TENNESSEE RIVERKEEPER INTENDS TO SUE MONTEREY WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

MONTEREY, TN — Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. intends to file a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act (CWA), against the Town of Monterey, TN, for violations of the CWA and the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act at the Monterey Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) 

The Monterey STP has had 286 days of violations since January of 2022. There have been 145 overflows of untreated sewage since March of 2020. Pollution violations also include excellencies of discharge permit limits for ammonia, as well as violations of reporting requirements and the lack of a required moratorium on additional connections. 

“When raw sewage is discharged into communities it carries with it bacteria and pathogens that can be a threat to public health.” – David Whiteside, Executive Director of Tennessee Riverkeeper

Barry Sulkin, Tennessee Riverkeeper’s scientist said: “This discharge impacts an important recreation park downstream in Cookeville as well as City Lake.”

The discharge of inadequately treated and raw sewage flows to Falling Water River, which travels west towards Cookeville into City Lake Natural Area, where the river is dammed to form City Lake.  This public recreational area with lake and falls, is used for fishing, swimming, kayaking, and hiking.  From there the water flows to Center Hill Lake by way of Burgess Falls State Park, where it forms Burgess Falls Lake and Burgess Falls waterfall.

The operational failures and discharges referenced above demonstrate a continuing pattern of pollution which degrades and threatens waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act and state law. Tennessee Riverkeeper intends to prosecute these and similar or related violations in the appropriate judicial forum, including all violations which occur or continue after service of the notice and all violations revealed in the course of the litigation discovery process.

Tennessee Riverkeeper intends to file suit against Monterey in federal district court sixty (60) days from the date of the notice.  The suit will include a request for a judgment declaring the discharges and violations to be illegal, and an order for correction of the problems.

“Sewage is one of the biggest pollution threats to our region. Tennessee Riverkeeper is seeking to reduce sewage pollution in the Cumberland River and the tributaries. Addressing Monterey’s issues would go a long way in cleaning up our river,” stated David Whiteside, of Tennessee Riverkeeper.