Springdale Acres/Centerline Utilities Update

Quite a bit has happened since the failure of the Springdale Acres (Centerline Utilities) Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) was discovered in November 2008. On the positive side the plant is now treating waste water as it was intended and the contaminated area has been thoroughly cleaned thanks to the efforts of the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA). Sadly, much needs to be done to the plant to bring it into full compliance with existing laws.

ONWASA is currently trying to obtain a Special Order by Consent (SOC) from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) to allow time for the required upgrade of the plant. The original SOC submission had to be changed since the City of Jacksonville has failed to agree to take the discharge from the plant into its treatment system, as was initially indicated. Had the city taken the waste from the Springdale Acres area, which is in its extra-territorial jurisdiction, the plant could have been converted to a lift station and a direct discharge would have been removed from Brinson Creek and subsequently the New River.

The former owner of the Springdale Acres WWTP, Melissa Yarborough, regularly received fees from her customers for waste water treatment over a period of several years but failed to maintain the plant. Her employee and licensed waste water treatment plant operator, Ron Samuels, lived on the plant property for months while untreated sewage flowed over the ground and failed to report any problems. These two individuals endangered public health, violated the trust of their customers and allowed untreated sewage to flow into our environment and should be made to account for their crimes.

We are actively petitioning NCDENR to take legal action against both of these people. Their cases have been referred to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Crimes Unit. Add your voice to ours by contacting your state representatives and the Surface Water Quality Division, Wilmington Regional Office, and demand that the persons responsible for this flagrant disregard for public health be held fully accountable.

View the Jacksonville Daily News article HERE or directly at the JDNews web site HERE.