At the bottom of this story are three links going back to February 2008 where we broke some interesting news about the Wicomico Landfill and the runoff from their storm water management. We were ultimately told that everything they were doing was perfectly legal and confirmed through the MDE.
However, today we will expose new information in which the County did NOT expose to us at the time we were investigating this story, which seems very convenient. As it turns out, we're again told by Jim Finneran that what they are doing is perfectly legal and the MDE is aware of it. However, once again YOU have not been made aware of it and quite frankly I have spoken with the County Council and they are NOT aware of it.
The photos above are evidence of Wicomico County taking untreated "Garbage Juice" or better known as sludge directly from the Wicomico County Landfill, (Trash Mountain) pumping that "Garbage Juice" into a tanker and driving it all the way to the other end of Salisbury on Citation Drive, (near the Wicomico Humane Society) and dumping this untreated sludge directly into a sewer drain. They are bringing it out to a very private road in the middle of nowhere. The County is claiming that it allows the untreated "Garbage Juice" to be mixed with the rest of the sewage before it makes its way to the WWTP as it gets diluted.
Here's the catch. There are two lagoons at the Wicomico Landfill. They are filled to the maximum capacity. You would think the County would have built a new lagoon, (a third) but there's perhaps two problems with that. One is, perhaps the County can't afford to build another one and two is, perhaps there's not enough room at the Landfill. Both being said, there's a serious problem here. The Salisbury WWTP cannot handle the "Garbage Juice" being sent directly to the WWTP from its present location. They again claim it needs to be filtered with other sewage but it begs to question how the Landfill can be properly operated. If this was a Private Landfill, the MDE would be all over them and perhaps shutting them down? Mind you, the City no longer accepts sewage from companies that clean out septic tanks, so why can't they handle 36,000 gallons a day from the Landfill with their new system?
Private Companies like Perdue are forced to treat ALL of their water, no matter what it is or where it comes from. Jim Finneran again states that the MDE is aware of what they're doing and it's perfectly legal. OK, I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that we also have a witness that has seen City Trucks with the City Logo on the cab of the truck driving back to that same area and dumping into the same drain.
You see, the problem I see is not necessarily the County, (although this all seems suspicious) it's the fact that the WWTP no longer has a Sludge Pit like they used to have to dump into whenever there's a large storm. Because the WWTP used to get overwhelmed every time the was a storm, they would drain the system and pump the sludge into the sludge pit. Now remember, storm water does NOT go into the WWTP, so I could never figure out why excessive rain had anything to do with any overflow there? Nevertheless, that was their excuse. Since the removal of the Sludge Pit, where is all of this overflow going now? My guess would be that they too are bringing any overflow all the way out to this location and dumping it into the sewer drain there, (7 miles or more away) and it slowly makes its way back to the WWTP. What's this costing the City taxpayers and or all of those people using the WWTP?
As far as the County is concerned it has been reported that there is at least one tanker that makes anywhere between 6 to 7 truck loads a day, seven days a week from the Landfill to this sewer drain 7 miles away, (or more) holding 6,000 gallons of "Garbage Juice" PER TRIP! Since I was not able to catch a City Tanker there today, I do have a source that has in fact seen tankers from the Salisbury WWTP dumping there as well. So we've got the City and County dumping questionable untreated material to the furthest point away from the WWTP in the hopes that when it's mixed with other sewage it somehow filters it and dilutes it?
Again, while the County states what they are doing is perfectly legal, (in which I do not doubt) it begs to question two things. Number one, since the storm water runoff goes directly to the River and not the WWTP, how can the Mayor and Gary Comegys state that the WWTP gets overloaded every time it rains? It reminds me of what Gary said today on the WMDT Forum when he said, the WWTP Upgrade is like trying to drive your car to Baltimore while changing the engine as you're driving along. Well Gary, first of all that's impossible. Second, just like I've told the Mayor in the past, that statement is just STUPID!
The second part that begs another question is, what will the environmentalists think about all of this? Corporations are forced to process ALL of their sludge no matter where it comes from. The County is processing very nasty runoff straight from Trash Mountain and NOT from the storm water lagoons. Every County Council Member I spoke to so far never had a clue this was going on. So much for open government. I'm confident the City's attitude is, what you don't know can't hurt you.
No matter how you look at it, if YOU are paying sewer fees with the City, YOU are paying for this material to be processed. I know Mr. Finneran stated that it's a wash and it very well could be. However, I'd like to see the details, wouldn't you?
What becomes even more clear to me about issues like this is, what else is going on that we don't know about? The ONLY way we're going to find out is if Jim Ireton is elected your new Mayor tomorrow. I'm confident that Gary Comegys would never expose such information. Heck, when I went to two of the City Council Members telling them there were 5 new Fire Trucks in the Budget they said, no there's not. I said, oh yes there is. They not only couldn't FIND it in the SFD Budget, they had to go to John Pick directly and ask him if this was true. Mr. Pick had to tell them the truth and walked them through where they were hidden, that's how good the Tilghman Administration was able to hide millions of dollars worth of equipment!
When Jim Ireton is elected and we see a Line Item Budget, one thing I can almost assure everyone is the fact that you will see millions of dollars freeing up. This is absolutely a necessity of everyone doesn't want to see a major tax increase VERY SOON!
So either the game is over and we're able to see some relief or the game continues and you fall deeper into debt with no accountability. Remember, many things are happening right in front of your face yet you were completely unaware of it. Right or wrong, good or bad, keeping matters like dumping toxic material down a man hole and perhaps overwhelming the WWTP is an expense to YOU, not the City or County. I say, business is business. Make the County pay for their processing and also make the City pay for all their dumping. Get it on the books because no matter what is said, YOU, (the people paying water and sewer fees) are ultimately paying for it and you take a minute and guess what it would cost YOU to dump this kind of toxic material into ANY sewer plant!!!!!
Again, these are the old stories we provided last year in which we feel on a day like today when there's more than usual rain, perhaps some of that run off is actually making it to the River and not into a tiny 6,000 gallon truck to be processed into the WWTP. Remember Folks, the Tilghman Administration wants you to believe all this rain is overloading their system, which is a complete line of crap. The storm water doesn't make it to the WWTP, it goes into the river instead. Now let Gary Comegys explain why they were regularly discharging overflows into the river now!
IntoxicGate I
IntoxiGate II
Major Breaking Story
19 comments:
Our government has gotten so
corrupt that it is obvious it
is at all levels. I can't believe that MDE approves this method of
treatment(pump it in the river).
But , that's the liberal government
for you.I think I'll run a pipe into the river , I've had septic problems , good idea MDE.
when did they EVER build a pipeline from the Humane Society to WWTP?
NEVER, you need to search this out I bet it goes to the river or somewhere else.
Find a stream or pond in the area and you will find the other end of the pipe. This is how they hide effluent by dumping it in storm drains. If this is near the airport there is probably a big pipe someplace to keep water from the airport runways ..... my guess. And I bet it doesn't go to the wastewater treatment plant.
Why do people keep saying it is pumped to then river? IT GOES TO THE WWTP; can't you read Joes typing?
Joe I totally agree with you on this one, except you refer to the leachate as "very nasty runoff". You should not assume what the composition is without knowing at all. I agree it is not filtered potable water, but what is it? If you talked to the MDE, won't they give you a copy of the assay?
I think I have to agree with this thread. Looking at my magic Google map, in order to get that pipeline to the WWTP, you would need a pumping station or two. More likely it goes to Johnson pond (Is that the one with all the "no swimming/ fishing" signs around it?) or to the smaller pond between the bypass and Citation Drive. There must be "as Built" plans at the county. Sounds like it's worth a look, anyway.
If the MDE approves this method, why not check with them to see if they actually do approve. I don't believe anyone in city or county government. Their all a bunch of cover up liars.
Leachate is rainwater that has made the trip through the landfill and seeps out the bottom, which is nowadays a non- or semi-permeable membrane with drainage tiles on it, carrying the leachate to a lined pond for treatment. It is very high in ammonical nitrogen, phosphates and other biological gunk that blooms yellowish when exposed to the air. Because of the high concentrations, it is very hard to treat at a WWTP. Release into rivers causes sewage fungus blooms and uses up oxygen.
It looks like to me it is going in Shumaker Pond .Google Shumaker Pond and follow the yellow brick road to the river.
Ray Lewis should build whatever we need for free. He owes the landfill that much and us more.
I noticed just a few days ago that the tributary going under Airport Road near Har Par Court - where this branch was dumped into - was very cloudy in color and the water was actually yellowish in color. I thought that it was from the runoff from all of the Construction going on at the airport.
Nah, its pollen if you ask the council. Come on people like I said earlier, SHOW ME the blueprints of that pipe and I agree how in the heck would it make it that far with out a pumping station.
WHERE is this going, its easy put die in it and see where the die shows up, thats what they do for leaks... Or is the county afraid to see where it may show up?
My company helps to monitor Ocean City's Wastewater Treatment Sub-Stations. There are 11 pumping stations and 5 grinder stations on the island. Now, they have enormous volumes to deal with on season, but certainly one would think you'd need more than gravity to allow this sludge to "fall" from the airport to WWTP. Not to mention it would be an engineering feat seeing as everything here is so flat.
The other question would be, why on earth would you collect it, take it as far away as possible, dump it into the piping system to only risk the chance of contaminating everything in its path on its way back to the west side of the county. Seems to me the fuel costs alone would warrant the construction of some sort of holding tank or safely lined pond.
Also, who is to say half of this stuff isn't seaping through cracks in the pipes and into our environment?????
That is, of course, only if what you have been told here is true Joe. I know that in my years of working for a surveyor in Wicomico County, I never came across a project that entailed a pipe and pumping station from the airport to SBYWWTP. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but i have my doubts.
Would someone with knowledge of this operation please offer us an explanation? Surely the entire county government has read this post by now.
This speculation is not healthy for any of us. We need answers. We have been lied to enough. Nothing will surprise me now. there is no sense beating around the bush. Tell the public what we have to deal with. Together we can fix it.
I love how people makeup things as they go along,firt of all rain makes a differance in the flows of all WWTP plants, it`s called inflow and infiltration. No system is water tight, the manhole rings, in the street, manhole covers are not water tight,the aging brick manholes themselves leak at morter joints, old clay pipe joints, some or all of these leak when the water table rises. I have operators tell me of there flows increasing two to three times normal over night in a large storm.
anonymous 3:21, you mean, like YOU?
JOE, Come on you know there is no way there is a pipe line running from Airport to WWTP, first of all everyone would remember it being built.
Please find out if this is BS!
eewwww ewwww that smell, can't you smell that smell, eeewwww eewww that smell, the smell that's around you , hey you
OKay put it back on top Joe, it is very important we get to the bottom of this?
drive down twilley bridge road.go passed where it turns to dirt,go past the power line, you will come to a old wooden bridge.not sure what the water way would be called but my guess is that it ultimately dumps into the pocomoke river.i also guess that all the runoff from the runways at the airport follows a similar path as well.due to the distance to the wwtp on the other side of the river..also very curious is its a long way to the wwtp from the airport and does run-off from the storm drains go thru the wwtp? and if that is so..why are the drains painted with signage that states not to dump in them due to running to the bay??
isnt there a master drawing or similar of where all the storm drain pipes do go?...there had to be blueprints for the construction of these projects...it just seems to easy for someone to produce them to end all the questions?
how about it wicomico county officials
Who much is the county paying the city for this service?
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