A standing-room-only crowd of about 200, most of whom were part of a highly organized effort to redirect a controversial wastewater discharge pipe from the Laurel View River near Isle of Wight to the North Newport River near Riceboro, packed a public information session hosted by the Liberty County Development Authority Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, questions remain about whether the treated wastewater would help or hurt existing salinity conditions in either river.
It was another chapter in the county’s challenge to balance the community and calls for jobs and growth that will require infrastructure like wastewater facilities.
Save the Laurel View River group leaders base their push on the theory that the North Newport River would “benefit” from treated freshwater discharge on their assumption that that river is “already polluted” and thus available as an alternative.
While the North Newport has received decades of industrial wastewater discharge, runoff, and spills, it also has a high salt content, similar to the Laurel View. It also has a community – Riceboro – that does not want to be treated as a dumping ground.
No representative of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources attended the meeting. DNR did the original 2009 study and is responsible for issuing permits for the plant’s design. LCDA spokesperson Katie Dye told The Current GA that DNR’s presence “wasn’t required as this was just an information sharing meeting, though they are always informed and welcome.”
The Current GA has filed an Open Records Request with Georgia DNR for the 2009 study on which a slideshow was based. The LCDA says it does not have a copy of the original study. Critics have questioned whether DNR should do an updated study; LCDA Board Chair State Rep. Al Williams has said DNR did not see the need for a new study.
Standing room only
Extra chairs were brought into the Board of Commissioners chambers, which was so crowded, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies had to stop people from entering, at the request of Fire Chief Brian Darby.
Among those outside: Damon Mullis of Ogeechee Riverkeeper and Susan Inman of One Hundred Miles, key stakeholders in the ongoing discussion. Inman said she was able to get in when five seats opened up. Mullis texted organizers that he was going home to watch the livestream.
Save the Laurel View River members brought signs to the meeting. The day before, members had sent LCDA’s general email account about 80 blank emails with the subject line “Not in my river.” And during public comment, several members who had signed up to speak asked to give their time to the group’s leaders, spokesman Donald Payseur and attorney Brice Ladson, both of whom already had spoken.
About a dozen Riceboro residents, along with Mayor Chris Stacy, city council members Louise Brown and John Young, and Liberty County Board of Assessors member Lloyd Byrd, were present, but no one from Riceboro spoke during public comment. LCDA spokesperson Katie Dye said Thursday that 30 people filled out comment cards, which the LCDA is using to create a third “frequently asked questions” sheet.
Anyone who was uncomfortable speaking or who didn’t get a chance was encouraged to leave their comments with a court reporter down the hall. Dye said Thursday that one person had done so.
One side speaks
“Near-drinking water is still not good,” Payseur said during public comments, adding, “I’m excited that the LCDA is actively pursuing the North Newport River,” then suggested Peacock Creek, “which is pretty impaired right now, could benefit from this effluent.” He also asked whether LCDA could put a sprayfield on its own property.
Brice Ladson, a trial attorney who has lived on the Medway and Belfast rivers for four decades, said, “We all agree on two things. One, we’ve gotta get this right, Two, we’ve gotta follow the science. Here’s the problem: This is not the first time this facility has been proposed.” At that time, he said, citizens asked EPD for two years to prove the plant was safe.
‘We all agree on two things. One, we’ve gotta get this right, Two, we’ve gotta follow the science.’
Brice Ladson, area resident
“The EPD director resigned, and the study that was produced was heavily criticized,” Ladson said, adding, “The answer is, we need a new study. We cannot make this decision based upon a 2008 study.”
Crabber and captain Fisher Zabrac of Isle of Wight, said about 10% of commercial crabbers worked the river system that is home to the Laurel View.
“How will this affect our local seafood?” he asked.
Midway Mayor Pro Tempore Annie Foskey, who is from Anniston, Ala., warned of the Monsanto plant there and said, “Let’s make sure that we get the science right, we get the data right, because as leaders, we have a duty to serve and protect our people,” drawing applause from both groups.
Riceboro stands cautious
The tightly-knit Riceboro community remains wary, with several people telling The Current GA they were there to learn more and had not made up their minds about the discharge pipe yet.
Inman said few Riceboro residents spoke because “they kind of feel snowballed.”
CEO Brynn Grant said the LCDA would hold another meeting in Riceboro to address community concerns there.
Ladson later added, “We hope that we can all come to a common solution that will save the jewel of the Georgia coast, which is the Laurel View River and our relatively pristine saltwater estuary. And at the same time, deal with growth that is coming, and we want Liberty County to have that growth but we want it to be smart growth, and we know you want that, too. So let’s work together to find a common solution.”
Behind him, the Riceboro contingent sat stonefaced. One man shook his head as Save the Laurel View River backers applauded.
One Riceboro resident, Robert Young, told The Current GA after the meeting he thought diverting treated wastewater to the North Newport River was “a bad thing. I know what they want to do it for because they want to bring more growth. They want to bring more subdivisions and all that…. I took it bad because I’m from the country. So we don’t want all that. We lose it, we lose our history.”
Then there’s the issue of whether the treated wastewater, which is fresh water, and whether it would upset either river’s natural salinity levels.
“Our saltwater marshes are supposed to migrate, but by putting this fresh water in, you’re controlling the migration of the salt marsh,” Inman said. “And, like the young crabber said in there, crabs don’t like fresh water.”
Riceboro wants a seat at the table
In an email statement to The Current GA on Wednesday, Stacy wrote that he is not for or against “anyone,” but wants answers “on behalf of the citizens of Riceboro.”
Stacy wrote that he understands Liberty County needs infrastructure like water and wastewater systems to fuel economic growth.
“At the same time, our rivers, marshes, creeks, and natural resources are some of the most valuable assets we possess,” he continued. “Once they are damaged, it can take generations to restore them. That is why the citizens of Liberty County deserve clear answers, good science, and complete transparency before decisions are made.”
“Riceboro has a long history of supporting industry, infrastructure, and economic development,” Stacy wrote. “We operate our own water and wastewater systems. We understand the importance of planning for growth. We also understand the responsibility that comes with protecting our environment. If Riceboro is expected to be part of a regional wastewater solution, then Riceboro should also be part of the regional conversation.”
That, he said, means “having a seat at the table.” Public conversations about diverting the proposed plant’s effluent to Riceboro have almost entirely been carried on without the input of the citizens it would affect.
Sacrifice, abundance zones
Heavy industry historically has located in low-income areas, particularly in working-class communities of color like Riceboro. Promises of “good-paying” jobs advance factories and refineries in those areas, silencing complaints about long-term health and environmental effects.
By comparison, relatively wealthy white communities live on the Laurel View, Jerico, and downstream rivers. Residents there own valuable marshfront property that is in limited supply. The area is in high demand for pleasure boating and recreational fishing. It also is home to many working-class fishermen and crabbers, who depend on the river for their livelihoods and who provide seafood to local buyers and restaurants.
Riceboro residents have the same questions as their neighbors to the north about how near-drinkable wastewater would affect their lives.
Riceboro has experience in pushing back against unwanted potential environmental impacts, as the city’s and state’s largest landowner, Weyerhauser, found out in 2023 when city, county, and state leaders joined citizens to say no to a log-fumigation plant.
Riceboro also has been a “company town” for generations, with local jobs tied to turpentine and sawmilling, then to the paper mill and Chemtall, now SNF. The city’s budget depends heavily on its industrial base. When International Paper shut down last October, the LCDA rushed to find companies willing to hire those who were laid off, most of whom landed at SNF.
Timing is everything
Riceboro is at a crossroads. The Floridan aquifer has bounced back from IP’s massive freshwater withdrawals, DS Smith workers continue to clean up the facility, and residential developments are slated or underway on newly-annexed lands on the south side of town. Riceboro’s elected officials are considering its first millage rate and are in the middle of updating the city’s master plan.
And Riceboro says it wants to be included in the process.
“If the North Newport River is being considered as a discharge location, we need to understand the science behind that decision,” Stacy wrote. “We need to know the environmental impacts, the economic impacts, and the long-term effects on the communities that surround these waters…. Most importantly, we want to make sure that every community is treated fairly.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Andrew Brown of Riceboro held up a sign that read, “Not in my river” – commandeering Save the Laurel View River’s slogan on behalf of his own community.
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