By Henry Taksier
On Feb. 18, the Gainesville City Commission held a special meeting to publicly analyze the EPA’s Record of Decision for the Cabot/Koppers Superfund site.
Gville City Commission meeting discusses ROD for Koppers Superfund site. Stay tuned for live updates from TFP starting @ about 7p
Dr. Cline to discuss reliability/accuracy of information in ROD and other public documents
Discussion of ROD begins now
Rick Hutton of GRU: Will discuss remedy as it relates to groundwater
Hutton: Top priority is containing contamination in Floridan Aquifer
Hutton: In remedy, our preference was to dig up and eliminate contamination, which is cost-prohibited
Hutton: In 2 contamination hot spots, EPA to use ISGS, not our recommendation. Will conduct monitoring to make sure this method works
Hutton: Conclusions: remedy aggressive compared to other sites we looked at. If implemented properly, our drinking water is safe
Chris Bird of ADEP: We didn’t get everything we wanted. We want to target factors we can still influence
Bird: EPA will not require responsible party to do more than they would do themselves, including hauling contaminated soil off site
Bird: Future residential use of area is a possibility for some parts of site based on EPA’s clean up standards. This is a victory
Bird: estimated cost of on site soil clean up is 89 million dollars
Bird: Beazer will screen site for buried drums and is committed to deal with problems they find. This is due to citizen concern/input
Anthony Dennis of FL Health Department: Indoor dioxin contamination is a legitimate concern. EPA will conduct further testing
Phone died. Recharging in car. Will resume live tweeting soon and gather missed info later. We apologize
Live tweeting resumed. Rick Hutton speaking
Hutton: There will be monitoring wells in all geological areas. This “good, strong” remedy will allow us to reach our goals
Hutton: We have all the information we need for protecting Murphree Wellfield. To send EPA back to drawing board would be disservice
Anthony Dennis: In ROD pg107: EPA formed work group to determine how indoor dioxin sampling will occur… “if it is warranted”
Citizen comment begins. First speaker is Ann Lowry (sp?)
Lowry: “I am a Koppers refugee… My two cancer surgeries… those who’ve died… are not considered” by the EPA or Beazer
Alicia Alonso (sp?) – Lives near Koppers. Severe health issues. Dog had cancer. “Please do your best for my family… or what’s left of it”
Robert Pearce: We did not get everything we justifiably wanted or deserved. We are disappointed. But we made progress
Maggie Wilson: Everyone who could afford to move away has moved. The rest of us are trapped. We want relocation
Maria Parsons of Protection Group: We have here the test results inside our homes, 2 mile radius of Koppers. The tests have been DONE
James Senor Senior: I was looking for a safe place here for my wife and kids. Realtor did not inform us of Superfund site
Senor: What about the schools nearby? I will not stand by and watch my kids die here
Sandra Kennedy: Why are you even considering accepting ROD? EPA is not following its protocol. Contamination is not yet defined
Kennedy: 400 -1000ppt dioxins in our houses – and the EPA will not relocate us. This is “crazy” (FL standard is 7ppt)
Kennedy: We the affected want immediate and permanent relocation
Commission meeting just ended. Phone died again. Will now tweet notes taken while phone was dead
Dr Cline, technical advisor: concerned about validity/accuracy of data used to determine ROD; documents are filled with provable mistakes
Commissioner Thomas Hawkins: Indoor dioxin contamination is a matter of serious/imminent concern
Hawkins: I live 9 blocks from Koppers. We are not just your commissioners; we are your neighbors
Commissioner Randy Wells: We may be disappointed about the outcome (of the ROD) but thank you (the affected) for your input
City Commission will resend message to Alachua Realtors Association that they MUST notify new residents of nearby pollution from Koppers
City Commission calls for more thorough communication between EPA reps and affected residents
This concludes TFP’s (mostly) live coverage of Gville city commission’s public meeting to evaluate EPA’s ROD for Koppers Superfund site
Tags: dioxins • Koppers • Superfund Site