Commission Proceedings 



April 25, 2000 



Environmental Management Commission 



Dr. David H. Moreau, Chair of the Environmental Management Commission (EMC), 

 reported on recent activities of the EMC, including updates on measures to improve air 

 quality, groundwater quality, and surface water quality. The EMC had sent three options 

 for reducing NOx emissions to public hearing, but fiirther actions would be contingent on 

 the outcome of unresolved lawsuits. Groundwater actions included adopting minimum 

 management practices at dry-cleaning operations and the revision of groundwater 

 standards for several contaminants. Surface water activities included studying under 

 what circumstances privately owned wastewater treatment systems should be required to 

 connect to publicly owned wastewater treatment systems. Dr. Moreau said a survey 

 revealed strong support for requiring the connection of non-compliant systems, but 

 privately-owned systems were not always the worst offenders and shouldn't necessarily 

 be targeted. He also noted that a stakeholder process was underway to develop a 

 statewide program for stormwater management, and that the EMC had sent out a notice 

 of its intent to establish rules to initiate the conversion of animal waste lagoons. 



ERC members raised questions about how North Carolina compares to other states in 

 terms of air quality and air quality protection measures. DENR staff said they could 

 provide additional information on this topic. Members also discussed who would bear 

 the cost of emissions reductions at point sources, the ratio of emissions reductions from 

 point sources and mobile sources under federal and State initiatives, the potential impact 

 of deregulation on air quality, and altemative sewage treatment and disposal methods. 



Inactive animal waste lagoons (continued from March 16, 2000) 



David S. Vogel, Director of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation in DENR, 

 explained how his division and the Division of Water Quality had worked together to 

 establish an inventory and risk-ranking of inactive animal waste lagoons. He noted that 

 the rankings were based on physical assessments rather than chemical analysis of lagoon 

 contents or groundwater sampling. Mr. Vogel reported that out of 1 142 inactive lagoons 

 identified, 39 were determined to pose a high risk for breaches or overflows that could 

 contaminate surface waters; 1060 posed a medium risk for breaches, overflows, or leaks 

 to groundwater; and 43 posed a low risk of contaminating either surface or groundwater. 

 He recommended immediate action to close the high-risk lagoons and additional analysis 

 to more precisely assess the dangers posed by medium-risk lagoons prior to proceeding 

 with more closures. 



ERC members raised questions about why the inactive lagoons had been abandoned, 

 why an inactive lagoon would overflow, the scientific basis for identifying the high-risk 

 lagoons, potential closure methods, and why the public should pay for lagoon closure. 

 ERC members also asked for the arrangement of an informal tour of some of the inactive 

 lagoons. 



16 



