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PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED GENERAL SEWAGE SLUDGE PERMIT

Release Date: 9/24/1998
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

    On September 30, 1998, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be in Little Rock, Arkansas, to hold a public meeting and a formal hearing on the proposed General Sewage Sludge permit for the state of Arkansas.  Although the state of Arkansas has applied for authorization to implement the Federal sewage sludge program, the package submittal did not meet all the regulatory requirements for state programs under 40 CFR Part 123.  Therefore, EPA was unable to approve the authorization request.  

    Sewage sludge is a bi-product from the treatment of household sewage by wastewater treatment facilities.  Under the Clean Water Act, EPA is responsible for issuing permits which set conditions for how sludge is handled while treated for safe disposal or for some beneficial reuse. After chemical or biological treatment, sludge can be successfully reused as a soil amendment or  fertilizer product.  

    The proposed permit establishes guidelines which assure that the disposal process and any sludge products are not harmful to the environment or to human health.  When finalized, the proposed permit will be required by all wastewater treatment plants and facilities in Arkansas that dispose of sludge or process it for reuse.

    Citizens can meet informally with EPA's Region 6 staff from 3:00 p.m. until to 5:00 p.m. on September 30 to learn more about the proposed permit, ask questions and express their views.This informal meeting will be followed by a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. with registration beginning at 6:30 p.m.  The hearing is a formal proceeding which offers people the opportunity to have their comments recorded for the official record before the final permit decision is made.
 
    Both the informal public meeting and the formal hearing will be held at the La Quinta Inn, Otter Creek, 11701 I-30, Little Rock, Arkansas  72209.  Phone:  (501) 455-2300.

    To  submit written comments or to obtain more  information, and/or a copy of the of the proposed permit,  call or write or send a fax to EPA's contact person:  

              Wilma Turner, Administrative Support Office (6WQ-CA)
              U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
              1445 Ross Avenue
              Dallas, TX  75202-2733
              (214) 665-7516
              FAX (214) 665-6490
              E-mail: turner.wilma@epa.gov

      Anyone interested may view the administrative record at EPA's Region 6 office in Dallas by making an appointment with Wilma Turner between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  When the final permit decision is made, EPA will notify the state of Arkansas, all persons who register at the formal hearing on September 9, and those who send written comments.