33 HEADLINE Who’s Minding the Planet? SURFACE WATER Photos: Waterkeeper Alliance Responding to Pollution Disasters Waterkeeper Alliance has created a “Rapid Response” initiative to guide its response to environmental disasters. This ”Rapid Response” program is an innovative solution that has provided trusted and independent emergency response to disasters impacting waterways in North Carolina. The program is focused on documenting and reporting impacts to the public and governmental agencies. Waterkeeper Alliance and North Carolina Riverkeepers utilized the model with full efficacy when Hurricane Matthew throttled the state in October 2016. Responders immediately captured photos that showed the submersion of sprayfields and breach of waste ponds at industrial hog facilities throughout the coastal plain. They closely monitored industrial meat production facilities where threats to water quality and human health increased as floodwaters inundated fields, drowned animals in barns, and overwhelmed waste lagoons. The impact of Hurricane Matthew was exacerbated by the presence of so many CAFOs in the floodplain. “Waterkeeper Alliance and its Riverkeepers are the eyes and ears on the ground, working tirelessly to keep our rivers, lakes, and streams clean,” says Will Hendrick. Without Waterkeeper Alliance and the Riverkeepers efforts, the people of North Carolina would not have been aware of the pollution from industrial facilities for quite some time. Riverkeepers were among the first responders to this environmental disaster. They were able to quickly get data on the pollution and its harmful effects to surrounding communities so residents could protect themselves. As climate change causes even more of these destructive weather events, we cannot afford continued disasters to North Carolina’s waterways and communities. Waterkeepers are pressuring the state legislature to re-invest in the removal of CAFOs from the 100-year floodplain, which would significantly reduce the threat to our water resources and communities posed by these facilities. As a result of our advocacy following Hurricane Matthew, the NC General Assembly allocated more than $2M to fund the voluntary closure of swine facilities in the flood plain. This was the first investment in the facility closure program in a decade. Achievements of this magnitude are made possible by a dedicated team of Riverkeepers throughout the state who monitor the impact of CAFO pollution on our waters. The 14 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates in North Carolina spend every day standing up to polluters and protecting local waterways. One such Riverkeeper is Cape Fear Riverkeeper, Kemp Burdette. His watershed contains 40 swine and 11 poultry CAFOs, equaling approximately 94,000 head of swine and 1.3 million broiler chickens. For essential water monitoring, Burdette relies on YSI instruments to provide quick and accurate water-quality data that he uses to identify waterways that are in trouble. He recently located a heavily impaired waterway, which he expects to be added to North Carolina’s 303(d) list of impaired water bodies because of his collection and submission of data demonstrating high concentrations of bacteria. Once listed as impaired, a watershed-wide approach to reducing pollution can be planned and implemented to fix issues in the waterbody. Waterkeepers are watchdogs that carry out air, ground, and water monitoring on a weekly basis. They patrol in small aircraft overhead to identify facilities breaking the rules and target where to later perform water quality tests. They use YSI water quality monitoring equipment to test pollution levels in waterways and locate the source of pollution. Yadkin Riverkeeper, Will Scott, says YSI equipment is critical to his organization because it “helps us be mobile to monitor water quality across our whole 7,221 square mile watershed.” Waterkeepers are the ones in the field collecting the data needed to hold polluters accountable. Flooding from Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 compromised CAFO industrial waste ponds. Monitoring programs undertaken by WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE ensure compliance with local laws.