RALEIGH -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources today lifted any remaining exemptions to public reporting of untreated waste and wastewater discharges in Hurricane Floyd affected areas.

DENR had granted exemptions to the Oct. 1 reporting guideline to specified sections of the Neuse, Cape Fear and Pamlico rivers.

Those exemptions remained in effect until North Carolina health officials lifted an advisory that had recommended against contact with some waters due to potential contamination from floodwaters.

The state Clean Water Act of 1999 requires municipal, industrial and domestic waste and wastewater systems, including animal waste management systems, to issue a press release within 48 hours when a discharge of 1,000 gallons or more of untreated waste or wastewater reaches surface waters. A copy of the press release and a media distribution list must be made available upon request for at least a year.

A discharge of 15,000 gallons or more requires the facility owner or operator to publish a notice of discharge in addition to the press release. The public notice must be published in a newspaper in the county where the incident occurred along with the county immediately downstream. For discharges of 1 million gallons or more, the owner or operator needs to coordinate with the appropriate Division of Water Quality regional office on whether additional downstream counties need to be notified.

For information contact Jeff Poupart of the Non-discharge Compliance and Enforcement Unit, Division of Water Quality, (919) 733-5083, extension 527. Information, including example press releases, is also available on DWQ's web site at http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ndceu/.

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