Contents | Agency Acronyms | Acknowledgements | Introduction | Executive Summary | State of the Air | State of the Water | State of the Land | Issues and Recommendations | Appendix A | Appendix B | Appendix C | Appendix D | Report Cover Page | About MCDEP | MCDEP Home Page
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Mecklenburg County’s State of the Environment Report has specifically-defined purposes which have remain unchanged and are as follows:
to describe Mecklenburg County's current environmental status for the public and the Board of County Commissioners;
to give the County objective measures to evaluate progress toward a clean, healthy environment;
to highlight the major issues facing the County; and
to recommend direction concerning those issues.
This report responds to public interest in Mecklenburg County’s environment, which has remained steady since 1991 with more than 80% of County residents believing protecting the environment is very important. Mecklenburg County’s 1995 State of the Environment Report presents information concerning the state of Mecklenburg County's surface and groundwater resources, air quality and solid, hazardous and radioactive waste as reflected through 1996 and 1997 data. The report also identifies important trends and issues and provides recommendations.
WATER
Surface Water
Overall surface water quality in Mecklenburg County has held steady in the "good" range since water quality index trend values were first used in 1989. The county-wide index average of 71 (out of 100) hides the fact that 5 out of 8 major creek basins have a rating of fair or worse when physical, chemical and biological measures are combined. Increased growth in the southern basins of the County has led to increased water quality degradation and their failure to fully support their classified use. Gar Creek in the West Basin contains some of the cleanest water in the County, but nearby McDowell Cove in the NorthWest Basin has some of the most polluted waters.
Groundwater
Ambient
Approximately 30% of Mecklenburg County citizens rely on groundwater as their sole source of potable water. For potable water wells, all averaged groundwater values are within the suggested USEPA drinking water levels except manganese and iron. Neither appear to have toxicological significance in drinking water. The USEPA recommended limits are based largely on aesthetic and taste considerations.
Groundwater
Mecklenburg Priority List
In 1997, there were more than 700 known or potential sources of groundwater contamination in Mecklenburg County collectively known as the Mecklenburg Priority List. Through December of 1997, more than 35% (225) of sites have been evaluated. One hundred nine (109)are located in areas where groundwater is used as drinking water. To date, 177 contaminated wells have been identified at forty (40) sites.
AIR
Ambient Air
In 1997, Mecklenburg County experienced 218 "good" air days. The overall ambient air quality in Mecklenburg County has steadily improved since 1980 as indicated by either the annual average Air Quality Index trend or the number of "good" days for the 1980-1997 period.
Mecklenburg County was officially designated as an attainment area for ozone and carbon monoxide in 1995. Since that time, no violations of the CO standard have been experienced. The County came very close to an ozone violation in 1997, but fortunately remained below the violation limit. Credit must be given to individuals and corporations who voluntarily reduced their vehicular traffic on days when elevated ozone levels were predicted.
Since the establishment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 1977, Mecklenburg County has not had a violation for the other four ambient air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, PM-10, and lead.
Air
Air Toxics
The term "air toxics" applies to certain chemicals that adversely affect the
environment and/or human health when airborne and inhaled. A substance is defined as an
"air toxic" if it is poisonous, an irritant or known or suspected to cause
cancer. Regulated industrial sources of air toxics are usually located in either
industrial parks (e.g. Westinghouse Boulevard/Arrowood Road) or along primary roads (e.g.
South Boulevard, North Tryon Street, Interstate 85). In 1997 seven facilities were asked
to voluntarily conduct computer modeling. All demonstrated acceptable ambient levels.
AIR
Nuisance Odors, Dust, Smoke
In 1997, 114 air quality requests for service were reported by citizens of the County. The distribution of these service requests suggests that nuisance odors, dust and smoke occur most frequently near industrial-related activities. There were 299 permitted (regulated) industrial facilities of major and/or minor categories in Mecklenburg County in 1997.
LAND
The accepted approach to effective solid waste management includes source reduction of wastes, reuse, recycling, composting, waste to energy (incineration) and landfilling. Mecklenburg County solid waste management incorporates all these methods.
Municipal Waste
Mecklenburg County's residents, industry, businesses and institutions generated 692,283 tons of municipal solid waste in 1997, which translates into a waste generation rate of approximately 6.2 pounds/person/day. This per capita generation rate remains above the national average of 4.3 pounds/person/day. Municipal solid waste was managed as follows: 606,488 tons (88%) were landfilled; 37,045 tons (5%) were recycled; and 48,749 tons (7%) of yard waste were composted. The County’s municipal waste incinerator closed in 1995.
Construction, Demolition, Land Clearing Waste
Demolition contractors disposed 281,168 tons of construction and demolition waste in 1997 at the only permitted construction and demolition landfill operating in Mecklenburg County and 34,000 tons at a Cabarras County landfill. Two hundred eighty thousand (280,000) tons of land clearing and inert debris wastes were disposed at sixteen (16) permitted landfills. Twenty-nine (29) small (less than 2 acres) landfills for the on-site disposal of land clearing waste were recorded in 1995.
Medical Waste
Medical waste is any solid waste that is "generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the testing of biologicals." In 1995, there were ten (10) hospitals and more than 850 clinics and other health-related services in Mecklenburg County. Best estimates based on reports submitted by treatment facilities indicates that approximately 4,472 tons of medical waste were generated by facilities in Mecklenburg County.
Radioactive Waste
High-level radioactive waste was generated in Mecklenburg County by one (1) source: Duke Power Company’s McGuire Nuclear Power Plant which began operation in December 1981. Since then, all high-level radioactive waste generated at McGuire Nuclear Plant has been stored on-site. Currently 1,828 spent fuel rod assemblies are stored on-site (62.5% of storage capacity).
According to a 1995 report from the State of North Carolina, low-level radioactive waste generated in Mecklenburg County came from only one (1) source: Duke Power Company's McGuire Nuclear Station. According to Duke Power, 30,342 cubic feet of low level radioactive waste were generated in 1997 during the two refueling outages.
Hazardous Waste
In 1997, there were 848 handlers of hazardous waste in Mecklenburg County, down from 987 reported in 1995. Based on the most recent data available, 19,001,994 pounds of concentrated hazardous waste was generated in 1995.
In 1997, there were 121 Inactive Hazardous Sites in Mecklenburg County, approximately 11% of the state’s total. Sites are grouped into four categories including a federal National Priority List (NPL or "Superfund"), a state Sites Priority List (SPL), sites with pending investigations, or sites having been cleaned. Currently there is one (1) site on the NPL list, twenty (21) sites on the SPL list, forty-eight (48) sites with investigations pending, five (5) sites with voluntary cleanup occurring and thirty-three (34) sites with no further action required.