The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has approved a permit allowing Martin Marietta Materials to discharge up to 12 million gallons of wastewater daily from its limestone mine into Blounts Creek.
This decision comes after a 15-year legal fight led by Sound Rivers and local residents, who worry about the creek’s future.
Despite strong public opposition—including packed hearings and repeated calls for stronger safeguards—the revised permit moves forward without additional protections.
Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman said the organization is disappointed that there were no changes made between the draft issued in September and the permit approved permit, citing a lack of clear monitoring requirements and thresholds for environmental action.
The final permit regulates wastewater and stormwater discharge into two tributaries of Blounts Creek; it requires sampling for aquatic organisms every two years and monthly monitoring for pH, suspended solids, and turbidity. However, baseline monitoring will only begin after discharge starts, and the permit does not specify what will be done if significant impacts are detected.
