AJC: Two groups link pollutants in Flat Creek, Lake Lanier to 2 poultry processors

ATLANTA (AP) -- Documents reveal that one of Georgia's largest poultry processors has for years exceeded pollution standards for stormwater runoff into Lake Lanier, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The violations have resulted in few consequences from state regulators, the newspaper reported ( http://on-ajc.com/19h2mCB ). Georgia has just two inspectors overseeing industrial stormwater pollution permits at around 3,000 sites, the newspaper reported Sunday.

Stormwater runoff can contain bacteria found in chicken feces, and Georgia's methods of regulating the industry raise serious health and safety questions, the newspaper reported.

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group that has also found high pollution levels coming from two chicken processors in the area, has complained for years that the state is too lax.

"It's a sad state of affairs when the federal government and the state government place the main water testing responsibility on a group of volunteers, but that's what happens here," said Tim Rainey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' operations project manager for Lake Lanier.

Earlier this year, surprise federal inspections found that Pilgrim's Pride and Mar-Jac Poultry were failing to do enough to prevent waste and manure from washing into a creek that empties into the southern end of the lake, according to the report.

Pilgrim's Pride did not return repeated calls seeking comment, the Atlanta newspaper reported. Mar-Jac declined to comment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered multiple violations of the Clean Water Act by the two plants, which together slaughter and process millions of chickens a week at plants in Gainesville.

Documents reviewed by The Journal-Constitution found that since 2006, Pilgrim's Pride has regularly dumped more pollutants into Flat Creek than the state allows since 2006, but has not been fined.

In June, state officials notified Pilgrim's Pride that it had to make improvements to its plant to reduce the contaminated discharge. But the company has three years to comply, state records show.

"We are diligently working on that area so we can have clean water," said James Capp, head of the state Environmental Protection Division's water branch.