Northern Virginia Daily

Article Date: July 17, 2004

Chairman: Development in near future for Avtex Superfund site

By: William C. Flook

Development is not far off for the Avtex Superfund site, according to John LaBarca, chairman of the Warren County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors.

The board met Friday to discuss, among other things, the ongoing project to bring new business to the site of what was once the world’s largest producer of rayon.

“We’re getting to the point now when we got to prepare it,” said LaBarca, who was elected as EDA board of directors chairman last month.  “We’re moving it into a development area.  It’s going to be a real asset to the community when we’re finished with it.”

The EDA received permission last week to continue excavation for the planned Skyline Soccerplex, delayed because of the discovery of asbestos tiles on the site – most likely the remnant of a trailer park, according to LaBarca.

The tiles, it turned out, contained asbestos in a non-hazardous form.

The Soccerplex project will be funded by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the EDA, and FMC, the only non-defunct company to have owned the Avtex plant.

LaBarca says the EDA is currently assessing the timeline for development, which is largely dependent on the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval.

“My objective is to develop a comprehensive plan within the next six months,” he said.  “Our desires are to finance it with private money and not public money.”

The Avtex Fibers plant was declared an EPA Superfund site in 1986, and was closed for financial, environmental and safety reasons in 1989.  Since then, about $150 million has been invested in cleaning the heavily polluted site along Kendrick Lane.

“I intend to get this site under control,” LaBarca said.  “I want to do this right.”

Also discussed were the construction of the cell phone tower and power substation at Happy Creek Industrial Park.  LaBarca says the EDA will require permission from the Front Royal Town Council to change an ordinance that forbids cell phone towers to be built in industrial parks, and added that he did not foresee any problem gaining permission to erect the tower.