Opinion ID: 1767459
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the existence of potential health hazards in the proposed annexation area

Text: The chancellor, while stating that most of the inhabitants of the Lamar County territory sought to be annexed were served with utilities by private and/or community systems, found that there was nothing in the record which remotely approached convincing proof of any health hazards to the inhabitants of the area. Hattiesburg presented some evidence of potential health hazards in the area to be annexed, but the evidence was not very specific or overwhelming. Bryan Baker, president of Continental Consultants, testified that he observed a number of ditches and lagoons in the annexation area that did not turn out their effluent. Baker indicated that he had a professional environmental agency do fecal coliform counts in about eight areas in the Lamar and Forrest County proposed annexation areas. He said that only one of the areas had a coliform count that was above the level which is considered safe. The area which contained high concentrations of fecal coliform was a large lake in Forrest County north of the Forrest County line and just west of the Hattiesburg Country Club in the southwest quarter of Section 35. The coliform count in the lake was 2,100, just 100 colonies above the acceptable level of 2,000. Baker also testified that he observed two overflowing dumpsters near a lagoon in Lamar County south of Highway 59 in a mobile home park. Finally, Baker testified that a considerable amount of the soil in the Forrest and Lamar County area was highly expansive, did not percolate very well, and was not suitable for septic tanks. Oak Grove and Lamar County presented evidence showing that there were no potential health hazards in the Lamar County proposed annexation area and if there were, they were of the type commonly found in any area where people lived. The objectors stressed that the high concentration of fecal coliform was found in Forrest County, not Lamar County. Charles Henderson, the sanitarian for Forrest and Lamar County, testified that from an environmental health perspective he knew of no potential health hazards in the Lamar County area. He stated that while some of the soil in the southern and northern part of the Forrest County area within the proposed annexation posed some serious problems for the use of septic tanks, the soil within the proposed annexation area in Lamar County was sufficient to percolate for septic tanks. Henderson stated that he was not aware of any serious sewer problems with individual systems in the Lamar County area. Again, the chancellor's opinion is supported by substantial and credible evidence, so we must affirm his findings. Extension of Boundaries of Vicksburg, 560 So.2d at 761. Hattiesburg failed to present any convincing evidence of potential health hazards in the area.