Last February, representatives of the Mississippi Department of Environment Quality (MDEQ) came to Como’s town hall for a hearing to determine whether an industry discharging its wastewater in the town should receive a permit for it. Prior to that, it appeared that the industry had been allowed the privilege with no permit in place.

For most of two hours, townspeople quizzed the state officials about the potential impact of the discharge that ultimately finds its way into Como’s sewage treatment lagoon. The MDEQ officials, including Environmental Permits Chief Harry Wilson, Services and Industries branch chief Harry Wilson and branch manager Bobby Hall patiently explained the process and then heard comments, most of them in adamant opposition to allowing the industrial waste washwater into the sensitive living chemistry that the lagoon system utilizes to break down wastes before they can be safely discharged downstream. During that time there was never mention made about additional testing and analysis nor the expense.

The permit was granted, though with stringent guidelines placed on the manufacturer to assure that the material flowing into the town system does not threaten that living chemical process.

Imagine the surprise then on Tuesday night when the contractor who tests and monitors the Como system gave a report to the town’s mayor and aldermen. He told them that, “now that you’ve got a permitted industry in town” additional testing could cost $20,000 or more, instead of the $1,335 that it would cost without the permitted industry.

 Who’s on first? What’s on second?