Article date: March 17, 2001

Sludge from Avtex site is stinking up the town

By: Matt Evans

Sludge at the Avtex Superfund site in Front Royal is emitting a strong odor, according to FMC Corp. site manager and project coordinator Doug Bement.

Bement told the Front Royal Warren County Economic Development Authority on Friday that FMC, which has been increasing its efforts to manage the storm water on the site, has placed basins on the property to collect rainfall. However, those ponds already are filled with sludge.

In order to clean out the basins, FMC workers have been moving the sludge into one tank, which is the reason for the odor, Bement said. Workers should be finished transporting the sludge in about two weeks, he said.

"When stuff like that is decayed, and it gets out into the open, it smells bad," Bement said. "We are closely monitoring the emissions and there are no health concerns people need to worry about."

Hazardous materials will be completely relocated from the basins, which will eventually be covered by a 2-foot layer of soil.

"We are working to return the area of the plant, between the area and the river, back to the community ," he said. "This is a large job and the end product will be a conservancy park for Front Royal."

The Avtex plant was designated as a federal Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1986 because of the pollution from plant operations, and in 1999 was named a pilot site in the EPA’s Superfund redevelopment initiative.

Avtex, a former rayon manufacturing facility, was first operated by the American Viscose Co. from 1963 to 1976. Avtex Fibers operated from 1976 to 1989, when the plant was closed for financial, environmental and safety reasons.

Over 100 acres of waste impoundments or basins are located in the conservancy park area, where sulfate sludge, fly ash and viscose have leached into soil and groundwater. The basins will be cleaned and capped as part of the remediation process, and environmentally friendly vegetation will create open space in the reclaimed area.