Tuesday night, more than 100 community members turned out to implore the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to consider health risks and pollution history as they decide whether to issue Waynesboro’s Northrop Grumman a permit to begin manufacturing. WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports.
Since the spring, hundreds of Valley residents have written, demonstrated, and delivered speeches to DEQ officials to air their concerns about Northrop Grumman’s Waynesboro plant.
The company, the world’s fourth largest defense manufacturer, is seeking a permit that would allow it to release up to 24.9 tons of hazardous air pollutants a year as it builds aerospace and defense machinery.
Tuesday night’s DEQ meeting marked the end of that community input at a gathering that was, at times, somber, emotional, and pleading.
HOLLY FROST: A high school friend recently said to me, ‘Oh, my God, Holly, you’ve got to stop them.
Waynesboro resident Holly Frost spoke. She grew up near an eight square mile toxic plume in Bethpage, New York, created by Grumman that contaminated that area’s groundwater.
FROST: They didn’t just do it on Long Island; they did it in California. Now they’re coming here and saying that they’re going to self-monitor? I don’t think so.
Residents implored DEQ officials to hold Northrop Grumman accountable. Many, including Vice Mayor Lorie Jean Akanbi, say it’s imperative that an outside company is hired to track the plant’s emissions, something DEQ rejects.
DEQ sent WMRA a statement after the meeting saying they haven’t previously required a permittee to hire third-party emissions monitors.
Jim Kaste thinks they should reconsider. He’s an environmental scientist at William & Mary.
JIM KASTE: You want to err on the side of caution here, and monitoring is doable. You can get real time data and then, that can help people sleep, or it could also identify a problem. We’ve got the money to build the plant, to run the plant, to sell the products. Why not put a little bit into monitoring?
The Valley Environmental Justice Alliance is already conducting water tests at four sites in Coyner Springs Park. DEQ will make its final decision about Northrop Grumman’s operating permit by October 22.
