We had a very informative meeting last night – thanks to all of you who came, especially so close to the holidays!
Notes from our conversations are below.
Most importantly, if you live within 1.5 miles of the former CTS site, and you’ve not had your well or spring tested in the last month by NC DENR or the Bunc. Co. Health Dept. (even if you’re no longer using it as drinking water), call Harry Zinn, NC DENR, at (919) 508-8488, or harry.zinn@ncmail.net and Dr. Vicki Itell, Bunc. Co. Health Director, at (828) 250-5211 or vicki.ittel@buncombecounty.org and request that they sample your well/spring.
Also, some folks are concerned with the poor professionalism of the sampling recently conducted by NC DENR leading to a lack of results. If you witnessed any questionable sampling (skimming springs or creeks off the top, not sampling from far enough down your well, etc.) please contact Gracia at Clean Water for NC (251-1291) and/or gracia@cwfnc.org by Dec, 28th.
Another community meeting has been set for Wed. Jan. 23rd in the evening – please mark your calendars!
Thanks again,
~Gracia
Minutes from Mills Gap Area Community Mtg.
Skyland Fire Station
12-19-07
We formed some loose committees last night. The following is a list of Committees, committee activities and a list of those who’ve volunteered. Please contact Gracia at Clean Water for NC, if you would like to be added to any of the Committees. Although we will be out of the office Dec. 21-26th and Dec. 29th-Jan.2nd, we will get back to you as quickly as possible!
Committees
1. Signs
There is lots of concern that the Health Dept. has not posted signs identifying the site as hazardous as they promised. Although traditionally it is EPA's responsibility to post signs in cases like this, we've had trouble getting them to post things at other, even more contaminated, sites. Since the Health Dept. offered to do it, we need to keep on them to properly label the site! If everyone could take just 2 minutes to call Dr. Vicki Itell they won’t be able to ignore us!, Contact her at (828) 250-5211 or vicki.ittel@buncombecounty.org
The current team: Everyone!
2. Research
We need folks to track down old employees of the plant, dig up old articles and documents, and other tasks. Barry Durand, who has spent an enormous amount of time, energy and person funds to investigate this situation and bring it back to public attention (and he lives in Weaverville!), needs to take a break from all the work he’s done for the community. But there is still plenty to do. The current team: Dave Ogren, Glen Horecky . . . .you?
3. Corporate Campaign
It has been suggested many times that we need to help pressure CTS to do the right thing and clean this place up. We can do this by talking to the newspapers in the hometown (Elkhart, Indiana), pressuring stockholders, etc. The current team: you???
4. Flyers
Until we get more organized, we may still need to get flyers out to all in the community and we need volunteers to help. We may also need folks to help go doo-to-door with a future community health survey.The current team: you???
WE NEED YOU!
They’ve got money, but we’ve got people! Respond to this e-mail and let me know if you can volunteer for any of these Committees!
Witnesses needed!
We are still looking for anybody who worked at CTS and witnessed dumping of any kind. If you, or someone you know worked at CTS, please call Clean Water for NC: 251-1291. This kind of information could be key to getting the site cleaned up. Clean Water for NC has experience protecting the identity of “whistleblowers,” if you do not want your identity known.
Some people near CTS have not had their wells or springs tested:
Some people who live near the former CTS site were not aware that they could get their well or spring sampled for free by NC DENR (Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources) and/or the Buncombe Co. Health Dept. Although DENR’s deadline has expired, if your well or spring was never tested, and you live within 1.5 miles of the former CTS site, you can still ask them to test your water! DENR may say they won’t do any more sampling until April, but if they get enough requests they may have to do more. Either way Buncombe Co. has promised to sample any wells or springs, within 3 miles of the site, that DENR does not sample.
To have your well or spring sampled (even if it is no longer used for household water), call Harry Zinn, NC DENR, at (919) 508-8488, or harry.zinn@ncmail.net and Dr. Vicki Itell, Bunc. Co. Health Director, at (828) 250-5211 or vicki.ittel@buncombecounty.org
Reviewing concerns with the recent DENR/EPA well sampling:
Some folks are concerned with the poor professionalism of the sampling recently conducted by NC DENR leading to a lack of results. The group felt it was important to try to pull together as many testimonies of suspicious sampling procedures as possible and get a press release out, just after Christmas. It will be critical to get this out BEFORE results start coming back from DENR so it does not look like our concern is in response to any clean bill of health DENR may issue to area residents.
IF YOU WITNESSED QUESTIONABLE SAMPLING BY NC DENR, EPA OR BUNCOMBE CO. HEALTH DEPT. OFFICIALS, please call Gracia at Clean Water for NC (251-1291) and/or e-mail her with a couple paragraphs describing what you saw and why you are concerned the sample was not taken and/or handled properly. Your testimony will be used in a press release to go out Dec. 27th or 28th. If you do not want your name or comments given to the media please say so!
UPDATE: Gracia talked with Harry Zinn (NC DENR Div. of Waste Management) and he said results are back from the Nov. sampling, but not sampling from week of Dec. 10th. Nov results showed 6 wells/springs with low levels of chloroform or chloromethane, but all were below Federal and health-based benchmarks. There were 4 more wells added in Dec. They sampled ~65 parameters in a volatile analysis (Zinn will e-mail me the list), strictly following EPA SOP (Standard Operating Procedures (http://www.epa.gov/region4/sesd/eisopqam/eisopqam.pdf).
3. What to do if sampling results come back showing my water is contaminated?
Call Clean Water for NC and we will help you figure out a solution – 251-1291
4. New Community Organization?
Some folks in the neighborhood are in the process of starting a new community group to help focus our efforts to get a complete clean up of the former CTS site. The group is tentatively called “Alliance for Environmental Safety - Safe Air,Water and Soil Quality in Buncombe County.” The main goal of the organization is to “form a grassroots citizen action group that builds a partnership with the responsible authorities to effect a remediation of the soil and groundwater contamination where these contaminants threaten the health and wellbeing of local residents.”
Creating a collective name, identity and goals for ourselves can help solidify our efforts, get media attention, and forms a way for folks to donate to the cause in tax-deductible way. There is a Steering Committee that has been meeting to help develop this idea and lead the community fight to clean up the site. If you are interested in helping to lead this charge, contact Glen Horecky at 654-8400 or glen@wealth-design.com
