NCD980602163_19821015_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_News Release re Environmental and Health Monitoring-OCR

. " "' ~ To: Mr. o.w. Strickland Thru : ~y "FYI II From : Ron Levine cc : Dr. Freeman & Staff Thru: Dr . Hines DH S Form 1005 (6-71) Supportiv e Services ----.----------
Qate: . October 15, 1982
Contact: Bryant Haskins
For Release: IMMEDIATELY
North Carolina
Department of
Human Resources
325 N. Salisbury
Raleigh, NC 27611
[phone]
RALEIGH--State Health Director Dr. Ronald Levine met wilth health officials from
Warren County this morning to discuss plans .for an environmental and health monitoring .,. ,. .
program in areas of the county surrounding the PCB landfill near Afton.
Levine said the 10 a.m. meeting, which was held at the W;arren County Health Department,
was a follow-up to a meeting last week between Governor Jamesl B. Hunt, Jr. and a citizens
group which has opposed construction of the landfill.
"I think our discussion this morning was a very productive one," Levine said. "While
we believe that the likelihood of any PCB ever leaking out of the landfill is very remote,
we do feel that an environmental and health monitoring program should be conducted to
guarantee that the health of citizens in the area is being protected."
Levine said specifics of the monitoring program will be forked out within the next two
weeks by Warren County Health Director Joseph S. Lennon and tjle state's Division of Health
Services. "We will take whatever steps that Joe Lennon and I feel are needed to make sure
that the PCB landfill is not adversely affecting anyone's health," Levine added.
He said he also has agreed to meet with Lennon and other interested citizens in the
community to discuss the health aspects of the PCB project.
Lennon said the Warren County representatives who a ·i.:tend~d the meeting "are
encouraged that there is a real desire on the part of the state to give attention
to Warren County's health needs, and to guarantee that we are protected from any
potential hazards that might result from the PCB landfill."
Construction of the PCB landfill, which is designed to hdld PCB contaminated soil from
along more than 200 miles of North Carolina roadsides, began on September 15 and is
scheduled to be completed this month.
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Attending today's meeting ~it~ Dr. Levine and Lennon were Mrs. Doris S. Dryden, nurse
~ supeivisor for the Warren County Health Department; Charles Somerville, a member of the
Warren County Board of Health; Walter J. Harris, chairman of the Warren County Board of . .
Commissioners; and Warren County Manager C. Glenwood Newsome.
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