Concerns about Arch property investigated, cleared up
By SANDRA STONE A Meade County Fiscal Court meeting Dec. 27, 2005, was delayed by Magistrate Theresa Padgett’s announcement that she had received information about hazardous materials on the 551 acres the Meade County Industrial Authority planned to purchase from Arch Chemicals. Padgett indicated she had been advised by two individuals who had worked at the plant that hazardous materials were buried on the property in question. The meeting adjourned for more information to be gathered, and the Fiscal Court reconvened that afternoon. Arch representative Rick Walden stated there were no materials buried on the property in question and gave his assurance that Arch would buy back any property found to be problematic within five years of the date of purchase. With these assurances included in the contract, the sale of the property proceeded.
On Dec. 30 and 31, separate visits were made to the site with the concerned former employees accompanying Magistrates Herbie Chism, Harold Davidson and Theresa Padgett, Rep. Gerry Lynn and David Pace to survey the property and identify where the materials were buried. Both identified a biosludge landfill to the east of the property being purchased, a field which Walden had identified in the Dec. 27 meeting. “They told us we had nothing to worry about,” said Pace. Following the site visits, Padgett stated that the employees believed hazardous materials were buried on the property to be sold up until the time they identified the area where they had buried materials. She further indicated that while it was close to the property line, it was not on the property being conveyed by Arch to the county. “I definitely believed that we owed it to the citizens of Meade County to clarify that,” said Padgett of the concerns brought forth and the actions taken to investigate. The biosludge landfill – commonly called a “bug field” – was never on the table, according to both Pace and Walden. Further, according to Walden, it does not contain hazardous materials. “Every biological wastewater treatment plant has them,” said Al Kapteina with Arch’s environmental department. The bugs are microscopic organisms used to treat wastewater. As they die, they are removed from the system and disposed of. The biosludge, according to Kapteina, is 85 to 90 percent water. Several wells monitor water quality along the perimeter of the biosludge landfill, which is kept under guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency. “We do not send any hazardous waste through our wastewater treatment plant. Bugs do not eat hazardous waste, and they themselves are not hazardous waste,” said Walden. “The main thing we want to be sure everyone is aware of is that hazardous is a misnomer.” Hazardous waste, said Walden, goes out to a landfill or incinerator, and this activity is monitored by the EPA. Walden noted it is part of public record that Arch has a landfill the plant used in the 1970s and 1980s. This landfill, he said, is on the east side of the plant. “Every place we’ve ever buried on this plant site,” said Walden, “is registered with the state.” Walden said there were some areas which had been cleaned up and stated he knew of no others. However, he added, “If someone is aware of anything we’re not aware of, we’d like for them to contact us and give us the opportunity to check it out.”
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Photo by Sandra Stone
Earlier in December, the Meade County Industrial Authority had authorized chairman David Pace to contract with an environmental engineering company to conduct studies on the property. On Dec. 2, Pace received a proposal from MACTEC Engineering & Consulting, contracted for the work on Dec. 6 and received on Dec. 15 the Phase I environmental study for the entire 551 acres. One item of concern was noted, and that was a documented spill which occurred when a truck overturned. A copy of the study is available for review in the Meade County judge executive’s office.