Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 14, 1995 TAG: 9507140056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: AMHERST LENGTH: Medium
After meeting Tuesday with officials from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the college agreed to hire an independent laboratory to take soil samples from around the college.
``These things are like putting a jigsaw puzzle together,'' Charles Williamson, senior environmental engineer for the DEQ, said of the investigation. ``Sometimes you don't find all the pieces.''
The deer carcasses were found near the college's landfill.
The contents from two deer stomachs showed they died from eating a large amount of arsenic. Once the soil samples are analyzed, authorities hope to know from where the arsenic came - or did not come.
``It will be a slow, tedious and methodical process of elimination,'' said Keith Templin, who is responsible for disposing of material at the college.
If the testing finds that arsenic or other toxic chemicals have been dumped in the landfill, the school will be required to get a state permit to operate the dump. The landfill then would be inspected periodically by the state.
DEQ and school officials were uncertain whether the landfill currently needs a permit to operate.
Templin said he would be surprised if the dump is the source of the arsenic.
``It's a function of what goes in it,'' said Templin. ``The rule we've tried to live by was to put only inert material in there.''
Although Templin has no proof, he said the most likely source of the arsenic is local farmers poisoning deer in an effort to keep them from eating their crops.
DEQ officials said they are not sure when the tests might be complete.
by CNB