THE WARREN SENTINEL

Article Date: July 31, 2003

Wolf gets first hand look at progress at Avtex

Congressman lobbied for funding to clean up site

By:  Roger Bianchini

On Monday U.S. 10^th District Rep. Frank Wolf toured the Avtex Redevelopment site in Front Royal with officials involved in the cleanup at the 467 -acre Superfund site.

The tour was partly informational and partly a celebration of House approval of an additional $11 million in federal funding needed to continue and, hopefully, complete the demolition and environmental cleanup project.

Senate approval of the funding is still pending but is anticipated to remain included in the fiscal year 2004 budget.

“This is the last time.  We can never go back,” Wolf warned of the pending $11 million in federal appropriations.  But he added, “We have the resources now.  We have the team in place, so it’s going to get done.”

There had been a great deal of apprehension among those involved that once the initial $12 million in federal funding ran out as anticipated this August or September work at the site would grind to a halt due to an absence of funding in the next federal budget.  Such a gap would have led to the demobilization of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from the site, which would have added significant costs if and when re-funding was acquired.

Initial and recent demolition work at Avtex was funded by $5 million in the 1999, and an additional $7 million in the 2000 federal budgets.

However, the tight economic climate and changes in federal priorities under the Bush Administration, including the bast expense of the Iraqi War and ongoing occupation, had threatened to eliminate federal money to Avtex.

“It was very tough, very tough,” Wolf said of securing House approval of $5 million in Energy and Water appropriations and $6 million in Defense Appropriations for Avtex cleanup work in the coming budget.  “Because the last one (the 2000 appropriation) was sold as the last one and everyone said this is how much money was going to be needed.  So when we came back and said well we need more and not just a little more, we need a good bit more it was very, very difficult.”

The fact that a federal agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, had been instrumental in assessing cost estimates on the project, helped his cause, Wolf admitted.  “But the colonel [David Hansen, Norfolk District Engineer] and the Corps have been great.  They came up to every meeting and they’ve really done a nice job.”

During a pre-tour briefing on progress at the site, Wolf’s efforts over the years in spearheading acquisition of federal funding for the project were lauded.

“We would not be standing here today touring a completed and rehabilitated building.” Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Stephen Heavener said of the EDA office in the Avtex Administration Building.  “And we wouldn’t be seeing buildings torn down if it wasn’t for Frank Wolf’s leadership.  And you hear that all the time but I’ve been in government almost 26 years in six states and I’ve never seen this level of support and commitment at the elected, Congressional level, to get the kind of money we need for these kind of unique projects.  I can’t underscore how lucky we are in Warren County to have Frank Wolf as our Congressman.”

Former Front Royal Mayor and current Virginia 18^th District Representative Clifford L. “Clay” Athey Jr. concurred, calling Wolf “the finest Congressman in the country” for his effort and commitment to the Avtex project.