Residents who live near the Cabot Koppers Superfund Site are less than satisfied with a proposed resolution to help clean it up. Neighbors believe they've been exposed to harmful chemicals, and they are tired of waiting. About 40 people heard the plan at a special meeting Monday.
The site, a wood treating facility in Northwest Gainesville, has been around for more than 90 years and recent soil samples show the ground and its surrounding areas are contaminated. The EPA drafted a plan to clean up the site and their preferred method, by laying concrete over more than 40 acres of it, doesn't sit well with those who live nearby. Residents have even stated there is a cancer concern from the debris filtered out of the site.
"This is just putting a band-aid on it. Contaminants will leak out; it is happening and continues with the Cabot site that was covered. There is still minor odor out of that area," says concerned resident Maria Parsons.
Many want something more than just a "band-aid fix." Both the city and county commissions will meet Oct. 29 to discuss the next phase of the clean-up. The EPA will make a final decision early next year.
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