Cyanide Wastewater Discharged In Mississippi

A wastewater treatment plant in Mississippi has run afoul of regulators by discharging cyanide into waterways.

“The city of Forest agreed to pay the fine to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The regulator cited Forest for violations in November 2014 and February 2015, saying the cyanide exceeded the limits allowed in wastewater in both months. The total fine is for $7,500, but Forest won't have to pay $5,500 if it meets cyanide limits for three straight months through June,” the Associated Press reported.

Forest is a tiny town of around 6,000 people. The town’s wastewater operation “processes approximately 2.4 million gallons daily. The 40 acre facility includes mechanical operations and anaerobic lagoons involved in the treatment and processing of wastewater,” according to the town. It is staffed by eight people.

“Mayor Nancy Chambers signed the February 27 order agreeing to waive hearing rights and pay the fine,” the report said.

The U.S. EPA provides the following data on how frequently cyanide is found in water:

Cyanide can enter surface water through releases from industries using cyanides (e.g., metal finishing industries, iron and steel mills), runoff from disposal of cyanide wastes in landfills, pesticides and the use of cyanide-containing road salts. Cyanide is usually found at very low concentrations in drinking water sources. According to U.S. EPA STORNET database, the mean cyanide concentration in most surface waters in the U.S. is less than 3.5 µg/L. In 1978, a USEPA survey showed that approximately 7 percent of drinking water sources had cyanide at levels greater than 10 µg/L.

Cyanide is extremely dangerous. The chemical “is toxic and the lethal oral doses of cyanide compounds generally range from 50 to 200 mg CN (0.7 to 2.9 mg/Kg),” according to the EPA.

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