The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission will meet Friday to hear a revised petition from Tyson Foods to raise the allowable levels of minerals in the Poteau River and a tributary, among other things.
Leaders of Tyson's Waldron plant have asked the commission to increase the amount of chlorides allowed in the Poteau River from an unnamed tributary to the Arkansas 59 bridge from 120 milligrams per liter to 185; the amount of sulfates allowed from 60 milligrams per liter to 200; and the amount of total dissolved solids allowed from 500 milligrams per liter to 786.
The company also wants to increase the amount of chlorides allowed in the unnamed tributary of the Poteau River from 150 milligrams per liter to 180; the amount of sulfates allowed from 70 milligrams per liter to 200; and the amount of total dissolved solids allowed from 660 milligrams per liter to 870.
In 2013, the company proposed changing standards in two portions of the unnamed tributary and a portion of the Poteau River. The request included some increased and some decreases.
The change, according to the revised petition follows the review of new data and discussion with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The plant, like many others, has an outdated permit on indefinite hold while officials try to figure out how the company can comply with requirements to reduce mineral levels in the water they discharge. Many companies and utilities have argued the mineral standards are too strict and reducing levels is cost-ineffective. They have petitioned regulators to change the regulatory limits for those waters.
NW News on 01/20/2019