20070812 Ver 1_Articles_20071018

Tuesda
Y
Brown puJis out of Harrisburg race
~o~ai, a~
Former teacher
.honored for. her
work with
mul#i•cultural
student union
l(press, ~t~
Central falls
to West
Stanly in
makeup.
Sports, B1
Independent Tribune
A Media General Newspaper '
SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 • Uo1.106 • No: 334.24 Pages
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with state on testin
9
By Kimberly Kinnecom
Idcinnecom ®independenttribune.com
ALI3EMARLE -Stanly County officials, Alcoa repro.
seutatives, the North Carolina Department of Environn-ent and
Natural Resources and the North Carolina Division of Public
HealthwillmeetWednesdaytomakedo-
terminations about testing Stanly Calmly
waters and fish species for possiblecan-
taminants.
County officials said they are oaroemod
about possiblepublichealthrisks assaci-
ated with Alcoalandfills, dump sites artd
remediation measures. Officials, includ-
ingcounty commissioners, the county
maaagea and health deparhnent director
said they hope coneerns will be addressed
anddre state will environmentaltest--
Osmis ing of suspected hazardous waste sites.
"If Alcoa huly shares the county's do-
sire to ensure that the waste sites do mt
pose risk to the people of Stanly County or the environment
andis willing to wok with the county to address its corx~tis,
Akx>a should not object to immediate testing of these sites;'
said County Commission Chairman Tony Dennis.
County Manager Jeny Myers said he is also eager for the
state to step in to the matter.
See tatsnlKA8
wastes
hazardous sold. cows dump sites. Joyner would
~~~nl /
Fro-nA1 g
"'Davin a third testfor
pay Ellis said°stftet Sorkin do
g dike all parties involved come
hazazdous waste will let every= site.identifteaiion atitl.remedi- 'to an agreement regazding fish
The County is excited about
- " one know if we ace `crying wolf' orlon for mode than 20 years, studies inBadin inorder to col-
,
the opportunity for an objec- as folks is the Alcoa campbave Alcoa feels confident'sites aze lect concrete data on public
five determination of the envi- claimed: Pf the State will jusror- under control ~ health risks: t
ronmental issues. We sincerely der testing, we.can all Imow for "We've been work~g on site "One of the big things that
hope that the state of North sure what impact Alcoa's oper- identification and re~nediation Pd like to see. would be to get
Carolina will offer its full sup- ations have had artd will con- for 20 yi~~now and,during the us to a state of agreement on
port to our efforts to test Wese time to have onthe health of our course of all that touch. data the fish study in Badin so that
sites," Myers said. citizens," Dennis said. was gathered and we: feel like we can proceed on. I think it'll
This year, county officials Alcoa officials maintain site we !rave a very comprehensive also be an important time for
provided a map to DENR de- identification and temediation view of'where the waste sites the county to present other
"
tailing suspected sites where measures have been addressed are, what kind of waste they health risks and concern
s that
'
`-waste from Alcoa's operations throughout Alcoa's history in contain and. feel like we have s minds
Gave been in people
may have been dumped. Badin and suggested DENR remediated the sites so that and I think it is important fo get
County officials claim that Al- host a meeting so all parties. they are in control all those issues out the table
coo failed to provide straight could come together to discuss "What that means is that since DENR is the regulatory ~,
answers to the county's envi- concerns. there is no known risks to hu- body over sites such as Alcoa's. ;
., ronmental concerns regarding Alcoa Power Generating, man health or the environment landfills and. the hazardous.
the sites. Inc. (APGI) Licensing and and NCDENR agrees with that waste storage," Joyner said...; `
"We have received informa- Property Manager Gene Ellis assessment, but if ,the county Joyner and the county health
lion from local residents who said Alcoa officials made a
a
A feels like it has other sites or
t
th
b board are primarily concerned
otential of ground
with the
worked for Alcoa that waste ugust th
t a
suggestion in e presen
out
concerns a .
p
from Alcoa's operations has meeting be held to discuss the sites; such that there is a gap watercontamination, sediment
been>dumped on lands within county's continued concerns that may exist there, we're cer- contamination and the level of
That informa-
Stanly County. and is pleased DENR is step- tainly willing to go to the meet- cleanup that maybe needed or
,
Lion has led to the identifica- ping in. ing with the idea in mind that required by DENR, as it relates
lion of several new potential "When we suggested this we're listening and if gaps are to the various dump sites Al-
dump sites which we provided meeting, we also suggested that identified,-we'll make sure, like coo used in he past.
to the appropriate state ages- if additional sampling was we have in the past, to work "We're just trying to stay as
~ ~ Gies for investigation.. We hope identified; that we'd be more with the state to gather addi- close to what the potential pub- i
DENR will order testing of than willing to invite them (the tional information and take ap- lic health implications are and
these sites," Dennis said. county) to witness sampling propriate action," Ellis said. just focus on that. It would be
~'he Stanly County Boazd of and give them samples to send Stanly County Health De- great if the study comes back
"
Commissioners reported it ap- . to a laboratory of their choice. . partment Director Dennis and says there's no problem,
propriated $125,(100 for lode- so thatthose samples could be Joyner maintains the board of Joyner said.
pendent testing of wastesites independently verified so they health, is strictly concerned.
and wants the state to require can validate the kind of results with the potential public health Can~act ' Kimberly
third party testing for potential we are seeing out there," Ellis risks that may exist due to Al- Kinnecom: 704=789.91 Sl