Community group hosts forum on CTS contamination July 29

The former CTS site on Mills Gap Road was added to the federal Superfund list in 2012. File photo

by Randy Simpson

The struggle to clean up the long-shuttered CTS manufacturing site on Mills Gap Road in South Asheville continues this Tuesday evening, July 29, with a town hall meeting organized by one of the community organizations involved in the case — the POWER action group.

POWER (Protecting Our Water and Environmental Resources) is bringing its technical advisor, Frank Anatasi, and Buncombe County Health Director Gibbie Harris to answer questions of families concerned about the dangers of ground water contamination that have affected and could affect their health.

From the urgency to prevent health hazards to the impact of real estate values near the site, many local residents are seeking answers from government regulators. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives will be at  the forum to provide an update on current actions and future steps. Organizers say this will be an excellent meeting for residents to learn more about water contamination within the French Broad River drainage and to support effective community action.

In 2012, the EPA added the site to its national Superfund roster. In recent months, the EPA has evacuated residents who likely breathed toxic fumes, and the Supreme Court denied residents the power to sue CTS.

“The Road to Cleanup” meeting will be held tonight at T.C. Roberson High School Auditorium, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Anatasi will offer the latest results of testing for contaminants at the CTS site, and Harris will describe plans to extend water lines to those within the contamination zone.

To view a timeline of the CTS case, go to http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/cts-contamination. For more history, visit http://www.mountainx.com/xpressfiles/040908ctssite. For the latest CTS-related articles, check http://www.mountainx.com/tag/cts

PRESS RELEASE from POWER

“The Road to Cleanup” meeting on the evening of July 29th is sponsored and hosted by POWER (Protecting Our Water and Environmental Resources) Action Group. POWER is a grassroots community organization, founded on the premise of environmental justice, that is pushing toward a comprehensive cleanup of the CTS of Asheville Site.
The purpose of “The Road to Cleanup” meeting is to:
  • inform people of the latest developments at the site
  • provide attendees with useful information from experts in various fields
  • make clear the urgency for implementing expedited cleanup actions
Guest speakers include:
  • Scott Laseter, environmental law attorney
  • Frank Anastasi, hydro-geologist and technical advisor
  • Gibbie Harris, Buncombe County Health Director
  • Samantha Urquhart-Foster, EPA Remedial Project Manager
  • Glenn Adams, EPA Supervisory Toxicologist
Additional experts will be available to address concerns and answer questions. Federal, state and local lawmakers will also be in attendance.
Come learn about next steps and how you can get involved. Get your questions answered, and hear what others are asking as well. We encourage everyone who is interested in achieving a cleanup of the CTS of Asheville Site to attend.
This is a great opportunity to show elected officials and the EPA that our community wants cleanup NOW.

 

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