Mount Sterling, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin declared a state of emergency for a Montgomery County neighborhood, where health officials found “extremely high levels” of arsenic in the soil.
WKYT-TV (https://bit.ly/2ikMTee ) reported that the governor’s decree will activate the National Guard to help with remediation and allow the state to fund the clean-up.
The arsenic is believed to have come from a wood treatment company that closed decades ago.
The state Division of Waste Management tested the soil in August and found dangerous levels of arsenic near homes, playgrounds and a pool. Several residents have filed a lawsuit against Southern Wood Treatment Co., alleging the company failed to properly dispose of the arsenic used as a wood preservative when it shuttered in the 1980s.
The state has offered families in that area money to relocate.
___
Information from: WKYT-TV, https://www.wkyt.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.