Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 11, 1994 TAG: 9405110096
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Residents of New Town awoke April 15 to find tiny particles of iron covering their houses, yards and cars - the second such incident in a year.
An investigation of the incident has resulted in replacement and an upgrade of dust collection equipment by New River Castings, which manufactures automobile parts.
The same units caused a similar discharge of dust last year, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
According to correspondence given to Radford City Council on Monday, a state inspector said that New River Castings' repairs will keep the company in compliance with its air permit.
The state has also said New River Castings' response to the dust discharge was satisfactory.
The foundry shut down its dust collection operation about four hours after receiving a complaint about the discharge, according to the company. The collection units were repaired over the next two days, which fell on a weekend.
J. Brent Combs, general manager of New River Castings, has told the state the company is investigating other methods to prevent any more discharges of dust.
Councilwoman Polly Corn noted that the state's inspection - despite asserting that New River Castings was in compliance with its permit - carried no assurances the incident will not reoccur.
In other business, City Public Works Director Jim Hurt told council that cleanup and repairs from two devastating winter ice storms has cost the city $540,236
Hurt also said the city has collected 2,491 tons of storm debris.
Cleanup operations, which thus far have consumed 12,014 hours of work, are 85 percent completed and should be wrapped up by the month's end, Hurt said.
Radford is one of 71 Virginia localities slated to receive about $27 million in federal disaster relief funds for ice storm damage.
Also, Councilman Gary Weddle suggested that the city write the Virginia Department of Transportation a letter thanking the state for promptly attending to repairs of Memorial Bridge.
The bridge, a primary thoroughfare spanning the New River and connecting Radford to Pulaski County, was temporarily closed last month when a routine inspection revealed structural problems.
The Memorial Bridge will likely be reopened later this month.
Mayor Tom Starnes agreed that sending a letter of appreciation would be a good idea. But he drew laughter from the audience when he said, "Should we wait until they open it?"
by CNB