was running black. Samples collected were smoky and opaque.

This event is now documented to have caused fish and other wildlife to perish up to at least five river miles downstream of the site. Dissolved Oxygen levels on the river dipped below 2 mg/L over 3.5 miles below the fire, below the levels necessary to sustain aquatic life, and below 3 mg/L over 10 miles from the site. According to Dr. Sarah H. Ledford, Associate Professor GSU, Department of Geosciences, “Anything below 2 mg/L is just about a guaranteed fish kill.”. SRWA and Georgia State University (GSU) Department of Geosciences continue to actively monitor several sites and follow the plume as it moves downstream. According to Ledford, samples taken on the South River just downstream of the fire on Friday evening came in “over our maximum measurement level [for E. coli] at a 1:100 dilution (so >241,980 MPN/100 mL), indicating the mulch likely has fertilizer (or other animal waste) in it.”. The Environmental Protection Agency ECHO Database indicates no industrial stormwater permit exists for this site, as is required for industrial sites.

“Such a facility should never have been allowed in the City and this devastation was entirely preventable. The predominately low-income and minority residents of the South River watershed yet again have to bear the burden of the City’s refusal to follow the law and address environmental injustice.” - Dr. Sarah H. Ledford, Associate Professor GSU, Department of Geosciences (sledford@gsu.edu / 404-413-5780)

“Major contamination events like this, and massive high impact development like Cop City, are par for the course in the historic and ongoing disinvestment and environmental devastation inflicted throughout the South River corridor (in Atlanta and DeKalb County).” - Margaret Spalding, Executive Director, SRWA

“This area of southeast Atlanta near the South River attracts businesses that degrade the environment and the City’s code enforcement in the area is lax, demonstrated here by the lack of an MS4 stormwater permit.” - Jacqueline Echols, Board President, SRWA

City of Atlanta Fire Department has not responded to inquiries regarding use of fire retardants (containing PFAS). Weather forecasts predict rain over the course of the next 6 days, however as of 9.12.24, no action has been taken by the land owner, GA EPD or City of Atlanta to address further contamination from impending stormwater runoff.

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SRWA Files Complaint on Atlanta's Comprehensive Development Plan

June 10, 2024 // A COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER COMPLAINT was submitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and Georgia Department of Community Affairs outlining numerous and ongoing violations of the Comprehensive Development Planning process by the City of Atlanta. In short, the City failed to disclose or involve the public of its omission of the 300-acre former Prison Farm parcel (from the South River Forest/Park) in its Comprehensive Development Plan.

On June 12th, SRWA and partners held a press conference outside an Atlanta CDP “Plan A” public meeting in Inman Park. Watch the conference on our social pages @southriverga.

YOU CAN SIGN THE COMPLAINT
Any individual, group, organization, business or other entity in the state of Georgia can sign. Your support helps demonstrate the breadth of communities excluded from Atlanta’s decision to lease 300 acres of public land to the Atlanta Police Foundation.

Please consider emailing ARC’s Director, Anna Roach, directly at aroach@atlantaregional.org. Tell her ARC must enforce its own public engagement process!

Thank you.

Advancing Environmental Justice: Leveraging the Triennial Review to Improve Water Quality

On April 17th, SRWA President Echols and University of California, Santa Barbara, students Erin Clem and Daniela Robles presented at the 2024 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program in Washington, D.C..

Below find Clem and Robles’ case study and the “Advancing EJ” presentation describing how SRWA has leveraged Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Triennial Review and designated use standards to improve water quality.

 

SRWA Opening Statement
National Environmental Justice Conference
April 17, 2024 // Washington, D. C.

The Upper South River Watershed is an environmental justice community where more than 450,000 Black, marginalized, and other vulnerable people of color live.  

In 2010, violating 50-years of Clean Water Act (CWA) history and legal precedent, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiated a federal CWA consent decree with DeKalb County that does not contain a deadline or date certain to stop sewage spills into the South River in south DeKalb County.  Additionally, and again breaking with precedent, the DeKalb County consent decree created “priority” and “non-priority” areas.   Most of the “non-priority” areas are also located in predominately Black south DeKalb County.  

In 2011, SRWA launched two flagship programs in support of improving water quality in the river through recreation – Beyond the Bridge kayak/canoe paddles, and the South River Water Trail, an initiative in partnership with downstream municipalities to provide safe and legal access to the river.  I learned later, upon discovering the Triennial review process, that recreational use is the only way to improve water quality and elevate water quality standards in Georgia’s waterways.

In 2019, during a random internet search, I happened across information about the Triennial review.  The process, how it works, and why it is so important are outlined in the Clean Water Act.  When coupled with stream restoration; specifically recreational use, the Triennial review process can be for others, as it was for SRWA, an effective tool for revitalizing environmental justice communities. 

Currently, the single most destructive threat to water quality in south DeKalb County is the failure of the 2010 DeKalb County consent decree to stop sewage spills into the South River and surrounding communities.

It will be difficult and likely impossible to overcome this unprecedented injustice.  However, the Triennial review process and its recreational use mandate provides the best opportunity to improve water quality but the responsibility and burden is blatantly unfair.  

We remain hopeful, through opportunities like this one to highlight this issue, and with continued focus on this environmental injustice, EPA will be compelled to revisit the DeKalb County consent decree and this issue and right this wrong!

Jacqueline Echols, PhD
Board President, SRWA

SRWA Files Administrative Complaint as Atlanta Seeks to Permanently Shut Down USGS Monitoring Site on Intrenchment Creek

Act Now!

Sign SRWA’s ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT to USGS and help keep the one and only crititcal water quality monitoring station on Intrenchment Creek! Your letter will automatically send to decision makers Holly Weyers, USGS SE Regional Director, and David Applegate, National Director.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Before City of Atlanta convinced USGS to shut down, the Water Quality Monitoring Station on Intrenchment Creek at Constitution Road collected data critical to ensuring that point-source sewage pollution from City of Atlanta’s Combined Sewage Overflow Facilities were not exceeding permitted limits on Intrenchment Creek. Downstream, when the creek joins the South River, the water bodies combine making any data collected from USGS’ suggested new location (a mile downstream on the South River) completely irrelevant to monitoring the pollution coming directly from City of Atlanta facilities on Intrenchment Creek. Sign the letter now!

Read: OUR PRESS RELEASE

Read: USGS’ Proposal to City of Atlanta (to move the station from Intrenchment Creek to 1+ mile downstream on the South River)

USGS Water Quality Monitoring Station on Intrenchment Creek at Constitution Road before it was dismantled. Sign the letter now!

 

SE Atlanta: Major Deforestation & Mining Threat

forest Bordering the River Permitted for Mining

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Write City Planning Commissioner Jahnee Prince & City Arborist David Zaparanick.

KEY MESSAGES:
Enforce the Atlanta Tree Protection Ordinance.
Enforce City Code Sec. 6-25.001 requiring public notice, a hearing, a ZRB recommendation and decision by City Council.

Unanswered Questions:
Did the Atlanta law department make the decision that a Special Use Permit isn’t necessary?  If not, then who?
Why is Atlanta City Code Sec. 6-25.001 not being implemented or followed?

Suggested subject line: 2811 Forrest Park Rd: Enforce Tree Ordinance & City Code 6-25.001

A surface mining permit was issued to 2811 Forrest Park Road by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on 12.19.2019. The site is now actively being mined and is located at the confluence of a major tributary and the South River. It is adjacent to South Atlanta High School and across the street from the Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve.

The permit allows the extraction of clay from 55 acres on the site which is zoned I-2 Heavy Industrial. Zoning is the only criteria used to determine if surface mining is allowable.

Status update according to City of Atlanta Arborist Department:

The Stop Work Order has been lifted/removed by the Arborist Dept and mining operations have resumed.  The mining operation can continue to operate without the necessary Special Use Permit until such time the City’s law department decides whether a permit is needed.

City Code Sec. 6-25.001 is applicable to this site. It states under Intent: Classes of special permits "special use permits (including extraction or removal of sand, gravel, topsoil, clay, dirt…) require public notice, a hearing, a ZRB recommendation, and are decided by City Council."

Unanswered Questions:

  • Did the Atlanta law department make the decision that a Special Use Permit isn’t necessary?  If not, then who?

  • Why is Atlanta City Code Sec. 6-25.001 not being implemented or followed?

Additional Details:

  1. Initial surface mining permit disturbs 55-acres.  Request to disturb an additional 19-acres submitted.

  2. No permits have been issued by the City, although state approval does not exempt adherence to local ordinances.

  3. Law Department is reviewing to determine if the mining permit from Georgia EPD is exempt from following the tree ordinance.   

  4. No recompense has been assessed or collected by the Atlanta Arborist Department.

  5. No Reclamation Plan provided or approved for the site.  

Hold ARC accountable to the South River Forest plan!

Atlanta Mayor Commandeers South River Forest Vision

 
 

CALL TO ACTION:

Email ARC Director Anna Roach: aroach@atlantaregional.org
Sample letter below.

SUMMARY:

Over a one-year period (January-December) 2022, the Atlanta Regional Commission planned and conducted a community engagement process throughout south and southeast Atlanta in support of the South River Forest vision. South River Watershed Alliance served on the Project Management Team. From the process the ARC produced the South River Forest Community Development Action Plan. 

ARC’s role throughout the study process was “to serve as the facilitator and convener, to create an inclusive and engaging process, and to outline consensus-based recommendations for the City of Atlanta and Dekalb County to act upon.” 

“In addition to a community engagement and preliminary findings summary, this document includes a series of recommendations by which the South River Forest area may be protected, connected, and activated. A suggested timeframe, responsible party(ies), and potential funding source(s) is specified for each recommendation. “

Instead of implementing the will of citizen residents, Mayor Dickens is now promoting his own Task Force and agenda for creating a police training facility centered on the South River Forest vision. Addressing environmental disparities to the extent envisioned in the SRF Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) has never been contemplated or even attempted by the City of Atlanta. Successful achievement of the goals and aspirations of the SRF CDAP as voiced by the residents of the area depends upon ARC’s continued active unbiased and uncensored involvement going forward. And not mired in the mayor’s contrived attempt to usurp a legitimate community process to further his own political agenda.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Subject line: Mayor's Task Force UNDERMINES South River Forest plan & ARC’s Report

Director Roach:

Please do not let the Mayor’s office commandeer the South River Forest Plan. South River communities deserve environmental justice and real investment just like Chattahoochee River communities receive.

Mayor Dickens' Task Force is conflating Cop City with conservation! His actions are out of integrity with ARC’s plan and public input. The South River Forest plan is a conservation area that includes the entire Prison Farm property as protected greenspace – representing the heart of the forest.

Further, ARC’s process clearly demonstrated that environmental justice is a #1 concern among hundreds of area residents and made it crystal clear that the “need to protect the South River Forest is increasingly urgent”.

The lease of 300 acres and development of 85-acres at the Prison Farm are incompatible with the SRF Plan. In fact, Atlanta cannot even meet the greenspace requirements of its own lease legislation. Planting trees or buying land will not make the Training Center development compatible or acceptable.

City of Atlanta has never attempted to invest in southeast Atlanta or address environmental disparities as envisioned in the SRF Plan. Achieving the goals and aspirations of residents depends heavily upon ARC’s ongoing unbiased and uncensored involvement. Please champion the integrity of the SRF CDAP that so many residents and stakeholders already participated in.

Sincerely,
Your name

STAY INFORMED

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