Get an area away from the fences where we
can keep everything contained,
cleanup crews came out this morning to
survey the dump site, a place the
Environmental Protection Agency considers
to be so dangerous is using emergency
funds to clean it up.
We feel that the site presents an
imminent threat to public health.
Therefore, we want to get the site
cleaned up as quickly as possible so
we don't run any risk of unnecessary
human exposure.
A Texas company located just south
of downtown Fort Worth was a dumping
ground for old batteries.
The chemicals used here, nickel and
copper, cadmium can cause kidney
damage and cancer.
The drums that held the waste materials
are rusted and worn out.
Some of the powdered chemicals have
spilled on the ground.
And the biggest threat, as far
as we're concerned, is the possibility
of cadmium contaminated,
just blowing off site.
And of course, as the hot summer months
approach, there is an increased risk
of that.
EPA officials were concerned about this
area because so many people walk past
the site, including schoolchildren.
It's not just the winds that pose
a problem. If there were a fire here,
the fumes from the highly toxic chemical
could be deadly.
The cleanup will take 15 days
and cost several thousand dollars.
Juanita Stevenson, Channel 5 Action
News.
Now bankrupt company
to Stephensen, Channel 5 Action News.