Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 16, 1994 TAG: 9404180145
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
"We're going to go to war again," said John Hannifan, who lives on Roberts Street, not far from the First Street foundry, which manufactures automobile parts. He said his station wagon was covered with black grit.
"It is a mess," he said. "Even my grandkids' toys are covered with it."
A statement from Intermet Corporation of Lynchburg, which owns the foundry, said only that the company had "received a complaint regarding an alleged particulate discharge" and that the company was looking into the matter to establish its source.
The airborne release occurred almost a year to the day from a similar incident last April that raised Hannifan's hackles and those of several of his neighbors who said their vehicles' finishes had been ruined.
Hannifan reported the latest incident to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's Roanoke Air Office, which then questioned company officials. He said the fallout was worse this time around.
Robert Saunders, environmental field manager for the air office said the company reported a problem with two of its baghouses, which collect particulate from finishing operations at the plant much like a vacuum cleaner. He said the incident involved the same two units that had failed last year.
"They have isolated it and shut down," he said Friday. "They are doing what's required of them."
By law, the company had until 12:30 p.m. Friday to notify the air office of the occurrence.
The company told Saunders they would have the baghouses repaired by this weekend. Last year, company officials blamed premature deterioration of collection bags for the release and installed new bags, which are supposed to last two or three years.
Della Carroll, another neighborhood resident, said the gritty release was "pretty dirty," and "about the same as last year's." She characterized this week's incident as another in an ongoing series of problems and said she and her husband were frustrated.
"I don't know what we're going to have to do or what we can do," she said Friday.
Her car got dusted last month and the foundry paid to have it cleaned and waxed. "But, it didn't bring the stuff out of it," she said. "It's like it was in the paint like it was before."
A chemical analysis of the particulate done after last spring's incident showed the material was mostly tiny particles of iron.
Dennis Kiernan, another New Town resident, said his carport protected his vehicle, but his wife had to sweep the dust from the walk and porch Friday morning.
Kiernan said New River Castings plant manager Brent McCombs was in the neighborhood the evening before the latest fallout problem and asked him how things were there. "He was very pleasant and seemed honestly curious," Kiernan reported.
McCombs was not available for comment Friday.
Randy Muerr of Ferguson Enterprises, a nearby plumbing supply company that suffered damage to some of its inventory stored outdoors last year, said he had noticed no problems this time. "And I hope it stays that way," he added.
Hannifan, meanwhile, is fuming. "I've got calls in to everybody," he said. That included the office of Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, whose spokesman said the congressman would follow up on the complaint.
Hannifan has not yet called city officials, not even Mayor Tom Starnes whose re-election campaign sign stands in his yard. Last year, Hannifan led a neighborhood delegation to get Starnes and City Council to intervene on New Town's behalf to resolve the fallout problems.
Saunders said an air quality inspector would visit the site Monday to investigate the report. "There may be some nuisance problems that happen when this material settles down," he said.
by CNB