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Citizens Group Rep Calls Proposed Radioactive Waste Agreement “Fair”

Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

A leader of a Central Kentucky citizens group says there remain outstanding issues regarding the illegal dumping of low-level radioactive fracking waste at the Estill County landfill.

A proposed agreement announced Friday by state Energy and Environment Cabinet includes a $95,000 civil penalty for Advance Disposal Services Blue Ridge Landfill.  About two-thirds of that money would go for Radon monitoring and abatement at Estill County schools and at the landfill gate. 

Tom Hart with Concerned Citizens of Estill County says handling what he calls the “technologically enhanced natural occurring radioactive waste” or TENORN, already in the landfill remains a question. “It’s in that corrective action plan that they will propose what should be done with the TENORM,” he says.

According to Hart, a separate state cabinet is investigating potential fines for the companies responsible for some 92 loads of waste illegally brought from West Virginia to Central Kentucky. A publc comment period runs until Nov. 21.  Representatives of the Energy and Environment Cabinet and Family Services are scheduled to be at a public forum on Nov. 14 at the Estill County High School.

Efforts to reach disposal company officials for this story were unsuccessful.?

© 2016 WEKU

Stu Johnson is a reporter/producer at WEKU in Lexington, Kentucky.
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