The Warren Sentinel

Article date: July 12, 2007 

Trespassing on rise at Avtex site 

By Kevin Seabrooke

That an EPA Superfund Site could become a popular fishing and hiking area is kind of a good thing, according to FMC site manager John Torrence, who oversees the cleanup of the Royal Phoenix site.

“The good news is that the stigma of the Superfund site is going away,” Torrence told the Economic Development Authority at its June meeting.  “But [the problem] is that we’re having a heck of a lot of trespassers fishing and swimming in sulfate basin five.”

Part of the problem is that fish are being caught, Torrence said.

“Quite honestly, the water is cleaner than the Shenandoah River because there are no PCB’s or mercury in it,” Torrence said.  “Its fresh groundwater, I know, because I’ve collected samples myself.”

Torrence said FMC has put up “no swimming, no wading, no ice skating” and “no fishing” signs around the water-filled basins and “no trespassing” signs all around the perimeter of the site.

Torrence said he was concerned that someone could get hurt.

“We patrol it and people know they’re not supposed to be there,” Torrence said.  “Because when security comes, and you can literally see them coming from a mile away, they run.”

Torrence said it was children as well as adults doing the trespassing.

“The most disturbing one was a guy with two kids that appeared to be less than five years old.” Torrence said. “When security came, he picked up the kids under each arm ran into the woods toward the Luray Avenue boat landing.”

Torrence said that it is dangerous out there and his staff always calls the Front Royal Police to report it.