Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 11, 1990 TAG: 9007110325
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But the Department of Waste Management wants to review some test results before making any ironclad statements, officials said Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency completed tests on samples from the site this week, but it could be two days before officials are sure the numbers are accurate, said Jamie Walters, community relations director for the Department of Waste Management.
"It looks like it's going to be a solid waste and water quality problem," Walters said. "Most likely, the EPA will not be involved with a removal action."
Various agencies have been monitoring the Allied site since March, when residents first reported rusty-red water in Peak Creek and Claytor Lake.
Biologists with the state Water Control Board have said heavy metals, including lead, copper, zinc and selenium, leached into the water from the Allied property, which now belongs to Downtown East Inc., a limited partnership.
The property owners recently built a pipeline to divert the runoff that ran from Pulaski Mall across the Allied site and into the creek. But they have not yet been instructed on how to prevent the runoff that directly hits the exposed metals after heavy rains.
The test samples will help determine the best course of action, Walters said. Alternatives for securing the site could range from creating sediment pools to catch the metals to covering the waste site with a clay cap.
"We'll let people know once we're sure the numbers are correct," she said. "Right now it looks like there is no immediate threat to the folks who live nearby."
The Allied plant, which manufactured iron sulfide, closed in 1976 after 55 years of operation.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on July 13, 1990\ Clarification
A story and headline in Wednesday editions may not have clearly interpreted findings on the condition of waste at Pulaski's Allied Chemical Plant. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's preliminary report, the waste probably will not be classified as "hazardous." Officials with the state Department of Waste Management said this means that while the site is not a threat to public health, it could pose a threat to the environment.
The site still will need to be stabilized, according to state officials. The Department of Waste Management will determine what actions will be taken after analyzing the EPA reports.
Memo: correction