Sunday, March 14, 2010

More poop in the Chesapeake

Septic tanks on the Eastern Shore aren't working properly, and inadequately filtered waste is ending up in the Chesapeake via the Choptank. The problem was discovered in 1996 and there were promises of a fix, but nothing has happened. Recently the owner of Lake Bonnie, a nearby campground that's suffered collateral damage from the leaks, has sued the town, county, and state for failure to act. From the information in the article, it looks to me like she has a pretty strong case!

So what's likely to happen to the town of Goldsboro, which is producing the waste? They're looking to line up $4.7 million in grants to set up a new septic system to pipe their waste to Greensboro. Who will foot the bill? Not the residents of the town or county, but the Feds and state. How do you feel about your taxes going to remediate the inadequate septic tanks of Goldsboro? We're talking about 84 households that can't afford to properly dispose of their own waste. Should they be forced to move? Do you feel the same way in this situation that you did with the Puritan tiger beetle situation we talked about last month?