This page is an attempt to raise awareness by documenting the Board Of Education meetings and their actions in regards to possible contamination issues. We have two large scale contamination sites in Buncombe that after many years show no signs of being resolved. I am hopeful that this page will assist in nipping in the bud any possible over exposure to students or employees at the site in question on Bingham Road. Reviewing the history in Buncombe County, the pattern has been to allow contamination exposure to fester with the wrongheaded approach that ignoring it, or passing the blame will make it go away. I am hopeful that with my documenting and spreading the word, that more people become aware and raise their voices in protest to putting people at risk, when there has been no real investigation into what was dumped, and where the underground plume is headed.
Sincerely Davyne Dial
Graphic illustration of what an underground plume looks like.
Radio program on possible contamination at BC Board of Education building
Pete Kaliner radio show 5.10.13 part one
Lisa Baldwin, Robert Malt, Bob Rhinehart
Pete Kaliner radio 5.10.13 part two call ins
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5.2.12. BCBOE clip
STEM School contract for professional engineering design services & vote on possibility of contracting for video of School Board meetings.
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STEM School presentation (Dr. Tony Baldwn) and vote on funding. passes 7 to 0. 2.19.13
Video clip of 2.19.13 public comment section of County Commission meeting.
Commenters are;Janet Burhoe Jones, Davyne Dial, Linda Humphries, Scott Hollowell, Don Yelton, Dave Ogren, Jerry Rice,
Mountain Xpress 2.19.13
Growing a STEM School
Reports on environmental studies and discussion.
As of 5.8.13, no minutes on this meeting are showing on BCBOE's web site.
9.6.12 extended discussion on possible contamination issues. Lisa Baldwin presents a motion for a Board Directive to review all tests and documentation. Motion fails after heated discussion.
Chairman Rhinehart makes a motion for the Administration to continue what they have already started, and that as soon as the information is complete and available to us that it be presented in a format that we all understand. Chip Craig seconds. Motion passes (toward end of the clip).
Clip of 8.2.12 STEM School Discussion.
Full video of STEM School presentation/work session here...
STEM School presentation 8.2.12
Minutes of 8.2.12 work session
BCBOE Minutes of 8.2.12 monthly meeting
Minutes of 8.2.12 work session
BCBOE Minutes of 8.2.12 monthly meeting
Here is a copy of a letter to Dr. Baldwin concerning contamination issues at the Bingham Rd. location. This letter was sent to Dr. Baldwin back in early February.
Catherine Hunter
Asheville Tribune
Buncombe School Board approves hazardous waste testing
Catherine Hunter
In the August 2 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Education approved testing for possible ground water contamination at their Bingham Rd. office site. According to documentation, Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tony Baldwin received a letter from the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources about the possible need for future testing.
The letter was dated February 8, 2012 and stated the possible need for testing a building located at 128 Bingham Rd. and 200 Bingham Rd., the old Square D plant and the old Champion Finishing Plant. These buildings are across the road from the Buncombe County Schools offices located at 175 Bingham Rd.
The letter indicated the question regarding testing was raised by a January 27, 2012 phone call from a Buncombe County School Board member. According to the letter, the school board member who called, stated that the two properties in question, 175 and 200 Bingham Rd. were to be converted from industrial facility space into classrooms. However, according to Board of Education Chairman Bob Rhinehart, the board has no intention of using either property for classrooms.
Rhinehart said the Board is considering converting space in their current offices located at 175 Bingham Rd. for STEM classrooms. The letter also stated the caller inquired about possible environmental issues of the current offices located at 175 Bingham Rd.
The letter shows the Old Square D and Champion Finishing plant properties are listed as inactive hazardous sites. Rhinehart and Buncombe County Schools Communications Director Jan Blunt, said the sites were tested and the groundwater wells capped and closed in the 1990’s. These testing wells include one owned by Champion located on the property near the current Buncombe County Schools (BSC) offices.
Blunt said since Dr. Baldwin received the letter in February, they have been attempting to get the well on their property at 175 Bingham Rd. tested, but have been unable to get permission from the owner of the well. One email to Dr. Baldwin from BCS Maintenance Director Gregg Fox states, “The monitoring well sampling scheduled to take place today has been cancelled due to the party who installed the well (Champion’s) non response for access.”
Blunt said they have finally received permission from Champion to go ahead with testing and that DNR authorities will proceed with a groundwater test on August 8.
“After that we will know if we need additional testing,” said Blunt.
During the meeting, board members Pat Bryant, Chip Craig and Steven Sizemore all agreed that they would not go forward with classroom plans until thorough testing proved the building was completely safe.
“My wife has worked in this building for 17 years, said Bryant. “If the tests show any danger I would get her out and keep students out.”
Board member Lisa Baldwin brought up the possible contamination issue during the public comment session of the meeting. She said she spoke during public comment because the board comments had been taken off the agenda.
Rhinehart said he had received complaints about the board comments section of the agenda being repetitive and containing the same info every time. “If the board wants to put it back on the agenda they can do so,” he said.
Though Baldwin made a motion to ad a board comments period, the motion died for lack of a second.
During the meeting, the board also received a report regarding the 2012 ABC’s summary results showing: BCS rate high for growth, have two Schools of Excellence, fifteen Schools of Distinction and seventeen Schools of Progress. The board also approved receipt of a million dollar gift of a softball field for Enka High School, approved naming the circle drive at Black Mountain Primary School and approved a renewal of the Driver’s Education contract.
Dr. Baldwin reported that staff and faculty will return to schools on August 13 and students’ first day will be August 16.
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February 8, 2012
Dr. Tony Baldwin, Superintendent, Buncombe County Schools
Administrative Services Building
175 Bingham Road
Asheville NC 28806
RE: Square D (former)
128 Bingham Road, Asheville, Buncombe County, NC
IHSB Incident # NCD00039591878
Champion Finishing Company (former)
200 Bingham Road, Asheville, Buncombe County, NC
IHSB Incident # NONCD0001162 Groundwater Incident #13982
Dear Dr. Baldwin:
On January 27, 2012, Division of Waste Management, Superfund Section’s Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch (IHSB) received a telephone call from a member of the school board regarding contamination in soil and groundwater at the former Square D plant at 128 Bingham Road. The caller indicated that this property is currently owned by the Buncombe County Board of Education (BCBOE), which is using a building on the site for office space and planning to use the location for classrooms in the future, This letter is to confirm that there has been a change in the planned future use of the Square D site from its previous use as an industrial facility to space that will be occupied by students. If this is correct, it will be necessary for IHSB to re-evaluate future environmental actions at this site, and the nearby former Champion Finishing site at 200 Bingham Road. If this is not correct, please let me know immediately using one of the contact methods below.
Initial investigation identified an additional site with documented contamination nearby, the former Champion Finishing plant at 200 Bingham road. In the week following this call, files for the Square D and Champion Finishing sites were obtained from Raleigh and are being reviewed. The environmental consultants working on the referenced sites, and their clients, have been notified of a recent change in NCDENR staff assigned to these sites, and current contact information for all involved parties was obtained.
The caller also inquired about possible environmental issues at 175 Bingham Road, also owned by BCBOE. There is a potential for contaminants in groundwater to migrate from their original source onto nearby locations. IHSB will not be able to provide an answer regarding this specific location until a comprehensive review of all available documents has been completed. It would be helpful in completing this sreview if you could provide information on the terms under which the BCBOE acquired the former Square D property, and current and planned future use of any former industrial buildings and parcels in the area that are owned by the BCBOE. HSB will inform you when it has completed its review.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns please let me know. I can be reached by phone at (704) 663-1699, by email at donna.decarlo@ncdenr.gov, or by using the mailing address or Fax number at the bottom of the first page of this letter.
Sincerely,
Donna DeCarlo, Hydrogeologist
Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch,
Superfund Section
cc: Mr. Bryce Wendland
Schneider Electric Company (Formerly Square D)
1717 Center Park Road
Lincoln, Nebraska 68512
Mr. Stephen Barrick
Arcadis US
801 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 300
Raleigh NC 27607-5243
Mr. Stephen R. Berlin
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
1001 West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem NC 27101-2400
Mr. Jerry Prosser, P.G.
ERM
800 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28226
WYSIWYG LLC
PO Box 15868
Asheville, NC 28813
