
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 12, 1990                   TAG: 9004120017
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

PEAK CREEK TESTING IS DELAYED

Tests of fish in Peak Creek, planned because heavy metals have been found in sediments along the creek's bottom, have been delayed.

"We're going to try to collect the fish this month. It will be a couple of weeks before we get the results back," said Kip Foster, technical services supervisor for the state Water Control Board.

The Water Board originally had hoped to do some testing at the beginning of April.

Larry Willis, board regional biologist, said he went out last week to catch fish with gill nets, but was unsuccessful. Board officials won't be able to get to the creek to catch more fish at until Monday at the earliest.

The Water Board has been monitoring metals, including iron, selenium, lead, copper and zinc, that have been leaching into the water from industrial sites on the creek's banks. An Allied Chemical plant, which was closed in 1976, has been blamed for most of the industrial waste.

Downtown East Inc., the limited partnership that owns the Allied property, has been given until the end of April to stop discharge from getting into the creek, Foster said.

"Failure to take appropriate action may result in further enforcement from the board," he said.

A spokesman for Downtown East said Tuesday that the owners will take care of the situation in a responsible manner.

"We're aware of the situation," said the spokesman, who did not want to his name used because his family has been receiving angry phone calls about a delay in the cleanup efforts. "We're working on it. We will take care of things in a responsible, professional way."

Meanwhile, a team from the Department of Waste Management took sediment samples from the old Allied Chemical property and from Peak Creek last week. It will be another month or two before the staff decides how to proceed, said Jamie Walters, community relations officer for the department.

The samples will be analyzed at an approved EPA lab, and results are expected in 30 to 60 days. "After we get the feedback, we can make a decision on if we need to do more sampling, or refer it to a federal program for a more in depth investigation," Walters said. "If the samples come out okay, there may be no need for additional action at all."

by CNB