The Elkhardt, Ind.,-based CTS Corp. has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Mills Gap Road Associates. The suit alleges that the local partnership has failed to honor an agreement to share in the costs of cleaning up a contaminated site on Mills Gap Road as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004. CTS seeks “damages … no less than $847,000” from MGRA and further declares that the partnership is responsible for all of CTS’ future costs in the cleanup and assessment of the site, where massive levels of trichloroethylene and other contaminants have been found — and named as the likely source of contaminated wells and springs near the site.
The lawsuit names MGRA partners Frederick Slosman, John Powell and Stanley Greenberg. The partnership purchased the 57-acre site not long after CTS shut down operations in 1986, then sold the bulk of the land to a developer (Southside Village now covers much of the original site). The remaining 10-acre site has been at the heart of a decades-long struggle by area residents to get it cleaned up: As early as 1990, contamination was discovered on the site, with exceedingly high levels of trichloroethylene found both on-site and in the drinking water of many nearby residents.
One resident’s well wasn’t tested until last year and was also found to be contaminated by TCE.
A health and environmental risk study has just been released by state and federal officials for the site.
The Dirty Bed Buddies turn on each other!!Now everyone can see the real face of a company That all along was saying that they would work with the EPA Region IV and North Carolina Department of Environmental Natural Resources(NCDENR). This is the reason that Community members that live in the South Buncombe area on and around Mills Gap Road collected over 3000 signatures on a petition That asked Governor Bev Purdue to not sign a “Voluntary Remediation” contract last year. The next “Big” Question is, Who is gonna role next
How does CTS file this suite against co-conspirators unless the goal is to leave our local dopes holding the bag for the clean up that this multi-national corp left for the residents to drink, breathe and swim in…. 49 non Hodgkin Lymphomas later…. CTS averages $160 MILLION in sales quarterly-
At what point does our local leadership get involved, ie David Gantt? Isn’t he a man for the little people?
Do you think there is a reason that the Inspector General for EPA in Washington is refusing to meet with local advocacy groups with detailed information about the malfeasance of NCDENR and EPA Region IV?
call Senator Burr’s office and Congressman Shuler’s office and demand action…..
Tate