October 22, 1998

Warren County’s plans to purchase 110 acres at Avtex have been put on hold.

The latest monkey wrench in Avtex’s redevelopment came when the U.S. Justice Department said recently it wouldn’t give its sister agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, permission to sign a prospective purchaser agreement containing a "covenant not to sue."

The clause would have allowed Warren County to buy the property without worrying about getting sued for cleanup costs, said Warren County Attorney Douglas Napier.

The deal was nixed after Justice said it was continuing negotiations with FMC Corp., a former plant operator at Avtex, over responsibility and the share of the burden for cleanup costs. "It’s a real sore point," he said.

Justice said that until those negotiations are wrapped up, Warren County cannot move forward with the purchase of land, Napier said. The land, scattered around the site, includes soccer fields, a parking lot serving those fields, and property adjacent to Avtex’s gatehouse area, he said.

"Its’s just on hold. We can’t proceed right now," he said.