Scoop out, cover up

By Diane Hartson

Federal officials have developed a $17.5 million plan for closing sulfate, fly ash and waste water basins at the Avtex Fibers Superfund site in Front Royal.

The plan, which the Environmental Protection Agency won't complete until after public comment is received, calls for the basin project to begin this summer and be completed by the fall of 2001.

The plan calls for:

· Eliminating one sulfate basin by removing any contaminated soil and moving any sludge in it to other sulfate basins.

· Covering five other sulfate basins with soft and a "fabric-like" geotextile cover capable of handling pedestrian traffic to stabilize the sludge.

· Eliminating three waste water treatment plant basins by moving sludge from them into the sulfate basins.

· Placing a soil cover over four fly ash basins and a fly ash stockpile.

The plan also calls for maintenance of the covered areas and ground water monitoring.

According to agency materials, "The risk assessment indicates there are no unacceptable risks to human health from exposure to sulfate sludge or to fly ash due to trespassing activities under current conditions."

But the basins pose "potential unacceptable ecological risks" to insects, fish and animals, the EPA says.

The six sulfate basins cover about 80 acres within the Shenandoah River's 100-year flood plain according to the materials. The basins hold about 940,000 cubic yards of sulfate sludge from the treatment of plant waste water. The sludge is about 20 percent zinc, which was used in rayon processing at the plant, and also contains arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and nickel.

The waste water basins, an emergency lagoon and two polishing basins covering about three acres contain contaminated material "nearly identical" to what’s in the sulfate basins, the EPA says. They contain about 29,000 cubic yards of sludge.

The fly ash basins and stockpile contain about 1.3 million cubic yards of fly ash.

"The fly ash is typical of fly ash generated by coal-fired power plants throughout the U.S.," the materials say. "Compounds of concern associated with the fly ash include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and zinc."

EPA spokesman Richard Kubn said the proposed plan will protect the public health, meet ecological needs, such as ensuring that materials couldn’t be washed out during floods, and comply with state and federal cleanup requirements.

The plan also meets the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority's plans for using the site, he said. The authority's plan calls for recreational use of that section of the Avtex site.

Removing all of the basins wasn't feasible and would have cost at least $115 million, Kuhn said.

"The fact is we have no human health risk and without human health risk, there's no justifying considering numbers like that," he said.

The public comment period on the plan is open until July 2. A hearing will be held June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Front Royal Town Hall. Those wanting more information on the meeting should call 635-8007.

The Avtex rayon plant was named to the federal Superfund list in 1986 and voluntarily closed its doors in October 1989 after more than 2,000 violations of environmental laws.

The 440-acre plant opened in 1940 as American Viscose and was sold to the FMC Corp. in 1963 and to Avtex Fibers in 1976.

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