February 19, 2002 - Inside this Issue!

1.  WORKSHOP -  How to use the Clean Water Act to Protect and Clean up Your Local Waterways
2.  PUBLIC MEETINGS -  TVA to Conduct Reservoir Operations Study
3.  CONFERENCE:  Sustainable Development Workshop March 28 - 29, 2002.
4.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - Cumberland Coal Company Expansion
5.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - NPDES Lynnwood Utilities Sewage Treatment Plant
6. TDEC PRESS RELEASE - Summertown Utility District requests suspension of permit application
7.  NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT - TDEC suspends all future interbasin transfer permits
8.  NEWS -  Drinking water may have caused miscarriages
9.  RIVER CLEANUP -   Join in the Tellico River Cleanup!
10.NEWS - Bush Administration Proposes Sweeping Cuts to Environmental Enforcement, Water Quality Monitoring, and Important Water Quality Programs
11. REPORT - Aquatic Ecosystems and Global Climate Change:
12. REPORT - EPA Releases Report to Congress on Controlling Combined Sewer Overflows

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.  WORKSHOP -  How to use the Clean Water Act to Protect and Clean up Your Local Waterways

The Clean Water Network, Alabama Rivers Alliance, and Tennessee Clean Water Network, present: Restoring the Waters of Alabama and Tennessee

A workshop on how to use the Clean Water Act to protect and clean up your local waterways: the Total Maximum Daily Load Clean-up Program When:    Friday, March 8,  9:00 - 3:30 p.m. (CST)
Where:  Willow Room, Joe Wheeler State Park near Rogersville, AL (northwest of Huntsville)
Cost:       The charge for this event will be $10.00 which includes lunch and materials.
Who:  This workshop is for interested citizens and grassroots watershed group participants.  We will focus on the details of how to read and comment on a TMDL and will dedicate time to strategizing on how citizens can best use this program to clean up their state waters.  To obtain more information go
to the TCWN website at www.tcwn.org or call Danielle Droitsch with Tennessee Clean Water Network at 865-522-7007.

2.  PUBLIC MEETINGS -  TVA to Conduct Reservoir Operations Study

TVA has begun a comprehensive two-year study of its reservoir operations to examine the policies that guide flood control, navigation, water quality, and other aspects of river management. The purpose of the study is to determine if changes in TVA's reservoir system operating policies would produce greater overall public value.  TVA will conduct the study in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The process and the results will be documented in an environmental impact statement.  Technical analyses, including assessments of natural resource conditions, flood risk, water quality, and economic impacts, will also be conducted as part of the study.

Public input is a key component of this effort. TVA will hold public meetings in spring 2002 to help identify issues to address and alternatives to consider in the study. Additional meetings will be held
later in the process to gather public comments on the draft environmental impact statement.

To submit comments or get additional information, members of the public are invited to:

Continue checking this Web site for information
Call toll-free 888-882-7675
Send a fax to TVA at 865-632-3146
Write to ROS Project Manager David Nye, TVA, c/o
WT 11A, 400 West Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville, TN 37902.
Send an e-mail to [email protected]

Thursday, March 21: Walker County, GA; Tupelo, MS

Saturday, March 23:  Murphy, NC; Guntersville, AL

Tuesday, April 2:  Decatur, AL; Starkville, MS

Thursday, April 4:  Paris, TN; Nashville, TN; Memphis, TN

Saturday, April 6:  Morristown, TN; Muscle Shoals, AL

Tuesday, April 9: Knox County/Loudon County Area, TN; Chattanooga, TN

Thursday, April 11: Blountville, TN; Gilbertsville, KY

Saturday, April 13: Norris, TN; Savannah, TN

Tuesday, April 16:  Blairsville, GA; Bowling Green, KY

Thursday, April 18: Bryson City, NC; Tullahoma, TN

For more information about the study, or to provide your comments at any time, please call TVA toll-free at 888-882-7675 or log onto www.tva.com. Meeting times and locations will be available through the toll-free number and website after March 1 and will be advertised in your local
newspapers closer to the meeting dates.

3.  CONFERENCE:  Sustainable Development Workshop March 28 - 29, 2002

Cumberland River Compact invites you to a unique workshop designed to give you the tools for successful planning of sustainable development and show how the "bottom line of GREEN is BLACK."

Conservation and Common Sense Development II "A Workshop for Building Better Communities" at the Downtown Sheraton, Nashville, Tennessee

For registration information: http://www.cumberlandrivercompact.org/workshopintro.htm

4.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - Cumberland Coal Company Expansion

Public Hearing M2002-01
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that in response to public requests, the Division of Water Pollution Control, Mining Section, will hold the following public hearing, pursuant to Rule 1200-4-1-.05(3)(g) of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The hearing will be conducted at:

7:00 p.m., EST, March 26, 2002 - Cumberland County Courthouse 2 North Main Street, Crossville, Tennessee 38555

At the hearing, the Division will receive public comments concerning the issuance of a National Discharge Pollutant Elimination System (NPDES) permit to the following applicant:  Cumberland Coal Company, LLC, Turner Mine 2 NPDES Permit TN0072842

This new underground coal mine and coal preparation plant, located at latitude 35°59'30", longitude 84°45'00", will discharge treated wastewater and storm water into Millstone Branch, Rogers Creek and Island Creek in Cumberland County. The Division advertised its tentative decision to issue this permit in Public Notice M2002-02, dated January 30, 2002.  Interested persons may obtain additional information, a copy of the draft permit, and inspect and copy forms at the Division's office located at the above letterhead address. Please phone (865) 594-5538 or (888) 891-8332 to schedule an appointment for the review. A copy of the permit application, and draft permit will be available for  review at the hearing.

5.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING -Lynnwood Utilities Sewage Treatment Plant

FOR INFORMATION CALL: Saya A. Qualls at (615) 532-0625
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, the Division of Water Pollution Control will hold a public hearing, pursuant to Rule 1200-4-1-.05 at:

Grassland Middle School, Commons Area
2390 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37069
Date: March 19, 2002
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Public comments will be received concerning the proposed reissuance/modification of the NPDES Permit for the Lynnwood Utilities STP, Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee.  The NPDES permit for the Lynnwood Utilities STP is being issuanced to allow the plant to discharge 0.4 MGD of treated domestic wastewater to the Harpeth River at mile 77.9.

Permit Information, the existing NPDES permit No. TN0029718 was issued on May 14, 1999, and expired on July 31, 2001. It administratively continued upon expiration. Interested persons may obtain additional information, a copy of the draft permit, the fact sheet, and inspect and copy forms and related documents at the Division's Central Office at the address listed at the top of this page or at the Nashville Environmental Assistance Center, 711 R. S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, TN 37216.

6.  TDEC PRESS RELEASE - Summertown Utility District requests suspension of permit application

The Board of Commissioners for the Summertown Utility District has asked the state to temporarily suspend a determination on its application for a permit to withdraw up to one million gallons per day from the Buffalo River. In a letter dated December 18, 2001, the district says they need to use Buffalo River water in the future, but for now they wish to pursue "coordinated and cooperative regional watershed efforts." The letter proposes certain steps to be taken to enhance protection of the river and promote regional planning. Potential inclusion of the Buffalo in the state scenic river system is specifically mentioned.

An August 7, 2001 public hearing attracted more than 300 people. The majority of attendees were downstream residents expressing their strong desire to protect the Buffalo River. Following the public forum, letters from citizens and conservation groups addressed similar concerns.

"We hope the enthusiasm for the Buffalo River continues," says Paul E. Davis, Director of TDEC's Division of Water Pollution Control. "TDEC helped facilitate this decision and we fully agree with the district on the importance of regional planning."

TDEC will honor Summertown Utility District's request and suspend its determination on the permit.

7.   NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT - TDEC suspends all future inter-basin transfer permits

On January 25, 2002, Justin Wilson, Deputy to the Governor for Policy, announced that all future interbasin permits will be suspended until further study.  Specifically, Mr. Wilson asked TDEC to: "please deny any new inter-basin transfer .permit applications received after the date of this letter until you are confident that all reasonably foreseeable needs for water under all climatic conditions will be met.

Mr. Wilson says in his letter: "Therefore, please deny any new inter-basin transfer permit applications received after the date of this letter until you are confident that all reasonably foreseeable needs for
water under all climatic conditions will be met. Specifically in regard to making this determination for the Lower Tennessee-Hiwassee River basin, you should use the TVA study, unless an applicant furnishes the same quality of information."

8.      NEWS -  Drinking water may have caused miscarriages

Twenty-five women who suffered miscarriages are suing the city of Chesapeake, Virginia over chemicals in the public drinking water supply. The women suspect that contaminated water caused their miscarriages.

As reports the Washington Post (2-10-02), "The women are alleging  that the city did not adequately warn them about potentially harmful  levels of toxins in their water, sometimes nearly 10 times higher than the danger level identified in the largest public health study to date."

According to the Post, a growing number of studies are linking birth defects and miscarriages "to chemicals that are produced when chlorine, used to purify drinking water, mixes with organic matter, such as fertilizer in surface water." Officials from the chemical and water industry say the evidence is inconclusive.

The Environmental Protection Agency has called the evidence of chlorination byproducts in drinking water "an important health concern."  Many residents are unaware that levels of chlorination byproducts often rise above EPA limits.

Because there has never been a comprehensive study of the city's miscarriage or birth defect rates, "it is impossible to draw a comparison between the period when the byproducts were spiking and when
they were not," reports the Post.

Annette Spaven told the Post, "I just hope that...people will pay attention to what's going on in their cities. No one should have to go through what we have."

"You just take for granted...that you never have to second-guess what's in your water," she said.

9. RIVER CLEANUP -   Join in the Tellico River Cleanup!

The 3rd Annual Tellico River Cleanup Day is Saturday, March 9, 2002.
-Rain or Shine
-Registration begins 9:00 am at the Tellico Ranger Station (near Tellico Plain, TN) and at the Stateline Campground
-Bags and bagged trash pick-up will be provided
-Bright colored clothing is recommended
-Bringing gloves is recommended

The current list of groups participating includes USDA Forest Service, TVA, Trout Unlimited, Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, Boy Scouts of America, Chattanooga Trout Association.

The area cleaned is along the Tellico and North River roads and river banks.  Last year there were about 65 participants.  With more participants, more area gets cleaned.  We need as many groups as
possible participating (recreation, environmental, school, church, scouts, etc.).

For more details contact:
Mary Jane Burnette - Tellico Ranger District, 423-253-2520
Steve Fry - Trout Unlimited, 423-855-5897

10. NEWS - Bush Administration Proposes Sweeping Cuts to Environmental Enforcement, Water Quality Monitoring, and Important Water Quality Programs

Last Monday the Bush Administration proposed a budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 that would seriously cripple further progress towards meeting the goals of the Clean Water Act.  Though many of the proposed cuts are not as drastic as the cuts proposed by Bush last year, the clean water budget proposed by Bush would decrease our understanding of water quality problems, seriously undermine environmental enforcement efforts, and hamper progress being made and future success of critical clean water programs.

Call the Network for more information on the budget at 202-289-2421. To see EPA's budget, go to http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/budget/budget.htm.

11. REPORT - Aquatic Ecosystems and Global Climate Change:

A new report has been released, "Potential Impacts on Inland Freshwater and Coastal Wetland Ecosystems in the United States" by Pew Charitable Trusts. This new environmental impact series report released January 29, 2002 draws on a variety of sources to summarize researchers' current
understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on U.S. aquatic ecosystems.

View the press release and full report: http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/aquatic.cfm

12.  REPORT - EPA Releases Report to Congress on Controlling Combined Sewer Overflows

EPA released to Congress on January 29, 2002 a report on the Implementation and Enforcement of its 1994 Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Policy. This report, required in the 2000 Wet Weather Quality Act, documents progress made by EPA, States and municipalities in implementing and enforcing the CSO policy. The report says that while EPA States and municipalities have made significant progress under the policy in controlling CSOs, there are still challenges that must be
overcome. These challenges include finding the resources to implement the CSO control programs necessary to achieve appropriate environmental objectives, integrating the review of water quality standards with the communities development of their CSO control plans, and thedevelopment
and implementation of better information management systems for assessing the public health and environmental improvements resulting from these long-term CSO control plans.  For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/npdes and follow the link for ?Combined Sewer Overflows?. The report will be available for download on this site beginning Friday, February 1, 2002. Within several weeks, copies of the Report will be available as both hard copy and CD-ROM.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee Clean Water Network E-News

This newsletter is intended to provide a quick look at current clean
water issues in Tennessee, in addition to resources available to the
concerned citizen.

Visit our website (www.tcwn.org) to find more detailed information.


Comments and submissions for the newsletter are welcome.  Send to
[email protected]   or to   [email protected] or call us at
865/522-7007.  Thanks for your participation!