Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 10, 1994 TAG: 9403100135
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COVINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Baldwin, industrial relations manager for Westvaco, spoke of chemical tanks, potential ammonia and acid spills, dams and turbulent water, and high-pressure steam pipes across the river.
For 40 minutes he pointed out all the danger spots at the sprawling mill, using slides and prepared remarks to argue that 1.7 miles of the river should be closed to the public.
He showed an 18,000-gallon tank of pure ammonia on one side of the river and a steep cliff on the other. "Somebody who is on the river in the event of a release is in a death trap," Baldwin said.
But floaters, fisherman, many local residents, some conservation groups and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries don't want it closed.
About 100 people turned out for a public meeting at the armory Wednesday to hear more, and say more, about Westvaco's proposal. The company has asked the Corps of Engineers for permission to restrict access to the section of the river that flows through its property.
"Why do they want to close that little stretch of the river, when all the way to Richmond it's damaged from [Westvaco's] operations?" asked Elmore Pierce, Covington city councilman and former mill worker. His speech drew applause from the crowd.
Another speaker echoed the concern of many opponents. "Once that 1.7-mile stretch is closed to recreation, it'll also be closed to observation," Greg Nick said to more applause.
Nick and others fear that Westvaco would take advantage of the restriction to pollute the river.
But others, such as A.W. "Pete" Harding, backed the plant's proposal.
"It is a hazardous place. . . . I think you ought to close this," said Harding, who worked at the plant for 40 years and was safety director for the union. He said fishing isn't worth the risk.
One thing everybody mentioned, opponents and supporters alike, was jobs. Westvaco has been the economic soul of this area and employs about 1,800 people. Baldwin, in his opening comment, ran through the numbers - more than $4.7 million yearly in taxes paid, more than $400 million pumped into the local and state economies yearly.
William "Darfow" Rice came to the meeting opposed to the river closing and he left still opposed. But at one point, he got angry with some of the opponents.
"When you start talking about doing away with people's jobs, then I'm against it," he said.
Westvaco said that although the pipes, dams and other hazards have been there for years, the mill's concern for public safety has grown since 1989 when the river was stocked with rainbow trout and fisherman came in search of a good catch.
The mill estimated that about 20 people on half a dozen occasions in the past 3 1/2 years have floated this section of the Jackson.
Baldwin, the Westvaco official, said the company would build a boat ramp upstream of the mill with a phone people could use to arrange immediate portage around the closed section 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
by CNB