More Industrial Waste Could Be Allowed in Hatchie River
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BROWNSVILLE, Tenn- Jack French said it’s a family tradition to take his grandsons fishing; but with the threat of more industrial sewage allowed in the Hatchie River that could change. “We spend a lot of time at the Hatchie River,” French said. Brownsville Energy Authority is submitting a permit through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation that would allow them to build a wastewater treatment plant to handle an automotive factory, if built on the megasite. Some residents fear the Hatchie River could be poisoned by toxic waste. “We think it ought to be as clean as possible,” French said. “We want our fish to be as good as possible when we catch them.” State officials said the megasite infrastructure was built to allow nearly a million gallons of industrial waste into the river a day. The permit would more than triple the amount. Shannon Ashford of TDEC said the permit will require all waste to be treated and meet the requirements of the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act. Ashford also said these types of permits aren’t rare. What is rare is the public hearing scheduled to give residents a voice. “As much waste as we can keep out of the water we should,” French said. TDEC Officials said they plan to conduct a public hearing and will release dates, location, and time once they have the details.
