THE WARREN SENTINEL

By Dan M. Telvock

The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, June 20, approved the spending bill for energy and water programs for fiscal 2001 which includes $7 million for the clean-up of the Avtex Superfund site.
Cong. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA-10) made the announcement Tuesday and said it is great news for Warren County. The funds provided will help with the asbestos clean-up and the demolition for future use of the site.
The Avtex Fibers plant was closed in 1989 after a PCB contamination in the Shenadnoah River was traced to the plant. The site was later listed on the National Priorities List under the Superfund Law.
“We have done what was necessary to complete the site.” said Wilf.
This grant follows a 1999 grant of $6 million for the cleanup, which Wolf and Sen. John Warner (R-Va) secured in last years spending bill.
Although the appropriation has to get full support from the House floor, the Senate, Conference Committee and then be signed by the president it is still a move in the right direction, according to Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Stephen A. Heavener.
“This is a major, major , major step,”said Heavener. “That should be sufficient funding....so we can have a clean site to begin with.”
Wolf said the Avtex redevelopment is an enormous economic development project for Warren County that will improve the area as a whole.
“It will also be economic development and it will remove a very hazardous , a very undesirable situation that you have had for a long, long period of time,” said Wolf.
“This community has worked hard to recover from the Avtex shutdown and provide new businesses with an opportunity to use cleaned-up parcels of this land.”
Heavener agreed with the congressman wholeheartedly.
“This is a major, major, hurdle,” Heavener said.

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