FROM THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN

August 14, 2002
Four Arkansas cities pledge to cut phosphorus in rivers
2002-08-14
By Clayton Bellamy
Associated Press Writer

TAHLEQUAH -- Water quality in Oklahoma's six scenic rivers should improve dramatically under an agreement by four northwest Arkansas cities to reduce phosphorus pollution, an Oklahoma official said Tuesday. The Arkansas cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Siloam Springs have promised to lower phosphorus levels in wastewater to 1 milligram per liter within a few years, said Derek Smithee, chief of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board's water quality division. Springdale emits waste with 6 to 7 milligrams of phosphorus per liter, he said.

Smithee said at a board meeting in Tahlequah that despite the reductions agreed to by the four cities, Arkansas still will not comply with water quality standards set by Oklahoma.

In May, Gov. Frank Keating signed regulations, which affect both Oklahoma and Arkansas, requiring phosphorus levels in the scenic rivers to be below 0.037 parts per million.

Four of these scenic rivers -- the Illinois, Flint Creek, Lee Creek and the Upper Mountain Fork River -- flow from Arkansas to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma officials have blamed increased phosphorus levels in the waterways on wastewater from northwest Arkansas cities, the numerous poultry farms there and rain runoff from fertilized fields.

Phosphorus increases algae in the rivers, turning the water green, giving it a bad taste and odor and using up oxygen needed by river life.

Arkansas has resisted the regulations, maintaining that the standard is unreachable and will harm economic development.

The Arkansas Farm Bureau attended Tuesday's water board meeting, where a forum was provided for comment on implementing the regulations. The regulations give Arkansas 10 years to meet the limit.

"We're very concerned about the impact of the phosphorus level limit on all of agriculture, not just poultry farms," said Stanley Hill, associate director of governmental affairs for the bureau. "Beef cattle farms, dairy farms, all of these are going to be impacted in some way."

Hill said Arkansas officials are still devising their policies for complying with or fighting the regulations, but he maintained the standard is impossible in a developed river basin.

"At some point, the limit and the implementation time frame are going to have to be revisited," he said.

"Litigation is always an option, but we'd certainly like to avoid that."