Second phase of Nitro landfill probe set

Phase II of the investigation of the Nitro Sanitation Landfill isset to begin.

At Tuesday's Nitro City Council meeting, Project Manager DavidHight from the Office of Environmental Remediation and Chris Amickfrom Kemron Environmental Services were on hand to tell council andthe public about the current status of the investigation.

Amick and Hight discussed the components of Phase II, whichinclude additional geophysical surveys, human health and ecologicalrisk assessments and the removal of off-site sanitary and industrialwaste materials.

Amick said that he wants to make sure that all potentiallyaffected citizens are well informed about what will be happening onand around their property.

He said that a major part of Phase II is the excavation of testpits in the landfill. Some of this excavation will take place onprivate property. The excavation was planned to happen during colderweather in order to lessen the effects of vapor release on the peopleinvolved, but Amick said there's a reason the work has been postponeduntil April.

"We have decided that if we excavate and find drums of industrialwaste on someone's property, we're going to take it out right when wefind it so we'll only have to make one trip," he said. "This shouldlimit the vapor migration for the people involved."

Amick said that the property that is excavated would be returnedto its original state.

"We will replace the land will new backfill and we will grade,seed and put straw down," he said. "We'll leave it as good or betterthan we found it. I know there are concerns about that."

If drums of industrial waste are found, they will be characterizedand disposed of after excavation, said Amick.

In addition to test pit excavation, sediment samples will becollected in addition to water from wells placed in different partsof the landfill site. These parts of Phase II will be completed inMay, and after work is done, Amick said a report would be written.Phase I of the investigation was completed in May 2002.

The finalized reports for both Phase I and Phase II will beavailable for public review in the Nitro Public Library.

The final outcome of the site, if all parts of the project go asplanned, is the construction of a boat ramp for the city of Nitro.Amick said the construction of the boat ramp would begin duringspring of 2004 if work goes as planned.