Letter the Martinsville Bulletin Is Afraid To Print

Letter from a FACES member sent to the Bulletin on 2-24-11. In spite of the fact that the subject was relevant to a Bulletin article of that week, and comments by a local elected official. The Bulletin wanted this letter to just go away. Why? The facts presented are documented. What is the problem? Oh well, newspapers will soon be a thing of the past and their little power base will be gone. Expect to hear from us in a big way very soon and the first of the cats will be let out of the bag.

Here is the letter, unedited and uncensored:

I found your recent article about Senator Robert Hurt and regulation of business very interesting. According to Sen. Hurt, “Obviously there are some areas that need to be regulated, but it needs to be done in a common-sense way.” I would like to expand upon this statement about situations that exist in our area.

For example there is clear evidence that some businesses located in the Fieldale area are causing effects on property outside of their site. Fieldale and Carver Environmental Society (FACES) has published a document from the Henry County PSA dated March 23, 2007 that “The primary problem with this part of the system is the blasting shaking the lines“ causing what “will continue to be a problem until the service line feeding this customer is replaced”. The effects of blasting are being experienced off-site and the report noted that they would “see if there is any grant money” to fix the lines, possibly at taxpayer and PSA customer expense.

Ironically one company’s own receipts state “Warning Avoid Breathing Dust From This Product” as dust leaves their site and goes into the surrounding residential community and I have photographs and videos to prove this.

A document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act marked as not for public release revealed that an oil spill took place in August 2001 identifying an “anonymous” reporter as stating up to 40 gallons of hydraulic oil was spilled in the area of Jordan Creek with the “suspected responsible party” named as a Carver Road business. . Clean-up efforts appear to have consisted of dumping some sand and  attempting to dig the material up. What amount made it into the water is “unknown”.

In February of 2010 I gave the Henry County Board of Supervisors a written complaint about a company in a residential community operation loud truck traffic all night long, 7 days a week. I cited statements made by board members about noise from people’s barking dogs, and that people have to sleep and deserve a good night’s rest. I also pointed out how the board had assisted another community in confronting a “public nuisance’. In case you are wondering I had to call to request a response to my letter and what I received failed to address the issue. Needless to say I was unsurprised.

Other “regulations” consist of “self-monitoring”, “self-reporting” and “self-regulation” by businesses. Mr Hurt mentioned he wanted to  “look at regulations that aren’t working, that don’t make sense”. I would suggest that allowing one to “self-report” their environmental violations does not make sense any more than allowing people to do the same with their vehicle speed or income taxes.

Here are some facts about “self regualtion”.

FACT: The DEQ Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit program relies primarily on the concept of permittee self-monitoring and reporting for compliance determinations.

FACT: Monitoring required by the permit is responsibility of the permittee. Some analysis is conducted by facility staff and some by third-party commercial laboratories.

FACT: Commercial laboratories performing testing pursuant to a VPDES permit are hired and compensated by the permittee.

FACT: There is no provision for assessment done by any independent third party, other than the facility itself or DEQ.

FACT: In terms of reporting water withdrawal, DEQ states “Each user is responsible for annually reporting the user’s name, address, sources and locations of withdrawal, cumulative volume of water withdrawn each month of the calendar year, maximum day withdrawal and the month in which it occurred, and method of withdrawal measurement. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring the reliability of the gauging device or methodology used to determine withdrawals”.

Due to space limitations I can not cite more but further information can be viewed at http://fieldale.wordpress.com.

Todd Woodall

Fieldale, VA

 

 

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