Concerned Citizens of Giles County hosts community meeting

Posted: Feb 21, 2009 07:37 PM

The Concerned Citizens of Giles County continue their crusade to stop fly ash dumping near the New River.

Saturday, they hosted a community meeting to voice their concern and hear from experts on the effects of fly ash dumping.

“As concerned citizens, we are still adamantly fighting to stop the Cumberland Park Project.” says Carleena Blankenship with the CCGC.

“We’re hopeful that this will be an idea that catches on not just in the community but in the legislature locally and federally.” adds John Robertson, attorney for the concerned citizens.

Chuck Nelson is a volunteer with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

He’s seen the effects of contamination from sources similar to fly ash.

“These people are sick people. There is a high rate of brain tumors. There is a lot of kidney and liver failure. And some of the water the kids are exposed to actually eats the enamel off their teeth.” explains Chuck Nelson.

It’s environmental and health concerns like these that have the Concerned Citizens of Giles County so upset.

“It is the safety of the environment of the New River. Not only will it affect people who live in Giles County but people that are down stream. Our sister counties like Mercer, Monroe, and Summers, they need to take note.” says Blankenship.

AEP and the concerned citizens are both testing the water for heavy metal, something Nelson says is highly dangerous.

“You’re seeing the same heavy metals and stuff from fly ash that comes out of coal. And the coal ash may have some more chemicals added into the cleaning process but the by product of coal itself, it’s loaded will all kind of heavy metals. It’s basically the same identical thing.” Nelson adds.

Last Thursday the group asked Howard Spencer to step down from the Board of Supervisors.

They say there is a conflict of interest with Spencer on the Board of Supervisors and also serving as Executive Director for the Giles County Partnership for Excellence.

That’s the foundation that owns the land where fly ash is being used as a structural fill.

Concerned Citizens of Giles County hosts community meeting