One after another, people lined up to tell the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency staff why they should not renew a permit for a wastewater treatment plant near Alexandria.
The permit for the proposed plant, which could discharge anywhere from 250,000 to 1 million gallons of treated wastewater per day into Pet Run, a small tributary of Raccoon Creek, was initially issued in 2019 to the Southwest Licking Water and Sewer District — now the Licking Regional Water utility. The permit was good for five years, but Licking Regional Water never constructed the plant.
Residents of St. Albans and neighboring townships spoke passionately against it, describing the rural area where the facility is proposed and saying that discharge from the plant could be harmful to Pet Run, the small stream into which the facility would send treated wastewater, and Raccoon Creek farther downstream.
They said the Licking Regional Water utility requesting renewal of the permit to discharge wastewater is already seeking a permit for a larger treatment plant nearby that also would send treated water into a small stream, Moots Run, and then into Raccoon Creek.
No one spoke in favor of the proposed Pet Run facility, including representatives of the utility seeking the permit.
Among the nearly 50 people who attended the EPA hearing at the Church of Christ at Alexandria on Thursday, Jan. 23, was one who asked this question:
Is there a public comment that would make the EPA reject an application?
“There’s not an example that comes to mind,” said Walter Ariss, the Ohio EPA manager for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
The EPA hearing included an informal presentation, a question-and-answer session and the hearing with public testimony.
In July 2024, the Ohio EPA held a similar hearing for the larger wastewater treatment plant proposed by Licking Regional Water — the utility formerly known as Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District. That hearing attracted a large crowd of concerned residents who were against that plant because of concerns about potential harm to the streams and concerns that such a plant would increase the rapid pace of development in western Licking County, especially in St. Albans Township.
The Pet Run permit was first issued in 2019, before Intel announced its plans in 2022 for a $28 billion computer-chip manufacturing campus, which is now under construction in former farm fields just south of Johnstown.
During the informational presentation last week, John Owen, environmental specialist for the Ohio EPA, said the NPDES permit is regulated by the Clean Water Act. Any operation needs to have a discharge permit to send treated wastewater into a stream. Owen said his office takes all of the public comments, and if the application meets all of the EPA rules, the division makes a recommendation to the Ohio EPA to issue or deny the permit.
Several residents raised concerns that the amount of water would negatively affect Pet Run, which they said floods every spring during heavy rainfall, then dries up in the summer.
Ariss, the NPDES manager, said that the permit process does not evaluate the capacity of the stream, but his office does evaluate the volume of water in terms of its pollutants.
Read more: Recent flooding underscores flood mitigation efforts
The Ohio EPA last conducted a watershed survey in Licking County, including Raccoon Creek, in 2007 and 2008 — 15 years ago — and the organization plans to conduct a new watershed survey this summer.
But a decision on the discharge permit likely will be made before the survey is done.
Sean Staneart, Johnstown city manager, asked if the plant would be allowed to service any other area that is not highlighted in the permit application. Ariss said that if the flow is still below 250,000, then it is authorized, otherwise they would have to apply for an extension.
“The good news is that our receiving streams are very resilient water bodies, and we write those limits to be protective of those standards,” Ariss said.
Another resident asked if they ever turned down an NPDES permit. Lisa Cochran, Ohio EPA public information officer, said that if an application does not meet EPA standards, the Ohio EPA provides feedback so the utility can revise and resubmit the application.
“If the applicant is unable or unwilling to make the regulations, the applicant will typically withdraw the application rather than receive a denial from the agency,” Cochran said.
Representatives from Johnstown, Alexandria, and Granville, who have formed a utility coalition as an alternative to Licking Regional Water for water and wastewater service, spoke against the permit approval. They said the proposed wastewater treatment plant would go against the regional water and wastewater plan, known as a “208 plan,” that they are collaboratively working on.
Herb Koehler, Granville village manager, said that the Municipal Utility Coalition of Licking County would like to work collaboratively with Licking Regional Water and create a mutually beneficial solution.
“It is our position that the Ohio EPA should not act on permits in service areas where there is open debate on the 208 plan boundaries,” Koehler said.
Drue Roberts, a Granville resident, said in his public statement that he wonders if there is anything going on politically behind this wastewater treatment plant.
“It seems like development is being led by our sewer lines, not by our city officials or county officials or even state officials,” Roberts said.
Elaine Robertson, a resident of St. Albans Township, expressed frustration that the wastewater treatment plant would serve Jersey Township even though it would be in St. Albans Township.
“It’s also clear to see that Jersey has been planning growth and expanding into our township when they could have kept their own wastewater treatment plant in an area where they’re probably going to have some growth,” Robertson said.“We have three wastewater treatment plants in the area, and adding Pet Run, and possibly Raccoon wastewater treatment plant, is unnecessary and irresponsible.”
Comments on the draft wastewater discharge permit will be accepted until Jan. 30, 2025, at epa.dswcomments@epa.ohio.gov. Written comments to the Ohio EPA should include the following numbers within the body of an email: Ohio EPA Permit number 4PQ00005*CD, application number OH0149764, and public notice number 207978.
Caroline Zollinger writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.