Some schools now close to hazards

Environmental firm will evaluate facilities near school locations to determine safety concerns, make plan

Web posted January 30, 1999

By Faith Johnson
Staff Writer

An Atlanta-based environmental firm is visiting chemical plants within two miles of Richmond County Schools to develop a safety plan for the school board.

School administrators agreed to pay Camp, Dresser and McKee Inc. $20,900 to visit the plants, review local environmental reports and recommend safety measures.

Superintendent Charles Larke said parental concerns about the new Cross Creek High School being close to Amoco Performance Products and Rutgers Organics prompted the need for a report, but he says it is only part of the board's effort to develop a safety plan for any emergency that develops in or around a school.

The consultants are focusing their initial attention on primary chemical facilities near Cross Creek High.

``They've already been out to see us and meet with us,'' said Bobby Scott, environmental health and safety manager at Rutgers Organics, located within a mile of the 98-acre high school campus off Old Waynesboro Road.

The visit included a plant tour and exchange of information with the objective of opening lines of communication and working mutually toward a high-quality safety program, Mr. Scott said.

``So far it's been mainly discussion,'' he said, ``but we intend to continue to work with the school board and the school. They're neighbors now.''

The consultants also have contacted another nearby plant, Amoco Performance Products.

A report prepared by the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen

cy says 46 public and private schools in the county are within two miles of facilities that store ``extremely hazardous substances''.

The consultants, however, will visit plants that sit near 10 schools in Richmond County's ``cluster areas.''

``They will develop a comprehensive safety plan that's unique for each school, based on the risk factor,'' Dr. Larke said. ``They will go into the plants to see what chemicals they are using and how they are using them. We want to be pro-active, and the plants have been very cooperative.''

Environmental reporter Robert Pavey contributed to this story.

Faith Johnson covers education. She can be reached at (706) 823-3765 or faithj@augustachronicle.com. Robert Pavey can be reached at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 119, or rpavey@augustachronicle.com.