Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 19, 1992 TAG: 9202190328
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FINCASTLE LENGTH: Medium
WASTE-PLAN DECISION DELAYED
It will be April before the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors decides to take a stand on a plan by Tarmac's Roanoke Cement Co. to burn hazardous waste at its Botetourt cement plant.Board members decided Tuesday to schedule a public hearing for April on whether to make a zoning change that could lead to the blocking of the Tarmac plan. They stopped short, however, of saying they support the zoning change or of taking a stand on the Tarmac issue.
The supervisors said they want first to visit an existing cement plant in South Carolina that has been burning hazardous waste for more than three years to determine if that is they type of operation they want in their own county.
They also want to discuss the impact of the South Carolina plant on the surrounding community with government officials and local residents. The plant is owned by Giant Portland Cement Co. and located in Harleyville, S.C., about 50 miles northwest of Charleston.
No date for a visit to Harleyville was scheduled, but County Administrator John Williamson said he expected the five supervisors to make the trip in the next few weeks.
Then by April, the board could consider whether to try blocking Tarmac's plan by amending its county zoning ordinance or to leave the matter to state and federal environmental regulatory agencies.
What the supervisors will look at is an amendment to require a special exceptions permit for burning hazardous waste as a substitute fuel at cement kilns, boilers or industrial furnaces in Botetourt. If adopted, the measure would mean Tarmac would have to go through a lengthy public hearing process and fight strong community opposition to persuade the board to grant the permit.
Tarmac now burns coal as its primary fuel in the production of cement and wants to switch to hazardous waste, which the company would be paid to accept, as a cost-cutting measure.
Some board members have said the county needs some say-so in controlling hazardous waste-burning; it now has none, and they believe federal and state agencies are inadequate.