GA: Head of Water Dept Dumps Untreated Sludge in Public Park
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fri August 10, 2007
Area: Atlanta
Leon Forrer receives plenty of calls about environmental problems, so he wasn't surprised when he heard about an illegal dump at a park in McDonough.
Forrer, a retired Delta Air Lines employee turned community activist, asked investigators with the state Environmental Protection Division to trace the source of the sludge spotted in a remote area of Richard Craig Park.
Guess who's responsible?
The city of McDonough. Actually, the head of the city's water treatment plant.
Taxpayers in this Henry County city are on the hook for the $15,000 cleanup.
Steve Cox, who heads the water treatment plant, figured it was OK to dump the waste in the park, said Billy Copeland, the mayor.
Cox didn't return telephone calls, but the mayor conceded the city was at fault in disposing of the solid waste in the 26-acre park -- a popular gathering place for families and children who play on baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and picnic in the park's two pavilions.
"This should never happen again," Copeland said.
Remaining sludge has been moved to the Henry County Water and Recycling plant.
The state will revisit the site, and if it's not satisfied, the city could end up paying a fine.
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