UNC officials who attended a Dec. 14 meeting with Bingham Township residents say they didn't mention that treated wastewater leak from an animal holding facility had reached a nearby creek because they didn't know it yet.

In a story in today's Chapel Hill News, we report that UNC suspected a 1.6 million gallon lagoon holding treated wastewater from dog kennels was leaking as early as Oct. 19. It took until Dec. 15 to install and turn on a sump pump to collect the leaking water and return it to the pond. The pond, which was about a quarter full, was expected to be emptied today and the water taken to OWASA's wastewater treatment plant.

Laura Streitfeld, an organizer with the citizens group Preserve Rural Orange, has called on UNC to stop using the lagoon until the state concludes its investigation. The state issued a notice of violation after observing green-dyed treated wastewater in Collins Creek Dec. 14. That was the same day as the meeting between UNC officials and Bingham Township residents at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.