Finding ways to conserve and manage natural resources is increasingly important at every level of government. Maintaining or improving the quality of the natural resource base, while at the same time using these resources to increase income and enhance quality of life, will require better public policies and better management practices.

Environmental Assessments Put County Planning on a Sound Basis

How can counties and cities anticipate consequences of resource use? Better public policy and better management of natural resources both depend on better information. Inventories of natural resources providethe detailed information necessary for making w ise decisions. Such environmental assessments are best done at the county or local level where policies are most closely linked with site specific decisions.

An environmental assessment provides information on the current condition of the county's natural resources which will help determine the likely effect of various policy alternatives. When local governments identify current or potential pollution problem s, debates over the effect of present and future economic growth on natural resources can be based on information rather than speculation. Bringing information together in the form of an environmental assessment is a feasible task. The procedure followed in Gaston County is an example of how one county carried out a natural resource assessment as a basis for making policy and management decisions.

The Gaston County Example

Some of Gaston County's streams and rivers are unsuitable for drinking water and swimming and no longer provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Urban waste, toxic chemicals, and runoff from urban and agricultural sources contribute to the problems. Groundwater resources are threatened by leaking underground storage tanks, hazardous waste sites, and solid waste landfills. In addition, air pollution levels in Gaston County have exceeded EPA standards for ozone and are approaching standards for carbon monoxide and particulates.

Citizen Involvement

The first task was to assess the state of the county's natural resources. Under a contract with the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service, the QNRC evaluated surface water, groundwater, and air quality in the county and conducted a public attitude survey. In Gaston County, assessments of the quality of surface and ground water were organized by the six regional watersheds in the county.

Table 1 lists the types of information collected for this assessment and the sources where such information may be obtained.

Surface Water Quality

• The State of North Carolina Water Quality Assessment (Section 305(b)
  
• Report) and The North Carolina Non-Point Source Assessment (Section 319 Report)
  
• Biological (Benthic Macroinvertebrate) reports on water quality,
  
• Fixed station water chemistry monitoring data, and
  
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
  

• allocation of water supply intakes,
  
• agricultural crop and animal operations, land use, and
  
• complaint and general background information.

This study resulted in three categories of information:

1. It identified several sources as important contributors to surface water pollution as well as the varying importance of each source for each watershed.

2. It showed that many waters in the county fully supported their designated uses. Areas where capacity to assimilate pollutants had been reached under summer low flow conditions were also identified. Further development in these areas is limited unless existing facilities reduce discharge.

3. Finally, it found that nonpoint sources of pollution such as agriculture and run-off from urban and suburban development, although difficult to quantify, contribute significantly to lowered water quality in parts of most watersheds.

Groundwater Quality

Data on the potential for groundwater pollution based on soil and geological conditions were digitized and assembled as a county map using hand-drawn DRASTIC maps provided by the Mooresville regional office of the Division of Environmental Management. (DRASTIC is a standardized system for evaluating groundwater pollution potential based on environmental factors).

The Gaston County Department of Planning provided land use maps. The Soil Conservation Service provided data on animal operations:

Various divisions within the NC DEHNR provided information on mining operations, CERCLA (superfund) sites, landfills, RCRA (hazardous waste) sites, non-discharge permits, underground storage tanks, and groundwater contamination.

The study identified potential major sources of groundwater pollution and showed that the highest groundwater pollution potential is along rivers and major streams. It also brought to light the scarcity of data on groundwater quality in Gaston County. Little or no monitoring has been conducted near hazardous waste sites, underground storage tanks, and other possible pollutant sources in areas where groundwater has a high potential for contamination. Most counties in North Carolina are probably in similar situations.

Air Quality

NC DEHNR and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control provided point source chemical emission data. Mobile source (vehicle) emissions were also obtained from DEHNR. Traffic data were gathered from the NC Department of Transportation. Meteorological data came from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville.

Information from these sources was used to estimate the concentration of primary pollutants and ozone, a secondary pollutant, in the ambient air over Gaston County. This was done using the Industrial Source Complex Model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The rate of hydrocarbon compound emissions from natural sources was also estimated by modifying a model developed for the study of forest emissions. Finally, monitoring data from the adjacent counties of Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg counties were collected.

The air quality assessment had several findings:

1. Major contributors to air pollution in Gaston County were identified.

2. Despite the fact that ozone is the most widespread and serious pollutant produced in North Carolina, Gaston County does not monitor ozone. From information on ozone levels in neighboring counties, the study concluded that the county would be declared a non-attainment area by the EPA. (This did subsequently occur in 1992.)

3. The only primary pollutant currently measured in Gaston County is Total Suspended Particulates (TSP). Even though TSP concentration has been below the national standard, the level is increasing and may be exceeding the standard in some areas of the county.

4. Modeling indicates that carbon monoxide (CO) concentration in parts of Gastonia may be above EPA standards, but not high enough to qualify as violations. Also, the concentrations of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are increasing, but still within the acceptable range.

Public Attitude Survey

Creating Policy Information from Technical Data

This can be accomplished through mapping, graphical presentation of the data, and statistical analysis. Once an assessment has been completed and the data integrated into understandable forms, the county will have a scientific basis for policy decisions and educational programs.

In Gaston County, identifying data sources for both air and water quality and transferring the data to maps was a time-consuming task. The assembly of mapped data for resource assessment and the subsequent manipulation of that data to create information of use to the QNRC and policymakers constituted a significant portion of the environmental assessment in this county.

A computerized mapping system (in this case a Geographic Information System or GIS) brought all the maps into a common scale and format. It was also used for many of the assessment tasks including delineation of watershed groups, calculation of acreage of ground and surface water pollution impact, and the geographic registration of air quality modeling results.

Use of the GIS system also ensured that the data developed for the environmental assessment project could be transferred to the Gaston County computer mapping system. The final GIS effort was focused on the development of high quality paper maps for use in communicating the results of the assessment.

Consequences of the Environmental Assessment

On the basis of the information provided by the environmental assessment, the Gaston County QNRC has analyzed several policy issues and made recommendations to the County Commissioners. Gaston County has also been awarded several grants, including an EPA grant to monitor surface water quality and a USDA Water Quality Incentive Program grant. More applications for grant funding have been submitted, including a proposal to control nonpoint pollution through implementation of a best management plan. In addition to grants, Gaston County has won public recognition in the form of state and regional awards for its environmental efforts.

Two other North Carolina counties, Surry and Stanly, have since conducted similar water quality assessments to serve as the basis for future public policy actions.

Table 1: Environmental Information Available from Government Agencies

DRASTIC maps showing areas of varying ground water contamination potential based on environmental variables are available for some counties. Special publications contain information on hydrogeologic conditions.

Soil and Water Conservation District Offices:
Soil Surveys containing information on soils and climate.
US Geological Survey (919-856-4791): Special reports of geologic investigations at various sites.

Land Use
County Planning Departments Reports and Maps of land uses, including township maps, zoning maps, etc. These show categories of land use such as municipal, service, residential, agricultural, and undeveloped.

Soil and Water Conservation District:
Land use maps of agricultural are as based on aerial photographs are available in many counties.

Public Water Supplies
Division of Environmental Health, Public Water Supply Section (919-733-2321): Computer Printout lists type of water source, location, and number and types of users. Does not include water quality monitoring data. Paper Files for each public water supply for which the state has jurisdiction include monitoring data and "Public Well Survey Sheet" containing information on well depth, age, construction, etc.

County Health Departments:
Information on well protection, monitoring, complaints, etc.

Private Wells
County Health Departments: Paper Files list well user, location, and information about well construction for some wells. Well water quality data may also be available for some wells.

Water Quality Data
DEM Ground Water Section (919-733-3221) and Water Quality Section (919-733-5083): Reports list monitoring results (examples: North Carolina 305(b) Water Quality Assessment Report, Non-point Source Assessment Report, special monitoring project reports).

EPA STORET (800-424-9067): Computer Printout or Electronic File available from EPA database retrieval, which includes all state monitoring data updated semi-annually.

USGS (919-856-4791): Data from special monitoring studies is published periodically.

Pollution Incident Management Database
DEM Ground Water Section (919-733-8488): Computer Printout and Paper Files describe reported ground water contamination incidents relating to UST, landfills, CERCLA, RCRA, etc. Does not include all incidents of ground water contamination. Records list location, source, contaminant type, date, and amount released.

Superfund (CERCLA) Sites
Division of Solid Waste Management, Superfund Section (919-733-2801): Computer Printout lists Federal and State Superfund sites including name, address, location, site assessments. Paper Files available for viewing. Preliminary site assessment and site investigation reports on file for some sites.

County engineer:
Additional information on individual sites may be available.

Hazardous Waste Facilities
Division of Solid Waste Management, Hazardous Waste Section (919-733-2178): Computer Printout lists facilities which generate, store, or handle hazardous waste includes name, address, activity (generator, transporter, disposer, storer, or treator), and RCRA number. Small quantity generators are indicated.

Toxic Release Inventory
Division of Emergency Management (919-733-3283): Paper Files list facilities required to report manufacture, processing, importing, or use of toxic chemicals on EPA Form R, Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Reporting Form as listed in the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Title III of SARA (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986). Includes name, address, latitude/longitude, type and location of discharge, chemical name, chemical use, and quantity released.

EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
Database Hotline (800-638-8480): Information on release incidents.

Hazardous Materials Emergencies
County Emergency Management Office: Computer Printout lists hazardous material emergencies occurring in a county and remedial actions.

NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permits Division of Environmental Management, Water Quality Section (919-733-7015) (and regional DEM offices): Computer Printout by county lists information on NPDES permits for direct discharge systems including facility name, permit number, and issue date, expiration date, latitude/longitude locations, monitoring data, and violations of permitted levels available upon request for a fee.

Paper Files of all permit holders and monitoring results available for viewing and manual transfer of information. Maps available as part of the Basin Modeling effort which show dischargers located in a particular watershed area. DEM regional offices may have same information.

Non-Discharge Permits
Division of Environmental Management, Water Quality Section (919-733-5083): Computer Printout by county lists information on non-discharge permits for sludge application to land, spray irrigation of wastewater, etc. including facility name, permit number, issue date, expiration date, and type of non-discharge activity. DEM regional offices may have information on reported problems with permitted non-discharge activities.

Solid Waste Facilities(Landfills) Division of Solid Waste Management, Solid Waste Section, (919-733-0692): Paper Files on open, closed, and proposed landfills for which a permit exists or is being processed. Include monitoring data if available. Information on closed landfills which are also CERCLA sites may be available from Division of Solid Waste Management, Superfund Section.

Septic Systems
Division of Solid Waste Management, Solid Waste Section, (919-733-0692): Paper Files on permitted municipal, industrial, and large systems regulated by the state.

County Health Departments: Records of septic systems in use.

Underground Storage Tanks
Division of Environmental Management, Ground Water Section (919-733-3221):
Computer Printout lists registered tanks (mostly used to store petroleum products) greater than 1,100 gallon capacity. Includes street address, size, product stored.

Mining Operations
Division of Land Resources, Land Quality Section (919-733-4574): Computer Printout and DOT Map by county of permitted mining operations lists name, address, location, commodity, permit numbers. Latitude/long itude available for active operations.

Pesticides Food and Drug Protection Division, Pesticide Section (919-733-3556):
Paper Files describe violations of pesticide use restrictions, licensing rules, spills, illegal dumping, etc. Estimates of pesticide use may be available from Extension, ASCS, SCS, or Soil and Water Conservation District.

Animal Waste Storage and Application
Division of Soil and Water Conservation, District Programs Section (919-733-2302): Paper Files on animal waste storage and application facilities which have been designed and implemented with assistance from District Office. Additional information may be available from local Soil and Water Conservation District, SCS, ASCS, and Extension.

List of Resources

Jennings, Gregory D. Water Quality Assessment of Stanly County. Final Report.

Service, N. C. State University. Raleigh. 143 pp. 1992.

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AREP93-1-October 1993

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bridgesj@unity.ncsu.edu

04/16/96

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