Fix the water discharge permit for Tyson’s Blountsville slaughterhouse

Daphne Y. Lutz, Chief, ADEM Water Division

Black Warrior Riverkeeper's Staff Scientist, John Kinney, tests water quality downstream of Tyson's Blountsville slaughterhouse
Black Warrior Riverkeeper

Please take this opportunity to comment on the water discharge permit for Tyson’s slaughterhouse facility in Blountsville (NPDES Permit Number AL0001449). The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) must do a better job of addressing the pollution coming from this facility. The health of the river and our community depends on it. While the Tyson plant is a benefit to our local economy, so is the outdoor recreation industry. Failure to limit the pollution from Tyson can and will have negative effects on the ability of people to safely enjoy recreation on the river.

To: Daphne Y. Lutz, Chief, ADEM Water Division
From: [Your Name]

Dear Daphne Y. Lutz, Chief, ADEM Water Division,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the water discharge permit for Tyson’s slaughterhouse facility in Blountsville (NPDES Permit Number AL0001449). I/We would like ADEM to do a better job of addressing the pollution coming from this facility. The health of the river that we love and our community depends on it. While the Tyson plant is a benefit to our local economy, so is the outdoor recreation industry. Failure to limit the pollution from Tyson can and will have negative effects on the ability of people to safely enjoy recreation on the river.

People are actively using Graves Creek and the Locust Fork for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and other activities at all times of year. Therefore, ADEM should apply limitations in the permit as if those streams were assigned a use classification of Swimming (S) by the state. I/we think it doesn’t make sense to allow more E. coli in the river during the winter because people are still being exposed to the water. It also doesn’t make sense for the permit to only limit the E. coli coming from Tyson’s wastewater treatment plant, but not limit the amount of E. coli discharged in their stormwater.

There is more algae in the river than ever before, and I/we think that the nutrient-rich discharges from Tyson play a significant role in that. The algae is gross to look at, stops people from coming to our community to enjoy the river, and can make us and our kids sick. ADEM’s permit needs to put more restrictions on the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen that Tyson is allowed to discharge to help limit algae growth.

If Tyson’s slaughterhouses in other states can meet stricter requirements and the company still makes money, why can’t Alabama make them use the same technology for water treatment here? We deserve to have the latest treatment technology employed.

I/we would like to formally ask ADEM to hold a public hearing so that we can talk about these issues in more detail, and so that other members of the community can have their voices heard.