By By Lisa Tindell
news editor
State and federal environmental officials have told county commissioners that soil brought to a landfill near Brewton is not hazardous — but at least one commissioner still has questions about the material.
Commission Chairman David Stokes, Commissioner Larry White and County Administrator Tony Sanks met recently with Alabama Department of Environmental Management representatives about the soil brought from Washington County to the Timberlands landfill earlier this year. Timberlands is run by Waste Managemement.
The material, which some in the county speculate is hazardous, came from Olin Corp. in Washington County.
“We understand the special waste is not classified as hazardous waste while it sat in Washington County because it was grandfathered in under the old guidelines to determine hazardous waste,” White said. “Once it was moved, it no longer met those guidelines. However, ADEM says that even under the new guidelines, the material is still not considered hazardous waste.”
White said he still had some questions and concerns about the possible contamination of the soil and where it was dumped.
Stokes said the officials had many documents to support their claims that the soil met EPA guidelines prior to being moved to the Timberlands Landfill, and after.
A letter from G. Alan Farmer with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency to Gerald Hardy with ADEM explained the findings of the group.
Sanks said the findings from the recent meeting with ADEM would be discussed in the next meeting of the Escambia County Commission, which will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Escambia County Courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.