Residents, businesses ask ADEM to reject proposed “Integra Plan” wastewater permit on Flint River

At a public hearing Tuesday in Berryhill, residents, business owners and environmental advocates urged the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to reject a proposed wastewater treatment plant called the “Integra Plan” on the Flint River, saying the project would threaten recreation, wildlife and downstream water quality.

Speakers told ADEM staff that the Flint River supports a small but significant recreational industry and local traditions, that aquatic species have been documented in recent years, and that questions remain about the track record of the company seeking the permit. Department staff told the hearing that the public comment period closes at 5 p.m. Oct. 15, 2025, and that the department will consider oral and written comments before making a determination and preparing responses to relevant comments.

Jenny Smith, who identified herself as representing Brown Bear Canoe and Kayak and Huntsville City Schools fifth graders, said her business focuses on “conservation, preservation, and education” and that school groups visit to conduct water chemistry testing and biomonitoring. “The kids come, they do they conduct their own testing and determine whether the Flint River is healthy or unhealthy,” Smith said. She told the hearing her operation had documented recent biological findings on the river, and said the facility would affect the business and wildlife.

Matthew Keller, a resident who said he traveled from Montgomery for the hearing, told ADEM the agency has two duties: stewardship of taxpayer dollars and stewardship of public health. “First is that you are a steward of taxpayer dollars. And the second is that you're a steward of public health,” Keller said, and urged the agency to consider downstream impacts, including federally managed lands and systems.

Several speakers described the river as an affordable recreation resource used by families and visitors from Huntsville and elsewhere. Scott Ammons, who said he started a kayak shop 18 years ago and has put roughly 150,000 people on the river, warned the permit would damage a local industry. “You will shut down an industry,” Ammons said.

Commenters raised specific downstream concerns, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and lands near Redstone Arsenal, and cited ongoing litigation in the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) basin as a reason to consider broader effects on water quality before approving new discharges. Several speakers also pointed to alleged compliance problems at a separate facility in Meridianville and asked why a company with a troubled track record should be allowed to operate another plant. One speaker said previous fines were effectively paid from the operator’s budget and questioned who ultimately bears the cost of enforcement.

Wendy Oakley asked the department to require an independent assessment of the river’s current condition and the proposed plant’s effects before making a decision. “I just ask you to please do your due diligence. Have an independent assessment of the current condition of the river and how the water will be affected with the proposed water wastewater treatment plant before you make a decision,” Oakley said.

Multiple speakers emphasized the Flint River’s role for school groups, kayakers and small businesses and requested that the department account for those community uses in its review. At the end of the hearing, department staff reiterated the deadline for written comments (5 p.m. Oct. 15, 2025, at ADEM’s Montgomery office) and said ADEM will prepare a response to relevant comments as part of its permit decision process.

No vote or formal agency decision was recorded at the hearing; the department’s final action will follow review of comments and any internal permitting procedures.