NCD980602163_19820831_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_US-EPA Region IV press release re bacteriological treatment of PCB contaminated soil-OCR

'
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION IV
Augus_t 31, 1982
IM-1EDIATE RELEASE
3A5 COURTLAND STREET
,_-ATl:ANTA. GEORGIA 30385
.,.
Hagan 1hompson 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.
''The bacteriological technique is unproven arx! 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. ''\le support
research and develOJ;IDent programs in this area, but we cannot recoomend
=:r::-imentation on so large a site and the possible exposure of so many
citizens along the 210 mile spill route", continued Mr. Devine.
High temperature incineration which has also been considered for this
project has been rejected because the volune of material to be burned is such
that the remedy would not be cost effective ard could take up to four years.
"A brief review of the facts in this case might also be instructive", said
Mr. Devine.
-The decision to locate the landfill in Warren County was made by EPA and
State officials.
-EPA approved the design _and plans for the landfill un:ier the federal
Toxic Substances Control Al::.t.
-EPA and the State entered a Superfund arrangement to fund the landfill .
co~~truction and the removal and disposal of contaminated soil.
-These decisions have been thoroughly reviewed by a federal district court
in North Carolina.
-In the mst recent case the Judge wrote:
"11-ie interests of thousands of other citizens of North Carolina are
also at stake. nx>se citizens living along the roadsides where the
PCBs have been dumped have been long-suffering as the political
process sought a solution to the problem. To prohibit the reIJX>val
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 IOOst ccm:nendable manner."
"In view of the history of the case, we feel confident that our approach
is entirely correct and appropriate," Mr. Devine concluded
###