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Whatever
Happened...
Question: What ever happened to the cleanup at Brewer Environmental Industries after its 35-ton spill of sulfuric acid on Thanksgiving Day? Six months later,
cleanup continues
from acid spillAnswer: The cleanup, originally predicted to be weeks, still continues six months later.
About 95 percent of the spill at Campbell Industrial Park has been cleaned. Only one test area with slightly elevated acid levels remains, according to president and chief executive officer Stephen Knox.
"There's very little left to be done," Knox said. In fact, the Health Department and the Environmental Protection Agency have both signed off the spill.
Permitting has been approved to build a new foundation wall to contain any future spill.
Brewer disposed of the original leaking tank and replaced it with a new one. It tested its other two tanks to ensure their structures are sound.
"We're making hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improvements in the next six months," Knox said. "A spill will not happen again."
The biggest change Knox made has been to hire a vice president of environmental and regulatory affairs who reports directly to Knox. The vice president makes sure all of Brewer's facilities are in compliance with safety regulations and industry standards.
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