EPD to Hold Virtual Public Hearing on Franklin GRP’s Wastewater Permit Application

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has extended the comment period for people to comment on Georgia Renewable Power Franklin’s request to renew its wastewater permit.

The public comment period has been extended to February 15 from the initial end date of January 15.

The EPD then will hold a virtual public hearing on the permit matter on March 9 at 7p via Zoom.

The log-in information for the Zoom meeting is:

ZOOM LOG-IN INFO:
Meeting ID: 968 8136 4173
Passcode: 572750
Dial in: 1-470-381-2552

According to a published public notice, the EPD plans to renew their wastewater discharge permit for another five years subject to special pollutant conditions and special limitations.

Those include a maximum 1.5 mgd or 1.5 million gallons per day, boiler blowdown, boiler feedwater, boiler area drainage, reverse osmosis reject water, STG sump area drainage, cooling tower blowdown, and stormwater discharge to unnamed tributaries of Indian Creek.

Complaints from people living near the plant surfaced in the fall of 2019 when employees at the plant used water cannons to put out fires inside huge piles of decaying wood chips.

The amount of water they used was so great it overflowed the plant’s retention ponds causing contaminated water to flow into Indian Creek, which killed the fish.

Farmers whose cattle use the creek for drinking water complained their cattle could no longer drink from it.

Anyone wishing to comment or object to the proposed determinations are invited to submit those comments in writing to the EPD by mailing them to the Environmental Protection Division, 2 MLK, Jr. Dr., Suite 1152E, Atlanta, GA 30334.

Or you can send your comments via e-mail to [email protected]

If you choose to e-mail your comments, include the words “NPDES permit reissuance – GRP Franklin Renewable Energy Facility, LLC (Franklin County)” in the subject line to ensure that your comments will be forwarded to the correct staff.