EPA solicits comments and will host public hearing in Bainbridge, Georgia regarding BASF Corporation’s Attapulgus facility
ATLANTA (December 8, 2023) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a public hearing next Wednesday, December 13, 2023, to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on EPA’s objection to a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the BASF Corporation’s Attapulgus facility in southwest Georgia. The EPA will also accept written comments on its objection through December 20, 2023.
In 2012, EPA objected to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s draft NPDES permit for the BASF Attapulgus facility because it did not include effluent limits stringent enough to meet Florida’s water quality standards downstream of the facility as required by the Clean Water Act. Specifically, the BASF discharge is contributing to a failure to meet water quality standards in Lake Talquin, a lake in Leon County Florida.
EPA is required to hold the public hearing prior to making a final determination on its 2012 permit objection. EPA delayed this hearing following the 2012 objection to allow Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to complete a pollutant load allocation for Lake Talquin, which provides information to support development of permit limits in the BASF facility’s permit that will meet Florida’s water quality standards.
The hearing will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Southern Regional Technical College Bainbridge Campus, Charles H. Kirbo Center, located at 2500 East Shotwell Street in Bainbridge. Participants can join in-person or online, and they may submit written comments or present oral comments during the hearing.
Participants may register for in-person or virtual attendance at: https://projects.erg.com/conferences/epa/register-basf.asp
Registration for in-person attendance is recommended, but not required. EPA may close the hearing 15 minutes after the last pre-registered speaker has commented if there are no additional speakers.
Additionally, the public may send written comments to EPA through the close of the public comment period on December 20, 2023, by email to R4NPDESComments@epa.gov or mail to: Environmental Protection Agency, NPDES Permitting Section, Water Division, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303-8960.
After considering all comments received during the hearing and in writing, EPA will issue a final determination that will either withdraw, modify or reaffirm the objection.
For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/publicnotices/notice-public-hearing-regarding-epa-objection-draft-npdes-permit-basf-facility
###