East Tennesseans demand clean Pigeon River from North Carolina

North Carolina environmental officials crossed the border for their first-ever public meeting on the long-time pollution in the Pigeon River.

North Carolina recently issued a draft permit that regulates the amount of wastewater a paper mill in Canton, NC, can dump into the Pigeon River that flows directly into Cocke County.

"I don't think they [North Carolina] have any interest whatsoever in cleaning up this river," said Cocke County resident Gay Webb, a long-time activist for cleaning the Pigeon River. "This river is not good enough. This should be a crystal-clear river."

Evergreen Packaging's paper mill, formerly owned and operated as Champion Paper, was forced to reduce its pollution drastically in the 1990s.

Although the river is now safe for recreation and fishing, Webb said the draft for the mill's new wastewater permit still violates the EPA's clean water standards.

"The people of Cocke County are angry about it because they have all this beautiful water and then it is polluted," said Webb.

Monday night, more than 300 people showed up at Cocke County High School for the public meeting with the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. Presenters included officials with TDEC, state legislators, and local environmental groups.

Many of the opponents to the current draft said the EPA should be in charge of granting wastewater permits rather than the state of North Carolina.

"I would say I understand that opinion but think it is unnecessary," said Chuck Wakild, Deputy Director of the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. "The EPA will review this permit. They have the option of formally objecting to this permit if they want to and we will have to work through all of those issues. It will be a stricter permit."

The draft permit reduces the level of allowable pollution from the existing permit. Yet, opponents say the draft sets the bar too low because the mill is already meeting the proposed standards.

"Under this permit, they would actually be able to pollute more than what they are already dumping in the river. We think the new permit should force them to improve on their current performance, not just improve on the old permit," said Webb.

Evergreen Packaging says its plant ranks as one of the cleanest in the world. It also acknowledged the challenges of operating a mill that was established a century ago on a body of water that is considered too small by today's standards.

"We have reduced 90 percent of the color that goes into the river. The river is cleaner and thriving and doing well, so you continue to make progress and hope as technology advances we can make more progress," said Mike Cohen, spokesman for Evergreen Packaging.

"There are plenty of paper companies out there that don't pollute," said Webb. "The company feels like the current pollution is good enough for Cocke County. It is never going to be good enough until that water is as clean coming out of the mill as it is going in."

Wakild said the North Carolina Division of Water Quality will make its final recommendations on the mill's permit sometime in May 2010.

Monday's meeting in Cocke County is in addition to a public hearing in North Carolina. That hearing will be held Tuesday, January 26, at Tuscola High School in Waynesville.