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Helene debris field near Asheville public housing concerns residents

Harry October 28, 2024

ASHEVILLE — High above the brushy, sloping bank behind the Westmore Apartments is 21 tree-filled acres; Residents say neighborhood children often come to play here, and some people walk their dogs or sneak a peek at the picturesque views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Earlier this month, 65 Ford St. The property at Permitted as a temporary debris processing area. It is located immediately adjacent to Westmore’s 72 affordable units and the nearby Deaverview Apartments, a 160-unit public housing complex.

The idyllic landscape became home to huge piles of debris, including fallen limbs and vegetation, construction and demolition materials, and other debris from the devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Helene.

Estimates put the citywide amount at 2.5 million cubic meters, or 70,000 truckloads.

After the reaction of the citizens and due to community concerns, the city announced on October 21 that it would deactivate the site. No additional debris will be brought to the site in Ford Street and all material currently on site, other than vegetal waste, will be processed and removed within two weeks.

However, the door was left open for future use. A leaflet distributed to disgruntled people outside the steps of City Hall on 22 October stated that from now on the site would be “used only when needed”.

“Site preparation measures, such as security and fencing, will continue to ensure the site is ready for reactivation if necessary,” the statement said.

Residents’ concerns

JC Cobb, who has lived in Westmore for six years, said news of the deactivation did not immediately alleviate his concerns. The debris processing yard property directly supports his building. It was stated that it could be put into use again if needed.

“They keep using the word temporary. And I’m not so sure this will be temporary. There may be a time when debris and trash are there. So this means that the health and safety of us, the residents who immediately connect to this site, has been compromised,” he told the Citizen Times on October 23. He has four children and their health was his top concern.

Both Cobb and another resident, Ken Erwin, said they were not notified about the site by the city. A stack of flyers were left at the complex’s main office.

Erwin’s fears stemmed in part from how the debris would be handled. He was happy to hear that he had been deactivated, but he still had concerns about safety for both his family and the area.

“They could have found a better location outside the residential area,” he said.

What is a temporary debris processing area?

At active temporary debris fields, Southern Disaster Recovery, a third-party contractor, will prepare, process and sort the debris. The sites are not open to the public. Processing may look like preparing the material to be transported to a permanent location outside the city, grinding or compacting it.

The municipality gave permission and opened three sites. Only one of these, located in Enka Commerce Park, is currently active and taking in storm debris. The fields on Ford Street and the front nine of the Asheville Municipal Golf Course have been disabled but will remain available for use if necessary.

The fourth permitted site in Roger Farmer Park will not be used, the city said.

The goal is to have a “continuous flow of materials,” city Sanitation Division Manager Jes Foster said at an Oct. 23 Buncombe County briefing.

Domestic hazardous waste such as construction and demolition materials, appliances, electronic devices, plant materials and cleaning materials, paint and batteries will be delivered to temporary sites. Foster said household hazardous waste is collected separately and placed in a containment system to prevent it from leaking into the ground.

He said no toxic or hazardous materials would be brought to the temporary sites. According to the city spokesperson, the difference between hazardous waste and “domestic” hazardous waste were items such as propane tanks, fuel oil drums and bulk materials.

State regulations limit where temporary sites can be established, including required distances from waterways, residences, wells, and roads. The sites will be monitored by Asheville Fire Department and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality inspectors to ensure compliance with the permits, the county said in an Oct. 23 news release.

Random soil and water samples will be collected from the fields for analysis.

“These decisions are not easy, and every decision will be made with the safety of the community in mind,” Foster said.

On questions about required zoning, Foster said the city’s Unified Development Ordinance allows the placement of any temporary use the city manager deems “necessary or desirable in conjunction with the management of the emergency.”

City Manager Debra Campbell said Oct. 25 that the facilities on both Enka and Ford Street now have 24/7 security surveillance.

Additional permit applications have been submitted to NCDEQ, including for areas within the River Arts District corridor, to enable contractors to manage debris in that area.

What is the risk?

Ford Street land Acquired by city in 2021 It would consolidate Deaverview Apartments, the public housing complex adjacent to Westmore, with the intention of using it with other adjacent city-owned properties to create a “purpose-built community.”

Westmore Apartments is an affordable housing complex owned by nonprofit developer Mountain Housing Opportunities. CEO Geoffrey Barton said 57 of the 171 residents were under 18. He and MHO spokesman Lukas Ray met with the Citizen Times at the apartments on October 23.

Barton called the decommissioning of the site on Ford Street “a step in the right direction” but advocated for the site to be closed permanently.

“I think this is a recognition that this is not a good place to handle storm debris,” he said of the decision. “And I accept the city as it is, it’s really just a matter of finding more suitable areas.”

Although assurances were given that toxic or hazardous materials, other than household hazardous materials, would not be brought to the sites, Barton said this did not address all concerns, such as possible lead paint or asbestos-containing construction waste.

“The reality right now is we don’t know what the risk might be because we haven’t seen what the DEQ application is or what the process is for evaluating sites,” Barton said. “That’s when your mind starts to wander and think about catastrophic impacts. So when the city shares that information, I think it’s going to help us all.”

Children’s safety and environmental impacts were his primary concerns. He had heard of children in the neighborhood playing on or near the site since it became operational. He pushed the situation into “high gear” to take immediate action.

Local nonprofits call for more transparency

As MHO, Barton, along with representatives from MountainTrue and the Southern Environmental Law Center, signed a letter sent to the mayor and council members on Oct. 22. The letter called for more transparency about how sites were selected and asked what precautions were being taken. A place to protect nearby communities and the environment.

Especially 65 Ford St. He drew attention to the concerns around and said, according to the city’s own data: Climate Justice Data Map, the surrounding neighborhood faces some of the highest climate threats in the city.

“While we recognize the need to deal with storm debris, we are concerned that the Ford Street location continues a history of environmental injustice,” the letter said, with the community disproportionately locating unwanted, polluting industries and facilities in low-income communities. colourful. “We cannot continue to make these mistakes, even in times of crisis.”

Several questions were asked about the city and it was stated that it was difficult to assess the risk due to “very little information” released about the city’s plans.

“Understandably the city is busy,” he said. “But we cannot sit idly by while these potentially harmful facilities come into operation.”

More: West Asheville public housing residents condemn recently opened debris processing facilities

More: The city says no additional debris is being brought into the West Asheville area near Deaverview at this time

More: The City of Asheville approved funds to cover home repairs and rental assistance for Helene’s recovery

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message @slhonosky on X (formerly Twitter). Please support local, daily journalism by subscribing to Citizen Times.