Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
V. Summa <br />In summary, it is obvious that the waste treatment issue is <br />very complex in terms of technologies used in the treatment <br />process and in terms of the regulatory processes which govern <br />the siting, design, installation, operation and monitoring of <br />these systems. It is likewise obvious that some, if not all <br />of these systems, are under - regulated or under - controlled <br />during the complete life of the systems. Local regulatory <br />agency involvement is necessary to insure that the systems <br />provide an effective and reliable means of waste treatment. <br />Even in those instances when a type of treatment facility has <br />a very comprehensive system of regulation in place for <br />permitting, monitoring and general operational oversight, <br />there is still ample opportunity for system failure to occur <br />and to continue unabated despite the intent of current <br />regulations. <br />There are many proposed and pending regulations at the state <br />regulator agency level to improve the regulatory process for <br />the use oy these systems. However, much of the problem with <br />the existing regulatory process has not been a lack of <br />regulation, but a lack manpower to necessary to enforce those <br />regulations. The manpower situation does not promise to <br />improve in the foreseeable future. Many state agencies are <br />increasingly looking for ways to shift much of their burden <br />to local governments. While this has not been the case with <br />environmental agencies to date, a change in this policy <br />appears to be imminent. When local jurisdictions have the <br />technical ea ertise to assume some of the functions of the <br />environmental agencies, local control can provide many <br />positive benefits. <br />16 <br />