Residents of the Mills Gap Road area have set up a fund to pay for independent soil, water and vapor testing near the contaminated former CTS of Asheville site.
The fund is the Mills Gap Road Evaluation Fund and, resident Aaron Penland tells Xpress, “People can go into any Wachovia, anywhere in the country, and donate to this fund. It’s meant to provide for well-testing, soil, vapor — to check for any kind of contaminants.”
The need for independent testing has long been a demand of residents of the area and activists, who assert that testing conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources is often inadequate or understates the dangers of contamination spreading. After a recent health assessment was released in January, state health officials said that more extensive testing is one of their goals.
— David Forbes, staff writer
