Article date: March 01, 2001

By Dan M. Telvock

An hour before the Avtex Multi-Stakeholders group meeting begins tonight at the Media Center at Randolph Macon Academy, representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and FMC Corp. will discuss environmental issues with concerned citizens at an Environmental Education Workshop.

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. and is broken up into three categories that representatives will discuss. The workshop is open to the public.

FMC consultant Richard Goss said a broad range of topics will be discussed that will be helpful to citizens who may have concerns with any ongoing projects.

EPA representatives Richard Kuhn said the basin closure project, groundwater monitoring, and expedited evaluation of buildings on- site will be discussed.

Kuhn said a final design is almost complete for the basin closure project— a job that contains five sulfate basins, four fly-ash basins, two waste water treatment basins and one fly-ash stockpile.

At past citizen meetings with the EPA and FMC Corp., members of the Women’s Alliance for Environmental Justice and Renewal raised concerns about the redevelopment, but Kuhn said the group is cooperative and helpful.

"We sensed a real cooperation with the folks of the Women’s Alliance," Kuhn said.

Kuhn said by the end of March, if the basin closure clean-up plan is approved, workers will begin closing the basins on the property, starting with the northernmost sulfate basin.

"We’re going to work our way toward the waste water treatment plant," Kuhn said.

Kuhn said wells have been drilled on the Superfund site, and groundwater monitoring continues. He said samples of the wells will be taken in March so that a "really concise and accurate " model can be created of the groundwater.

That will hep drive a groundwater remedy."

Kuhn also said a preview of on-site building demolition will be presented and the public will be able to comment on any plans scheduled for future demolition.