Article date: September 30, 2000

Stephen A. Heavener

executive director of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority

An archaeological study done recently on the only undisturbed portion of the Avtex Fibers Superfund Site has uncovered evidence that American Indians previously occupied about 12 acres of the site.

The study, done by Parsons Engineering Science of Fairfax on behalf of FMC Corp., a former owner of the viscose plant and the major private party responsible for its clean up, revealed campfires and "suggests" that stone tools were made or maintained there," a press release says.

According to Stephen A. Heavener, executive director of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority, the study began after FMC said it wanted to use topsoil from the front of the site, where the administrative buildings are, to fill in areas near the river as they are cleaned up. The phase one study, which is used to determine the presence or absence of an archaeological site, was the result of an agreement with the EDA, he said.

" And lo and behold, they discovered pockets of prehistoric stuff," he said.

Instead of setting back the remediation effort, Heavener said that the discovery is an exciting one for those involved in the cleanup and eventual creation of a 240 acre conservancy park for the public and a "green" office park on the site. The archaeological sites were discovered in a 24 acre open field next to the former Avtex administration building, in a corner with the railroad and Kendrick Lane, he said.

"Since it’s there, rather than just fencing it off or finding what’s there and building over it, I see this as a chance to expand the opportunity of redevelopment," he said.

"I’m in favor of setting aside this archaeological area as part of the overall project— making this one more component of working in a ‘green’ business park," he said.

There is little chance that there are other archaeologically important areas on other portions of the 500- acre site because of the activities of the plant when it was in operation, he said.

"This is the only part of the site that’s virgin land. This little corner of the property was never developed. We’ve done archaeological research on the only part that’s necessary," he said.

The archaeological work which was directed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Historic Preservation, revealed artifacts that "may come from two distinct time periods that could represent separate temporary occupations by early Native Americans," the release says. No EPA staff involved in the project could be located on Friday.

Heavener said that the EDA, which was charged by the town and county to oversee the redevelopment of the 500- acre site, will recommend that FMC take the next step and enter phase two, or an active archaeological dig phase. He said that based on FMC’s cooperation in the past, the plant’s former owner will probably agree.

The Avtex site is the home of a former rayon manufacturing facility that was operated by the American Viscose Company from 1940 to 1963, and then by FMC from 1963 to 1976. Avtex Fibers operated from 1976 to 1989, when the plant was shut down for financial, environmental and safety reasons.

Because of pollution from plant operations, the Avtex site was designated a federal Superfund site by the EPA in 1986.

Over 100 acres of waste impoundments or basins are located in the conservancy park plan area, where sulfate sludge, fly ash and viscose have leached into soil and ground water.

The basins will be cleaned up and capped as part of the remediation process, and environmentally friendly vegetation will create open space in the reclaimed area.

The EDA plans to eventually integrate a 240-acre Shenandoah River Conservancy park, a 25-acre soccer complex, a 70- acre passive recreation park on the west bank of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, and a 165-acre business park on the site.