At an October 15 public meeting sponsored by the Swannanoa Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), attendees learned more about the potential for placing a portion of the Superfund property in a conservation easement. The easement would cover approximately 500 acres of land that is currently part of the Superfund site, but on which no previous contamination has been found.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a land owner and a qualified conservation organization that permanently restricts development rights on the property, thereby preserving and protecting the land, habitat, water quality and scenic views. The land owner retains ownership, subject to the conservation restrictions. The easement stays with the land if it’s sold or passed on.

Attendees at the October 15 meeting learned that the Potentially Responsible Parties, or PRPs (current and former owners of the Superfund property) have applied to the Southern Superfund Site – Community Involvement Logo Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, a regional land conservation organization, to hold the easement on the property. Robb Fox, an attorney representing the PRPs, explained that the goal is put a perpetual easement on the property that would limit its use to sustainable forestry. A forest management plan, which would include removal of invasive species from the property, is expected to be finalized by spring 2016. The PRPs plan to return to the CAG at that time with more details about the conservation easement and forest management plan. Due to liability issues and concerns about people straying on to the Superfund site, it’s not expected that the public will be allowed access to the conservation easement property.

The remainder of the original 1027-acre site, located off Old Bee Tree Road, would remain on the federal Superfund list and would not be affected by the conservation easement. A Feasibility Study for additional remediation efforts on the contaminated portion of the property, which at one time housed a weapons manufacturing facility, is ongoing. Representatives from the EPA, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Altamont Engineering are expected to be on hand at the next CAG meeting to give a report on findings of the feasibility study to date. The meeting will take place on Thursday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Bee Tree Fire Station, 510 Bee Tree Road.

To learn more about the Swannanoa Superfund CAG and the Chemtronics Superfund site, please visit
sites.google.com/site/swannanoasuperfundcag.

At a June public meeting sponsored by the Swannanoa Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), attendees heard from a representative of the Southern Appalachian Superfund Site – Community Involvement Logo Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) about the benefits of conservation easements. The slide show and discussion focused on the potential for a conservation easement to be placed on approximately 500 acres of the Swannanoa Superfund property that is scheduled to be delisted from Superfund status. The remainder of the original 1027-acre site,located off Old Bee Tree Lake Road, will remain on the federal Superfund list.

A conservation easement is a volunteer legal agreement between a land owner and a qualified conservation organization that permanently restricts development rights on the property, thereby preserving and protecting the land, habitat, water quality and scenic views. The land owner retains ownership, subject to the conservation restrictions. The easement stays with the land if it’s sold or passed on.

A conservation easement on the Superfund property would allow timber harvest with a timber harvest plan, which would prevent clear cutting. Clear cutting could cause significant changes to the land and water flow, and perhaps cause chemicals on the property to reach areas not currently impacted.

Dialogue has already occurred among the SAHC and the former and current owners of the property, who are referred to as Potentially Responsible Parties, or PRPs. The PRPs have expressed interest in further exploring a possible conservation easement agreement between the parties, and are willing to allow for a community dialogue on this issue through the CAG forum. The CAG is currently planning a community meeting with the PRPs and the SAHC, to gather input and explore what the community would like to see included in the conservation easement. Stay tuned for details about the date and time of this meeting.

To learn more about the Swannanoa Superfund CAG and the Chemtronics Superfund site, please visit
sites.google.com/site/swannanoasuperfundcag.

The Swannanoa Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), formed in early 2013 and composed of local residents, continues to work closely with the EPA and other governmental agencies involved in the ongoing cleanup efforts at the Chemtronics Superfund Site in Swannanoa. The site, located off old Bee Tree Road, was a former chemical weapons manufacturing facility. It was placed on the federal Superfund list in 1985.

Last year, the EPA released a lengthy Remedial Investigation Report, which included data pertaining to the effectiveness of Pilot Studies on the property, an ecological risk assessment, and identification of areas of concern. Another major development last year came in the form of a request by the Potentially Responsible Parties, or PRPs (former and current owners of the property), to reduce the boundary of the Superfund site by de-listing approximately 500 acres. The CAG requested additional testing of the portion of the property slated for de-listing, and that request was denied. The de-listing, which is likely to be approved by the EPA, would eliminate the northern portion of the property where it slopes up to the ridge, and may potentially open this area to logging or other uses.

There is a strong need for proactive dialogue between the community and the EPA and PRPs over the next 6-8 months, as many reports, assessments and decisions are expected during Superfund Site – Community Involvement Logo this time period. The Swannanoa Superfund CAG encourages all interested residents to get involved, by becoming a member of the CAG and/or by attending meetings. Swannanoa residents with experience and skills in environmental issues, engineering, etc. are particularly needed. For more information about the CAG, please click here to visit the CAG website.

CAG meetings will posted under Upcoming Events section of this site.