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NCDEQ issues mine permit despite risk to beloved creek

On Feb. 24, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality renewed a water-quality permit that would allow Martin Marietta Materials to discharge up to 12 million gallons of wastewater per day from a 649-acre pit mine in Vanceboro into the brackish headwaters of Blounts Creek. 

“We appreciate that NCDEQ has acknowledged some of our concerns and made changes to the issued permit based on our requests,” said Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman. “The increased monitoring and reporting requirements will help the state, Sound Rivers and the community track Martin Marietta’s compliance and long-term impacts of their discharge on Blounts Creek. However, Sound Rivers maintains that this permit, despite the changes made, still should not have been issued. A 12-million-gallon-a-day discharge of mine wastewater will undeniably disrupt the natural conditions of Blounts Creek — changes that are not allowed under state law or the federal Clean Water Act. Sound Rivers, with the help of East Carolina University’s Water Corps research team, will continue to monitor the conditions of Blounts Creek, before and after the discharge begins, so that we can continue the fight to protect Blounts Creek.”

The tributary of the Pamlico River in Beaufort County is known for its recreational fishing and is designated by the state as a nursery for saltwater species. Large volumes of groundwater discharged into Blounts Creek could significantly raise the pH of the stream system, a change in water chemistry that would also change which aquatic species could survive in those waters. 

“In Sound Rivers’ comments submitted to NCDEQ, our main requests for permit alterations included increased monitoring and reporting requirements,” Katey said. “This is because the expected impacts from such a large volume of discharge include disturbing the streambanks at the creek’s headwaters, stirring up sediment and sending it downstream. The benthic macroinvertebrates, or little critters that live on the creek beds, are adapted to the specific conditions of Blounts Creek’s low pH and low flow. The mine’s discharge will increase pH, flow, and likely increase sediment deposition, potentially suffocating the critters in the creek and making it less likely that they could continue to survive there. Benthic macroinvertebrates are really good indicators of overall creek health. If the benthic populations decline, other species’ populations are likely to follow. This could very well impact the future of Blounts Creek as the exceptional recreational resource it is today.”

The permit’s renewal brings to a close more than a decade of effort by environmental organizations and Blounts Creek residents to protect the creek. In 2013, the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Sound Rivers and North Carolina Coastal Federation, challenged the initial water-quality permit issued to Martin Marietta Materials by NCDEQ, citing the permit was in violation of state law. 

Between 2013 and 2023, Sound Rivers’ challenge to the water-quality permit that could potentially destroy an entire ecosystem bounced between North Carolina courts, reaching the N.C. Supreme Court twice. The permit was vacated by a Superior Court judge in 2017, only to be reinstated in 2019 when the N.C. Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s ruling. 

In 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the N.C. Court of Appeals’ decision. 

“Over the last decade, community members have consistently rallied to support Blounts Creek. We will continue to work with this community to protect Blounts Creek and everything that makes it a special place to fish, swim, boat, and enjoy,” said Blakely Hildebrand, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Shortly after the N.C. Supreme Court issued its final decision, NCDEQ reviewed the company’s updated application to discharge mine wastewater into Blounts Creek and issued the draft permit.

“When NCDEQ released a draft updated permit for Martin Marietta, more than 500 community members submitted letters of opposition to NCDEQ during the public comment period and many more people voiced their concerns during the public hearing in November,” Katey said. “We want to make sure Blounts Creek’s biological integrity is maintained. So, when the mining starts, we will be monitoring impacts to the creek. We — Sound Rivers, the residents, business owners, the people who fish here — have been working to save Blounts Creek for nearly 15 years. We’re not going anywhere.”

Want to support Sound Rivers’ and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman’s fight for Blounts Creek? Donate today!