The Mountaire chicken slaughter plant in Siler City is sending high levels of nitrogen in its discharge to the town’s wastewater treatment plant, resulting in Clean Water Act violations. (Photo: Lisa Sorg)
The Town of Siler City, whose wastewater treatment plant has chronically violated the Clean Water Act, is asking state regulators for a reprieve so a major computer chip manufacturer can build and operate its factory there.
Siler City has filed for a “Special Order by Consent” with the NC Department of Environmental Quality, according to a letter sent by Town Manager Hank Raper. The town is requesting that a state-imposed moratorium on new sewer connections be lifted to accommodate the manufacturer, Wolfspeed, to discharge wastewater to the plant.
DEQ issued the moratorium earlier this year because of the number and severity of the wastewater treatment plant’s violations. The moratorium prohibits any more sewer connections until the wastewater treatment plant reins in its pollution.
Policy Watch reported earlier this year on problems at the town’s wastewater treatment plant, including a pattern of Clean Water Act violations dating back five years. Exorbitant levels of nitrogen leaving the plant — sometimes upward of 800% of permitted limits — have sickened and killed fish in Loves Creek and the Rocky River, state records show.
Since 2016, DEQ has fined the town more than $239,000 for those violations, according to the EPA.
Siler City’s failing wastewater and water systems could jeopardize much-needed economic development in the town. The town, which is in western Chatham County, has not experienced economic growth like its neighbor to the east, Pittsboro. The poverty rate in Siler City is 22%, according to recent census data, compared with 10.7% for Pittsboro.
“Project Hibernian” includes the Wolfspeed project at the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing megasite. Wolfspeed has said it would invest $4.8 billion and create 1,800 new jobs. The average annual wage would be $77,000, almost twice the current average for Chatham County.
The Golden LEAF Foundation has given Siler City $9.7 million in grants to extend sewer service between the megasite and the wastewater treatment plant.
Under the Special Order by Consent, the town is asking DEQ to allow Wolfspeed to discharge 290,000 gallons per day into the wastewater treatment plant. A new church and two housing developments would add 88,000 gallons per day to the system.
In total, the additional daily flow — 378,000 gallons — would account for 10% of the wastewater treatment plant’s current permitted daily total of 4 million gallons.
Upgrades will allow the town to treat 6 million gallons per day, but those improvements won’t be finished until January 2025.
The town has also asked DEQ to waive penalties while it upgrades the wastewater treatment plant and makes other improvements.
DEQ is reviewing the town’s request. And before a Special Order by Consent is issued, the agency must open a public comment period.
Meanwhile, the Siler City wastewater treatment plant reported that its discharge contained levels of nitrogen 207% above permit limits, according to new EPA and state data. The recent violation was listed in the EPA’s weekly report. The exceedance was even greater than that listed in the facility’s second quarter data — 156% above permit limits.
Those violations will likely continue, town officials acknowledged in a letter to DEQ, until deficiencies at the Mountaire chicken slaughter facility and the Siler City Water Treatment plant are fixed.
The Mountaire chicken slaughter plant sends its discharge to the Siler City wastewater treatment facility, which is ill-equipped to handle the enormous amount of nitrogen in the effluent. Although Mountaire treats its own discharge before sending it to Siler City, it has not upgraded its system to control excess pollutants.
The town has issued Mountaire for violations 17 times in 2021 and 22 times from January to June of this year. The town has fined the billion-dollar company $52,750 over that time, according to data provided to DEQ.
“Mountaire has indicated a willingness to work with the town and is currently consulting with engineers to develop a plan for improvements to their facilities,” the town’s letter to DEQ said. However, there is no formal agreement to guarantee those upgrades will happen.
“It is not known at this time if Mountaire can achieve compliance with permit limits with the existing facilities or if construction projects may be required,” the town wrote to DEQ. “The schedule for improvements by Mountaire has not been confirmed and will be added to the application later.”
The town said it would increase penalties and surcharges on Mountaire and add pollution discharge limits while Mountaire upgrades its system.
The second source of pollution is the town’s own water treatment plant. It has sent high levels of iron to the wastewater treatment plant, which has hampered the latter’s ability to control its pollutants. The town said it is planning to finish upgrades and expansions to the water treatment plant by November 2024.
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