EPA Investigating Lyman Sewage Treatment Plant

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a wastewater treatment plant where three employees were recently fired.

The plant is owned by the town of Lyman and is located on Groce Road. According to the town website, it has the capacity to treat four million gallons of sewage per day, discharging the treated water into the Middle Tyger River. The water must meet federal and state requirements.

After News Channel 7 received a tip from an anonymous source, we spoke with former plant supervisor Keith Vaughn. Vaughn says on June 25th, he and the rest of the treatment plant employees were called to Lyman Mayor Rodney Turner's office to be interviewed individually.

"He said the plant was under investigation by the EPA and DHEC, and he asked me if I had any knowledge of anything wrong happening," said Vaughn. "I told him 'No, but since I'm supervisor it's my responsibility if something did go wrong'. So I took the blame."

Vaughn says Turner fired him without ever explaining why the plant was being investigated. He says Turner later fired David Woodward, who had worked at the plant for 42 years, and Tim Atkins.

Turner confirmed the three men no longer work for the town of Lyman but refused to discuss the reason for their dismissal.

"There is an active investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further," said Turner in an emailed statement.

EPA Region 4 spokesperson Dawn Harris-Young says EPA investigators were at the plant earlier this week "investigating allegations of possible impropriety". She would not elaborate on what might constitute that impropriety nor could she say how the allegations were brought to light.

However, Atkins, who worked at the plant for 36 years, says employees falsified data to make appear better the quality of the water discharged into the river. He says this was done under someone's direction and he took part in it. Here is his quote:

"It's an old plant that needs a lot of upgrades. We weren't getting the quality of samples we're supposed to get because we didn't have equipment that worked. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but I was just doing what I was told to do so that we had some clean samples. We never did anything that would harm people or the environment."

He added they never discharged untreated sewage into the river. Turner said to his knowledge, there are no health risks to anyone who uses the river. Neither the EPA nor Department of Health and Environmental Control have issued warnings or advisories for the Middle Tyger -- a popular river for kayaking between Duncan and Startex, which is downriver from Lyman.

The EPA spokesperson said there is no timetable for when the investigation might be complete. She said possible outcomes are criminal charges being filed, civil action being taken, or no evidence of wrongdoing being found.