Last Updated on November 16, 2021 2:51 pm
AppHealthCare and Watauga County Government are partnering together and staying connected to the recent events of solid waste issues and wastewater releases at The Cottages of Boone.
Both agencies are working collaboratively, following established jurisdictional authority, to respond to complaints in support of protecting the health of the public.
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office has been responding to solid waste complaints received by Watauga County per the existing Watauga County solid waste ordinance. Due to ongoing violations, Watauga County has issued civil penalties in the maximum amount allowed by law to the Cottages of Boone for noncompliance.
“We are eager to see the ongoing concerns about solid waste management and untreated wastewater release concerns be addressed by the Cottages of Boone. We understand the concerns raised by citizens and are committed to ongoing efforts to encourage compliance with expected Watauga County standards,” said Deron Geouque, Watauga County Manager.
In addition to the concerns raised about solid waste, there have been additional concerns raised about the release of untreated wastewater. According to information obtained from NC Division of Environmental Quality, they have an ongoing effort to work with the Cottages of Boone owners and staff operators to bring the facility into compliance with the existing permits issued by the agency.
“We understand the concerns brought forward from the public and we remain committed to follow up with the appropriate jurisdictional agencies to resolve the current concerns regarding solid waste, wastewater management, and addressing prevention of future releases of untreated wastewater,” said Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.
AppHealthCare and Watauga County have requested additional follow up information by mid-December by NC Division of Environmental Quality about progress toward the outlined concerns.
