CHARLOTTE, NC– The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is offering a $10,000 cash reward in the investigation into several illegal toxic sewer dumps in Charlotte. According to city officials, toxic chemicals–PCB’s–were found in Charlotte wastewater. They were illegally dumped into Mecklenburg County’s wastewater sometime between February and March.
Cam Coley with Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities Department says the low levels of PCB’s were found in some of the samples taken from the McAlpine Plant in Pineville, though he assures that drinking water is safe.
Coley says crews have been working around the clock testing wastewater samples from local plants after the chemicals were found at Mallard Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant back in February. About a week later, ethanol was found at the Sugar Creek Wastewater Plant. “The challenge now is we have all these contaminated solids that have to go somewhere,” says Coley, “…The good thing is, we have it contained. The bad thing is, it’s going to cost a lot to properly dispose of it.”
Coley says the plant is capable of removing the PCB’s from the wastewater, though he says early estimates show it could cost millions of dollars to properly get rid of them. He says that expense will eventually be put on taxpaying customers.
