JUNE 22, 2001

Environmental News

Gastonia’s wastewater system achieves international certification
Gastonia has become North Carolina’s first governmental entity to be certified for achieving ISO 14001 international environmental management standards at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Division. The certification was issued by the American Quality Assessors USA.

Gastonia' began developing its environmental management system (EMS) in February 1999, when it became one of six members of a DENR pilot program to better understand the implementation of an EMS and its effectiveness in improving environmental performance and compliance, as well as pollution prevention. With assistance from the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, Gastonia designed and implemented its EMS according to ISO 14001, an international standard.

In order to become certified to ISO 14001, Gastonia developed a plan to meet the standard’s 17 required elements, which include developing an environmental policy, identifying environmental aspects and impacts, devising an environmental management program, training employees to ensure they are aware and capable of completing their environmental responsibilities, and having a system in place to identify and correct any problems and prevent recurrences.

"The City of Gastonia should be commended for being the state’s first public agency to step forward and achieve ISO 14001 certification," said DENR Secretary Bill Ross. "This certification is a status that fewer than one dozen public agencies nationwide have achieved."

"The City of Gastonia has taken the position that we would like to consistently go above and beyond compliance," said City Manager Dr. Danny Crew. "We feel that ISO 14001 is an important step in that direction because it provides for continual improvement, maintains a proactive approach to managing environmental affairs, and provides a systematic method to solving current and future problems."


Neuse River nitrogen-reduction target raised to 40%
In an effort to continue water quality improvements in the Neuse River estuary, state officials are recommending a 40 percent, rather than a 30 percent, reduction in nitrogen in the troubled river. A plan to achieve that goal has been developed by the Division of Water Quality in the state Department of Natural Resources and will be recommended for adoption by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"A lot of improvements have been seen in the Neuse, but further nitrogen reductions are needed to meet water quality standards," said Dr. Gregory J. Thorpe, deputy director of DWQ. "Our sampling, analyses and modeling point to the 40 percent level." Excessive nitrogen can degrade water quality and cause algae blooms, which lower oxygen levels and may lead to fish kills.

The EPA and the public have 30 days to provide comments on the proposed plan, called a Total Maximum Daily Load -- the amount of nitrogen that the estuary can receive while still meeting water quality standards. DWQ will consider those comments and incorporate appropriate changes, then submit a final version to the EPA for approval. If approved, the proposed Total Maximum Daily Load would go before the state Environmental Management Commission for consideration.

Chris Roessler, an environmental modeler with DWQ'S Planning Branch, said the agency is still determining how to allocate the load reductions between municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems, and urban and rural land uses.

In December 1997, the Environmental Management Commission approved a Nutrient Sensitive Management Strategy for the Neuse basin. The plan had a five-year goal of reducing nutrient loading by 30 percent. Under a subsequent agreement between the EPA and the Neuse River Foundation, a Total Maximum Daily Load was to be established for the basin. DWQ met that requirement in July 1999, and EPA conditionally approved the 30 percent nitrogen reduction goal to be met by 2003. The agreement stipulated, though, that DWQ would update the Total Maximum Daily Load by July 2001 and recommend needed adjustments.

DWQ has been meeting with various interest groups on revising the Total Maximum Daily Load and how to allocate further nitrogen reductions. Involved groups include the Neuse River Foundation, N.C. League of Municipalities, Lower Neuse Basin Association and N.C. Farm Bureau Federation Inc.

RTP firms earn Golden Hubcaps for boosting mass transit
Nine Research Triangle Park companies have received Golden Hubcap awards for their progress towards reducing single-occupancy car traffic into the park. The “Great Commuter Challenge” awards were created to encourage corporate efforts in the Smart Commute @ RTP – The Smart Way To Work – initiative, established in 1998 by the Owners and Tenants Association of RTP to find solutions to traffic congestion.

Speaking at the awards ceremony were Cong. David Price; Durham Mayor Nicholas Tennyson; Chief Deputy DOT Secretary Eugene A. Conti Jr.; and Research Triangle Foundation President Jim Roberson. The second annual celebration, which featured live music, food and information booths, was held on the lawn of the Radisson Governors Inn in RTP.

Nortel Networks had the best commuting results among large companies; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences among medium companies; and the Triangle Transit Authority among small companies. Other companies participating were IBM, Cisco Systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Institute, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Research Triangle Foundation and Underwriters Laboratories.

Susan Clarke, IBM, this year’s Smart Commute chairwoman, said the number of RTP workers using Smart Commute choices went from 14 percent in 2000 to 27 percent this year. The May survey counted 1,540 full-time telecommuters, 2,066 part-time telecommuters and 2,313 occasional telecommuters. Those using the bus system numbered 189. Another 65 vanpooled and 954 carpooled while 62 people either biked or walked to work. Although 33,769 people were still driving single-occupancy vehicles, 5,802 of them travel at a non-peak time on a regular basis and 1,583 travels at non-peak on an occasional basis. One hundred three people were working a four-day work week. Learn more about Smart Commute at www.rtp.org/commute.

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