Back in 2014 when Mr. Rapp decided to buy the Johns Manville to protect the City from a nasty private business, he was all in for a wonderful and job creating upper level and a world class park on the lower level. As part of this the City and the then current owner (Structure Resources), who had gone into bankruptcy did a site survey by Triad Engineering Inc.
And even Triad noted both the "suspected landfill area by the Parking Lot towards the North/ Northwest, but also another " dumping area" along the Northwest corner by the drainage ditch.
The Data Validation Report for Site Characterization Report Revision 1, was for 2013- 2014. Under the heading of 2.64 Receptors on page 4 was the following clearly noted issues:
"Human Health Exposures to include Children using proposed fields, onsite workers, Construction (including underground utility workers), Visitors and (even) trespassers (getting into the dirt).
Ground Water in area not to be used as a source for domestic supply limiting potential of ingestion (drinking), and dermal (skin), contact".
It was also noted that the City Council had elected additional samples from the Southern half of the Site.
In a City of Vienna Brownsfield clean up Meeting on 3 December 2015, Mr. Rapp denied ever seeing the above report. For being the "Kid" in this race, he sure has a poor memory?
Now there was a Company that did a Development Demolition Survey was a 2007 and 2008 effort by Burgess and Nipple and Engineered Facilities Solutions in 2008 respectively. It clearly noted some landfills and suspected landfills on the site and the fact that the whole place was a possible landfill? It even noted "a small ravine that had been possibly filled in with waste materials over 40 years ago (at that date just about at the edge of the current Gold Star Memorial site). And yet, just a few months back, Mr. Rapp looked me in the eye at a meeting and said "the Ravine never existed". So with the telling to me by several who worked there, who had extensive knowledge on what went on there plus even a person who would go with his sister and brother in the family car to pickup Dad (most families only had one car in those days) and watched the dumping, they are all liars? This is YOUR Mayor in action folks. So the investigation of the site goes back many years and even the late 1990s.
Yet, how many of us have seen the kids, numerous City Workers, Electrical Company Workers, just plain lookee lou's and even the ground breaking for the Gold Star Memorial down there in the past two/ three years?
Allow me this sequence of events SINCE the above Human Health Exposure was provided to the City.
1. Site Characterization Report Rev 1, 19 March 2014, Page 4; Triad Engineering Inc.
2. Brownsfields Site Specific Hazardous Cleanup Grant Application 18 Dec. 2015 Page 4. City will LIMIT access to the Site via fencing prior to and during the REMEDIATION and currently is maintaining limited access and performing security checks. NOTE: Mr. Rapp did not even bother to sign the cover letter for the Grant request. Weird folks, very weird?
3. Regular City Council Meeting 10 March 2016, Lacrosse Fields marked off by Norm Harris.
4. Regular City Council Meeting 24 March 2016, LED lights installed for Lacrosse Program.
5. Regular City Council Meeting 14 April 2016, Youth are practicing Lacrosse on the field.
6. Regular City Council Meeting 12 May 2016, Lacrosse being played on River front property.
7. Letter U.S. EPA dated 20 May 2016 advising non selection for the Grant. (Per Government policy, it should have been considered received NO later than 25 May 2016).
8. Regular City Council Meeting 26 May 2016, Lights on at Parking Lot; Used for water distribution.
9. Ground breaking ( 12 July 2016), for Gold Star Memorial at Park.
10. Regular City Council Meeting 11 August 2016, Mr Stephens commenting on vehicles driving on and parking beyond the parking lot after dark.
11. Regular City Council Meeting 25 August 2016, Ordnance, First Reading; Operating Hours at Park.
12. Regular City Council Meeting 8 Sept. 2016, Ordnance, Second Reading; Operating Hours at Park.
13. Regular City Council Meeting 22 Sept. 2016, NOTE: Mr. Rapp says Vienna "selected" for Gold Star Memorial. NOT TRUE; Mr. Rapp "pursued" getting the Memorial.
14. FOIA from DEP, 21 October 2016, The risk assessment has not been received by the WVDEP yet. It is due by the end of the year. (Red per DEP response to FOIA).
The Human Health Exposures above were PER City of Vienna to be re-mediated by the placing of a "Cap" over the Park area to at least a depth of 12" before any further activity was to be allowed. This has NOT been done yet, except for the 2'- 3' build up for the Gold Star Memorial. It has been been stated for "flooding issues". This maybe partially true, but as is the usual case there is a lot left out by Mr. Rapp. A prudent person could suggest that he is again lying?
If one looks from the 2013- 2014 Triad Site Survey too now, there has been instance after instance that can be clearly documented where Mr. Rapp has allowed people on the Park Site when they should clearly not be there for potential health/ safety reasons. There are many, many others that are not documented, but people are down there at the upper site removing materials or working on the lower park. And again, note #10 where Mr. Stephens is commenting on the trespassing all over the Park.
Mr. Rapp comments on how he cares for the children of Vienna and then puts them down there for lacrosse practice for at least several months? Where are they scheduled to practice now? And that does not include the City Employees too who are there mowing, constructing and who knows what?
Somewhere along the line, Mr. Rapp and crew need to explain how they are doing what they have done?
The ENTIRE City Council is guilty on this. NOT ONE questioned the remediation obligation for the Park? So if you want more of the same, re-elect whomever to sit on the Council. And that includes Mr. Azinger the Elder for Mayor. All these folks seem interested in is the next term or office?
So when you cast your ballots between now and the eighth; think twice, vote once. 'nuff said'.
I am asking for your Vote. "Change is in the Air".
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).