Hatchie waste permits opposed

Agencies fear pollution will harm wildlife

State and federal wildlife officials say a proposal to allow new industrial wastewater discharges into the Hatchie River could threaten a wide array of aquatic life and degrade what one agency called the “best remaining example of relatively undisturbed riverine habitat in West Tennessee.”

The written comments by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency were among more than 90 submitted to regulators on two proposed permits associated with the development of the Memphis Regional Megasite, where state officials hope to attract an automobile manufacturer or similar industry. The 6-square-mile site is near Stanton, Tennessee, less than 20 miles northeast of Arlington.

One permit would authorize construction of a force main to carry wastewater from the prospective manufacturer to a wastewater treatment plant operated by the Brownsville Energy Authority. The other would allow the energy authority to discharge treated effluent from the factory into the Hatchie, setting specific limits on heavy metals and other pollutants typically associated with auto manufacturers.

Developers of the megasite are seeking approval of the permits now — before a manufacturer has committed to the site — so any factory could begin operating more quickly.

The comment period for the two permits ended Friday.

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is reviewing the comments and will respond to them before making a decision. TDEC made a preliminary determination that it intends to issue the discharge permit because its limits “are fully protective of the fish and aquatic life stream use, as well as all other designated uses,” the department said in a public notice.

But in their comments, the state and federal wildlife agencies said the proposed permits carry too much risk for the Hatchie, which is one of the last free-flowing, unchannelized rivers in West Tennessee. It’s been designated for protection under the state’s Scenic Rivers Act and as a “Tennessee Exceptional Water.”

TWRA expressed several concerns about the permits, saying the installation of a force main could harm wetland vegetation and wildlife along the Hatchie. It also called for further testing to determine the toxicity of the effluent, noting that endangered mussel and crayfish species inhabit the watershed.

The Fish and Wildlife Service states that the proposed discharge lies within the 11,556-acre Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, which provides habitat to migrating and wintering waterfowl. It, too, cites concerns about the toxicity of the discharges and notes that the permit does not set limits on ammonia levels. The agency also said the two permits do not conform with state policy regarding the protection of waterways.

Because there appear to be viable alternatives to the discharges into the Hatchie, “the Service cannot support” the permit, the comment letter said.