By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Pollutants in the L'Anguille River, consisting mostly of silt, were the topic of a meeting sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, held Wednesday evening at the Forrest City Civic Center.
Doug Szenher, public affairs supervisor for the ADEQ, said the meeting is part of a long process.
"All the states are under federal regulation that requires them to go out and assess their water quality," said Szenher. "If they find problems in streams that are impacting the beneficial uses of the stream or in some cases even threatening water quality standards, they are required to identify what the pollutant is, where it's coming from and what measures need to be taken to correct the problem."
He said about 50 such streams have been identified around Arkansas, and the L'Anguille is one in which the allowable Total Maximum Daily Load of pollutants is considered higher than it should be.
"It happens to be the first time that we have come up with a proposal this detailed," he said. "We have been identifying these streams over the years, but have not been developing plans to deal with them for a number of reasons, primarily financial. We also have had some discussions with the EPA that we need some clear guidelines as to what is to be done."
He said it all came to a head when the Sierra Club filed lawsuits in about 35 states, claiming that the states were not fulfilling their obligations.
"Last May, a settlement was reached in the Arkansas case. At that time, the EPA agreed that they would provide some money to the state to do some of these studies and provide the guidance we need."
The pollutants found in the L'Anguille are suspended solids. These include erosion runoff or even vegetative matter that gets into the water. Also fecal coliform has been found, which is bacteria found in the waste of warm blooded animals.
He said the fecal coliform is not from sewage plants. "Most likely it is runoff from land where there may be livestock, or there may be septic tanks involved."
Landowners are being asked to participate in some management practices which would minimize runoff.
"It's not a regulation, it's not a situation where people are going to have to get permits," he said.
A short presentation was given by Bill Keith of ADEQ, in which he said the meeting was only part of the procedure. There also had to be development of a plan and implementation of that plan, as well as EPA approval.
Among the remedies proposed are vegetative buffers along streams, and planting either no till crops or cover crops, to help prevent excessive runoff.
Several farmers at the meeting expressed reservations about the plan. This morning, John Alderson commented on the meeting.
He said his family has interests in duck clubs and also has farming interests in the area. He said he was concerned that while proposed solutions were being called voluntary at the moment, the situation could change.
"I think all farmers and sportsmen need to be interested and involved in the total maximum daily load limit," said Alderson. "At the present they're saying it's going to be a voluntary program. But one of my concerns is that if there's not enough voluntary action on the part of landowners to build buffer strips and sediment traps and things of that nature, there may be specific requirements made that we would have to adhere to. It may not be voluntary in the future."
Alderson said another concern of his is that the U.S. Corps of Engineers be kept out of the L'Anguille. He said he was worried about dredging.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
Questions regarding a financial report in the Palestine-Wheatley School District were asked by a board member during the group's regular meeting this week.
Board member John Henry Parker interrupted a routine motion to accept the district's financial report by asking Superintendent Jimmy Allen certain questions regarding expenditures dating back as far as 1999.
Other board members at times appeared impatient as Parker read questions from a legal pad regarding expenditures for maintenance, travel and student residency.
Parker asked questions regarding expenditures for T&T Truck and Tool, back pay for one week for the district's bookkeeper Debbie Loewer and Handy Man Services.
Allen explained that the T&T is a monthly maintenance contract. The back pay was for one week that Loewer had worked, but not been paid for, and the Handy Man Services is for Jackie Hill who made some repairs last year at the gym and cafetorium.
Parker then questioned credit cards issued to the district, pagers and a hotel bill.
Regarding the hotel expense, Allen told board members the bill was for a trip to an Arkansas School Boards Association meeting that he attended with two board members. "It (the trip) was offered to everyone here," Allen said.
Parker also questioned expenses in 1999 regarding a basketball tournament held in Palestine, and an expenditure for Mark Spain who the district said used his private vehicle to investigate the student residences.
After briefly discussing the matter, the board approved a motion to accept the financial report, ending Parker's questions for the moment.
However, before adjourning, an executive session was called. Board President Bill Ray said the closed meeting was to discuss disciplinary action against one of the board members. Upon returning to the open meeting a short time later, Ray said no action had been taken.
Also during the meeting, the board renewed Allen's contract and gave him a two-step increase in pay. Parker voted against the move.
In other business, board member Dorothy Smith suggested that an employee of each race count ballots for school pageant contestants.
The board passed a motion to have Allen appoint a committee, consisting of faculty and students from both races, to count ballots in all of the school's contests.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Forrest City Water Commission voted this week to accept a bid of $200,400 for the drilling of a pair of test wells on property owned by the water utility.
Commission members unanimously agreed to accept the bid from Layne Products of Stuttgart. The test wells will be drilled on land located just north of the Federal Correctional Institution-Forrest City.
According to Jim Beazley, water department manager, the wells are being drilled to test the water on the site as potential well sites and possibly a future water plant.
Beazley also discussed the proposed changes in sewer policy that were discussed at the commission's January meeting.
"I think that we should look at each of the situations individually and either give a yes or no recommendation on the proposal. After you've made your decision that should be passed on to the city council so that they can take a look at the issue and make a decision," said Beazley.
The change in policy was implemented following a recent petition by four St. Francis County developments to the water department for approval to move forward with efforts to connect to the utility's sewer system.
According to Beazley adding the developments to the sewer system would not cause undue stress to the system.
A routine traffic stop Wednesday afternoon by the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office resulted in two arrests on drug charges.
According to the report, a pickup truck driven by Larry Todd Ramsey, 28, of Colt, was stopped on SFC 341 for traveling at a speed considered unsafe for conditions. A check showed that Ramsey's license was suspended.
The officer also reported he saw a syringe on the running board of the vehicle. A further search turned up an unnamed amount of methamphetamine.
Ramsey was charged with driving on a suspended driver's license, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A passenger in the vehicle, Tommy Lee Immel, 38, of Colt, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.