BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
Working to make our world better: One community at a time.
Rt. 2, Box 286, Wadesboro, NC 28170
Phone (704) 826-8116 fax 826-8151

September 3, 1999

Carol M Browner
1101 USEPA Headquarters
 401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460

Ms. Browner:

I live approximately 10 miles from Solite's stacks and because my county, Anson,  borders Solite property, I feel my family, friends and colleagues have a substantial risk from the operation of Solite and Oldover.   BREDL is also concerned for worker safety at Solite/Oldover.

For the past 46 years the North Carolina Division's of Health, Environment and Natural Resources have failed to protect the citizens from exposure to this polluting industry.  The track record of this monstrosity is deplorable and inexcusable.  This cement/aggregate plant built in the early 50's was designed to burn coal or natural gas for fuel.  Yet, in the 70's Solite began burning hazardous waste and coal to fuel their kilns.  Solite has never complied with NC Air Toxics (TAP) regulations, although ordered to by a state court in 1993.  According to state records Solite is allowed to discharge over 6 million pounds of toxic pollutants into the air each year, making it truly one of the state's worst polluters.

Since 1991, Solite has been spewing illegal levels of sulfur dioxide and other substances into the sky violating hazardous-waste regulations and air-pollution laws.

In July 1997, the state terminated the company's air pollution permit because the plant misrepresented their total acreage. The mistake meant neighbors could be breathing nine times the arsenic levels permitted by law.

But a year later, the prospect of drawn-out litigation prompted the Division of Air Quality to settle with a $22,687 fine. Keith Overcash with NCDENR, said the company would be allowed to stay in business while it paid for additional controls and monitoring. Yet, excessive amounts of dust and sulfur dioxide continued to billow out of Carolina Solite last summer, leading to $20,000 in additional fines

Oldover Corporation, a subsidiary of Solite, supplies the hazardous waste to Solite.  Like their parent company, Oldover's track record should make EPA stand-up, take notice, and cease their operation.  Instead what has occurred is that Oldover has been allowed a permit to kill.

During a 1996 inspection the state found that analytical methods in Solite/Oldover's laboratory were not being followed properly.  The state permit required testing of 34 hazardous constituents before incinerating the waste, but state inspectors found the company testing for only 6 of those constituents. It led the state to question the accuracy of all the results from this laboratory.  Proving that this is not a company who should have been allowed to self-monitor.

Even State Health Director, Dr. Dennis McBride, conveyed great concern after learning about public exposures to arsenic and other highly toxic compounds from Solite's toxic waste incinerator.  He ordered Solite to pay for sampling of soils, waters and stream sediments in the area. Over a year has past and still the tests have not been performed.

Previous testing has found arsenic emissions nearly 10 times higher than "acceptable" limits; a persistent mercury problem; hydrochloric acid releases three times the permit limits; and dioxin emissions at over ten times what is now the new federal limit.

On March 18, 1999 the State lead a Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) with EPA oversight to evaluate the facility's compliance with the applicable Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations.  The report generated from this inspection clearly documented two violations and one area of concern.  Kiln #6 was burning hazardous waste.  While inspecting the hot end of kiln #6, the NCDENR inspector observed an emission leak coming from the hood seal.  The hazardous waste feed lines valve and flanges feeding kiln #6 did not have identification tags. 

Again, on April 27, 1999 fugitive emissions were observed by a state inspector from kiln #8 during the Certification of Compliance test burn.  The inspector noticed fugitive emissions around the front seal of #8 kiln while burning hazardous waste.  One must question what happens when inspectors are not on site.

Solite has been plagued by fugitive emission problems throughout their operating history.  With the clear-cut evidence of present contamination of the air, soil and water it is criminal for the EPA or the State to allow the continued operation of Carolina Solite.  Solite is a public health threat not only to citizens in Anson, Stanly and Union counties but the entire state.

Because of lack of enforcement and weak or non-existent regulations, it has been made "PROFITABLE TO POLLUTE" at Solite.

We ask that the EPA pull all state and federal operating permits for Solite and Oldover, Inc. immediately. 


Respectfully,

Denise Lee