Star Staff Writer
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| Residents view maps displayed at the entrance of the Anniston Meeting Center Monday night. The EPA gave a progress report about the PCBs cleanup. Photo: Kevin Qualls/The Anniston Star |
A final decision on the plan for replacing dirt in contaminated yards could be out by the end of the month, and cleanup could begin soon after, said Pam Scully, on-site coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, at a quarterly update meeting at Anniston City Meeting Center.
It is not known how many yards will fall under the plan, which deals with contamination of more than 1 part per million of PCBs — the equivalent of about one drop of water in a 20-gallon tank.
There will be sampling events in upcoming months, with dirt from many properties collected for testing, Scully said.
So far, 29 properties have been found to have high levels of contamination — at least 10 parts per million — and Solutia’s contractors have cleaned up 27 of them.
Meanwhile, some residents expressed frustration at how slow the EPA has been to hold any companies responsible for lead contamination, also a local problem.
"If you’ve got 10 people or 10 parties that’s responsible, we need that list," said David Baker, executive director of Community Against Pollution, a local activist group.
Baker discussed the issue with the EPA more than two years ago and the companies are getting a "get out of jail free card," he said.
"I understand your frustration," said Rick Leahy, EPA attorney, encouraging people with information about lead contamination to come forward. "…one thing that could really help is if any of you know the history of distribution of foundry sand."
The EPA, which is doing the lead cleanup, is getting close to taking enforcement action against companies, he said.
About 1,500 properties have been sampled for lead, over 100 in December alone, Scully said. Contaminated soil has been replaced on about 15 high-priority properties.
Under an agreement with the EPA, Solutia is investigating and cleaning up PCB pollution.
For decades, Monsanto made polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, at its plant in western Anniston. Congress banned the chemicals in the late 1970s because of health concerns, but PCBs don’t break down easily in the environment, and today they contaminate local waterways and properties, and have been found in some residents’ blood.
Solutia, which broke off from Monsanto in 1997 and owns the plant, recently declared bankruptcy.
Scully said that should not affect the cleanup.
"We don’t expect that there’s going to be a slowdown," she said, noting that other companies, including Pharmacia, which bought Monsanto, may have to step in.