Wastewater Treatment Plant News

Rocky Branch Restoration Underway, and an Oil Spill Coverup?

In a unfortunate bit of synchronicity, the oil spill at NCSU’s central heating plant occurred the same week the following piece was written. With a negligence smacking of happy-news cover up, the N&O as well as NCSU tried to soft pedal that the oil did in fact leak into Rocky Branch via a storm drain on the north side of the creek, near Pullen Road. Tuesday morning, The News and Observer report read, “NCSU workers noticed the spill Monday evening and worked to prevent it from reaching Rocky Branch Creek, which runs through campus.” The story went on to report that workers at the city’s Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant noticed the bunker oil clogging intake screens at the plant and suspended discharge into the Neuse river Tuesday, “leading city officials to declare there is no threat to the public.” I read the story Tuesday morning, then surveyed Rocky Branch amid a heavy odor of fuel and black tarry residue and reported my findings to NC State. [Continued below the fold.]