THE Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, supported by recommendations from the Newport Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, has made reconsideration of a wastewater permit for Georgia-Pacific’s pulp and paper mill in Toledo its top water permit issue.

“With this now our highest priority, we hope to have something by the end of the year, if not before,” Steve Schnurbusch, DEQ’s senior water quality permit analyst, said Thursday. “We’ve been examining this on an on-going basis, but it’s now our top priority to work through the issues.”

Surfrider, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to shoreline preservation and ocean health through conservation, activism, research and education, has assisted in DEQ’s review by submitting an extensive report intended to support the agency’s reconsideration of G-P’s permit.

In providing input, Surfrider’s goal is to help DEQ formulate a water quality permit for G-P consistent with state and federal law that is based on the best science and in the best interests of public health, sustainable fisheries, and tourism-related economies.

“This is about holding Oregon accountable for implementing laws that protect water quality,” Pete Stauffer, policy coordinator for the Oregon Surfrider Foundation, said. “We’re seeking a stronger permit to protect our nearshore ecosystem and ensure public health for surfers, clammers, and other recreational users.”

Some of the report’s recommendations focus on the need for enhanced monitoring of marine species and the environment in the vicinity of the mill’s ocean outfall. Other recommendations provide guidance and resources for improving the analyses used to identify potential ecological and public health impacts.

“The vast majority of these regulations don’t relate to more stringent effluent standards, but more to just doing the science and doing the appropriate assessments,” Stauffer said. “Absolutely the intent of this report is to be constructive. It highlights the problems, why the permit doesn’t meet state and federal law, and provides solutions.”

The primary outfall from the mill is located 3,800 feet off Nye Beach. The G-P facility releases an average of 11 million gallons of treated wastewater a day there in the vicinity of important recreational areas and fishing grounds.

The outfall’s effluent water is visible year-round as a plume of black to magenta colored water. It can be viewed on “Google Earth and Maps” or from many of the hotel rooms along Newport’s shoreline.

“They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but until most people see the plume in pictures, this issue really doesn’t resonate with a lot of them,” Charlie Plybon, Surfrider’s Oregon field coordinator, said. “Our members and other concerned citizen groups have been waiting a long time for this reconsideration.

“It’s a big deal for local surfers, ocean users and businesses in the community. The mill is important to our community, too, which is why we are seeking solutions for DEQ. For those of us who live in this town, we don’t want to see it have a black eye. We just want clean water.”

G-P’s water quality permit (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit) expired on July 31, 2001. Although the company applied for renewal in a timely fashion, DEQ did not issue the renewed permit until July 14, 2006.

Many individuals and groups expressed concern over the proposed renewal during the public comment process. Five organizations, including Surfrider, subsequently filed a Petition for Reconsideration on Sept. 9, 2006, requesting that the agency reevaluate a variety of issues and terms of the permit.

DEQ formally accepted the petition on Oct. 18, 2006, and has been working to complete the reconsideration since.

On Jan. 22, members of Surfrider’s Environmental Issues Team met with DEQ staff to discuss the status of the reconsideration process. During the meeting, it became clear that additional science-based resources could be helpful in assisting DEQ staff in its efforts.

After the meeting, Surfrider produced a report (http://www.surfrider.org/oregon) in early April that addresses remaining concerns.

“We asked them (Surfrider) to put their issues on paper for us, so we’re reading through that and will incorporate them in making our decision,” Schnurbusch said.

Surfrider’s report includes recommendations for enhanced monitoring and improved scientific assessment related to turbidity, bacteria, dissolved oxygen, and mixing zones.

“The strategy of the chapter has been a solution-based approach. We haven’t had massive demonstrations at the beach or aren’t flying banners or anything. And we’re not going after the pulp mill,” Plybon said. “The Georgia-Pacific pulp mill is important to this town. Economically and business-wise, it’s been a big part of our community.

“We don’t want to give the pulp mill a black eye here, but what we do want is for DEQ to essentially uphold the Clean Water Act and abide by state and federal law.”

Surfrider provided DEQ with information on additional science-based resources and recommended that DEQ consider other sources of monitoring and background data for the Pacific Ocean near the outfall site.

Among the specific recommendations were:

• Establishing a monitoring program for water, sediments, and organisms adjacent to the ocean discharge to evaluate pollution impacts and compliance with the Clean Water Act.

• Describing recreational uses in the vicinity of the ocean discharge and assessing the extent to which these might be impacted by degraded water quality.

• Establishing discharge limits on bacteria without a mixing zone allowance to protect human health and ensure compliance with water quality standards.

• Using available data on turbidity and low-oxygen hypoxic waters for the permit’s water quality evaluations and limits and determining additional monitoring needs.

Jim Fossum  is a reporter for the News-Times. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Jim Fossum News-Times, Oregon

“They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but until most people see the plume in pictures, this issue really doesn’t resonate with a lot of them,” Charlie Plybon, Surfrider’s Oregon field coordinator, said. “Our members and other concerned citizen groups have been waiting a long time for this reconsideration. “It’s a big deal for local surfers, ocean users and businesses in the community. The mill is important to our community, too, which is why we are seeking solutions for DEQ. For those of us who live in this town, we don’t want to see it have a black eye. We just want clean water.”