NCD980602163_19820831_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Re bacteriological treatment of contaminated soil-OCR

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,,Eosr'l,-\ · .. _,.. ' (' .. ; ft t, i $ W UNITED ST ATES ENVIRONMENT AL PROT ECTION AGENCY
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<",i.,_~~RO''~e,"-' REGION IV
August 31, 1982
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
345 COURTLAND STREET
ATLANTA. GEORGIA 3 0365
Hagan Thompson 404/881/3004
Atlanta, GA -Bacteriological treatment of PCB contaminated soil has been
ruled out for the North Carolina PCB roadside spill, EPA officials said today.
"'!he bacteriological technique is unproven and as such is not currently
approved for EPA funded projects under Super fund", said Tom Devine, director
of EPA's Air and Waste Management Division in Atlanta, Georgia. •~ support
research and developnent programs in this area, but we cannot recoamend
experimentation on so large a site and the possible exposure of so many
citizens along the 210 mile spiil route==, continued Mr. Devine.
High temperature incineration which has also been considered for this
project has been rejected because the vollDile of material to be burned is such
that the remedy would not be cost effective and could take up to four years.
"A brief review of the facts in this case might also be instructive", said
Mr. Devine.
-'Ihe decision to locate the landfill in Warren County was made by EPA and
State officials.
-EPA approved the design and plans for the landfill under the federal
Toxic Substances Control Act.
-EPA and the State entered a Superfund arrangement to fund the landfill
construction and the removal and disi:::osal of contaminated soil.
-These decisions have been thoroughly reviewed by a federal district court
in North Carolina.
-In the most recent case the Judge wrote:
"The interests of thousands of other citizens of North Carolina are
also at stake. Those citizens living along the roadsides where the
PCBs have been dUIIlped have been long-suffering as the i:::olitical
process sought a solution to the problem. To prohibit the removal
of the PCBs now -or even delay such -would increase the burden
on those woo have endured so much for so long. State and federal
authorities have carefully and meticulously gone about the task of
solving this unpleasant puzzle in a most coomendable manner."
"In view of the history of the case, we feel confident that our approach
is entirely correct and appropriate," Mr. Devine concluded
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