PUBLIC NOTICE
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR
PROPOSED NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT
AND REQUEST FOR COMMENTS
NPDES Permit Number AL0001449
BLOUNT COUNTY
Notice is hereby given that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6:00 P.M., at the J.B. Pennington High School - Auditorium at 81 College Street, Blountsville, AL 35031, concerning the proposed reissuance of NPDES Permit Number AL0001449 to Tyson Farms, Inc., located at 67240 Main Street, Blountsville, AL 35031, to authorize discharges to surface water from treated poultry process, sanitary wastewater, and stormwater.
Pursuant to applicable regulations, the Department issued public notice of a 30-day public comment period on the Department’s website on November 11, 2025, during which any interested person could submit written comments on the permit applications or draft permits. During this comment period, the Department received sufficient requests to warrant a public hearing. Therefore, the Department is announcing a public hearing and is extending the public comment period until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026.
The purpose of the public hearing will be for interested parties to make oral and written comments into the public hearing record. Those wishing to make oral comments at the public hearing are also encouraged to submit those comments in writing. In order to affect final decisions, comments must offer technically substantial information that is applicable to the proposed applications. All comments must address the conditions of the proposed permits; the Department’s adherence to the applicable environmental laws, rules, and regulations in development of the proposed permits; or issues that have an impact on the applicant’s ability to meet applicable environmental laws, rules, and regulations to affect the final permit decision.
Any person wishing to participate in this hearing who needs special accommodations should contact the ADEM Permits and Services Division at (334) 271-7714 at least five working days prior to the hearing.
Copies of the draft permit, conditions, limitations and a fact sheet, as applicable, describing the methodology for setting the limitations and conditions and other applicable NPDES forms and related documents are available for public inspection electronically via https://adem.alabama.gov/events-meetings the Department’s electronic file system at http://app.adem.alabama.gov/eFile/ and at the following location Monday – Friday (except legal holidays), 8:00 am to 5:00 pm by appointment. A nominal fee for copying and/or mailing may be charged. Arrangements for copying should be made in advance.
Attendance at the public hearing is not necessary in order to have comments included in the public hearing record. Written comments received no later than 5:00 P.M. on Friday, March 27, 2026, the close of the extended public comment period, will also be considered and entered into the public hearing record. Written comments should be submitted by mail or email to the Department’s named contact below. Commenters should identify the NPDES permit number on the first page of their comments.
Daphne Y. Lutz, Chief
ADEM-Water Division
1400 Coliseum Blvd.
[Mailing address: PO Box 301463; Zip 36130-1463]
Montgomery, Alabama 36110-2400
(334) 271-7823
water-permits@adem.alabama.gov
After consideration of all written comments, review of any public hearing record, and consideration of the requirements of the Alabama Water Pollution Control Act, the federal Clean Water Act, and applicable regulations, the Department will make a final determination. The Department will develop a response to comments for the permit, which will be posted to the Department’s website at http://app.adem.alabama.gov/eFile/. To find the response to comments and final permit determination, you may search by the NPDES permit number shown above.
The Department maintains a list of interested individuals who are emailed legal notices regarding proposed permits. If you wish to receive such notices, please sign up here by entering your name and email address and clicking the subscribe button.
This notice is hereby given this 17th day of February 2026, by authorization of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
____________________________
Edward F. Poolos
Director
Nondiscrimination Statement: The Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in the administration of its programs.