NCD980602163_19970806_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Press Release - Working Group Issues Statement-OCR

State of North Carolina
~ Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources
Division of Solid Waste Management
iJames B. Hunt, Jr ., Governor
Jonathan B. Howes, Secretary
•William L. Meyer, Director
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DEHNR
P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
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NEWS RELEASE
Release Immediately
From: Joint Warren County/State PCB Working Group
Contact: Dollie Burwell, Chairperson, 919-981-0400 (w), 919-257-1353 (h)
WARREN COUNTY PCB WORKING GROUP ISSUES STATEMENT
The Joint Warren County/State PCB Working Group has been meeting
since early 1994 to look at ways to detoxify the PCB landfill in Warren County.
The group's goal has been to determine the current status of the landfill,
study the various technologies available to detoxify it, and then make a
recommendation to the secretary of the NC Department of Environment,
Health, and Natural Resources concerning the appropriate technology to use,
as well as seek funding for the detoxification effort.
Using $1 million appropriated by the General Assembly in 1995, the
group hired two science advisors; had air, water, soil, and landfill liner samples
taken from the landfill area in the spring of 1997 to determine the status of the
landfill; and are awaiting the results from two companies who tested their
technologies on soil samples from the landfill. The science advisors are
currently preparing a report on sampling results, and the Working Group
expects to select a technology in late fall.
The Working Group requested assistance from EPA early in 1997. Based
on advice from Joel Hirschhorn, science advisor to the Working Group, the
group concluded on August 1, 1997, that the presence of the science advisors
was not needed during EPA's air sampling event. EPA officials arrived at the
PCB landfill on August 5 to conduct air sampling.
Two Warren County citizens were arrested at the landfill on August 5.
The Working Group believes the two were arrested for trespassing.
The Working Group cannot in good faith support any unilateral action by
an individual that is not in line with the group's detoxification goals. Neither
can the Working Group support any direct action that has not been brought
before it.
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