Whatsgoingon

10/09/07

intro

The purpose of this page is to inform the public of what is going on with the Beaufort sewer system. It is also our goal to improve water quality however possible. This website was started on 10/07/07 and is still under construction so please be patient with us. We will be updating this site daily.

It is a fact that the waters in Carteret County are becoming more polluted everyday, while construction continues all around us. With these two facts in mind it is obvious the problem left to itself, will only get worse. Therefore, as keepers of the planet, we have choices to make. When making these choices we must consider many factors, such as the eco system, the economy, human safety, and animal well being.

Those of us who remember RED TIDE know for a fact, when the water dies, everything dies. The loss of our clean water hurts all of our businesses and industries from commercial fishing to fast food and everything in between. Not only should we all know "what's going on" but we should also be asking "WHAT'S GOING ON?", and demanding answers.

Please continue to visit these pages for updates, commentary, ideas, and questions concerning what we all can do to fix this problem.

Thank you, Clammerhead

10/12/07

In an effort to be fair and factual on what`s going on let me say right off the bat, sometimes I don`t understand everything just right and make mistakes. If you notice any please let me know. It is not our intention to falsely accuse or misquote anyone. It is our intention to find out facts and get them into the main-stream public view to help deal with the issue of clean water in Carteret County. With that having been said. Here`s whats going on.

I talked with Personnel at the Beaufort Sewer Dept who told me that they haven`t had any sewage spills. On 6/28/07 the N.C. Dept of Shellfish Sanitation closed the waters behind Carrot Island and other area waters due to a discharge of non-disinfected water into Taylors Creek due to a malfunction in the plants chlorine injectors. There are also other closings listed along with this one on our Documents page. What’s going on? Beaufort Mayor Ann Carter wrote a letter to the editor of the CCNT stating the rundown condition of the plant and the need for repairs that are long over due. I agree with her, but that is just not good enough. What`s the logic of pumping 1 million gallons of chlorine treated water per day into delicate inland waters? It is my understanding that Beaufort wants to increase that to 4 million gals. per day. Even if they never have another injector problem, why would anyone think putting chlorine into salt marshes, creeks, and rivers` especially at that rate is a good idea? To get an idea of the long-term effects, throw a bucket of chlorine bleach on your front lawn. There has to be a better way.

After speaking with someone at the Dept. of Shellfish Sanitation, it is my understanding that one of the reasons that the area behind Carrot Island is still closed is because of dye test to study currents and flow rates in this ares show that there is not enough time to recognize (sp) a malfunction, recommend a closure, issue a proclamation,and dispatch an officer to the area to alert fishermen within the appr. 2 hr. mandated buffer time. Here`s the way I time it out. The attendant sees the problem and calls Shellfish Sanitation, 20 mins. Shellfish Sanitation calls Raleigh, 5 mins. Raleigh issues a proclamation, 5 mins. DMF Law Enforcement dispatches an officer, 2 mins. The officer arrives on scene, alerts fishermen, 15 mins. Total time: 47 mins. Less than 50% of the required buffer time. What`s going on?

Clammerhead

10/20/07

The Dept. of Shellfish Sanitation opened the upper part of Wards Creek to shellfishing yesterday. This was done due to the lack of rain in the recent past few weeks. I`m sure the people out there working that area are happy for it, Especially since North River seems to be less productive than last year, and far below expectations. Some say it`s as poor as they have seen in years.

The area opened is about 8 or 9 miles from the Beaufort Inlet (rough guess). It is only a small portion of the shellfish producing bottom in Wards Creek, but even that small amount of area makes a difference. Temporary openings not only have a higher catch rate on average.but they also alleviate stress on what is known as "the wild". It`s 1:30 a.m. and it`s raining. The temporary opening will probably be closed today. If it rains much more, Shellfish Sanitation may close all of North River and Wards Creek. The closures may go even further, depending on how much rain we get. The area behind Carrot Island that has been closed is one of the few places that fishermen from this area have to go when Shellfish Sanitation does their standard North River, Newport River, Jarret`s Bay closing.This closing usually comes after about 1.5 inches of rain in 24 hrs. Not only are the fishermen losing income, there is also added stress on the few remaining places they can go.

The Carrot Island area is less than 1 mi. from the Beaufort Inlet. It offers protection from the hard north winds, very, very tasty oysters and clams, a view to fall in love with, and much more. However, there are signs saying shellfish from this area may make you sick. These signs are not there because of animal waste, fertilizers, boat traffic, rain, run-off, or any other reason, except the Beaufort Sewer System. The closure is not because the holding and treatment areas may suddenly rupture and spill untold gallons of waste into the river alone. It is also because of the amount of time it takes the discharge to reach this area.

Why is it that Wards Creek (9 mi. away) is open and Carrot Island (less than 1 mi away.) has been closed since June? What`s going on?

Clammerhead