The members of the consent decree PCB Community Advisory Group (CAG) are unpaid volunteers selected or appointed from a list of concerned residents.They make a three-year commitment, dedicating time to learn about PCBs, understanding the court-ordered consent decree and striving to serve the people living and working in the areas affected by PCB contamination.
For the past two and a half years, our monthly meetings have examined various aspects of the cleanup while allowing area residents to hear the presentations, take copies of the materials and offer comment.
We recorded concerns and responded at the following meeting with information. Not all information is accessible to the CAG or is provided to it. Regardless, our monthly meeting minutes summarizing the actions and additional concerns of the community are submitted to Judge U.W. Clemon’s representatives.
We also serve as a conduit for information exchange between EPA and Solutia and the community. We employ personal contacts, our Web site and other community meetings.
The CAG is a diverse group, representing varied locales and interests in the affected areas from Anniston to Lake Logan Martin. We have no enforcement authority. We cannot force the responsible parties or the EPA to take any action, including those within the consent decree.
Many issues brought to the CAG meetings — such as buying of homes or policing the lead cleanup program — have no relationship to the consent decree. All we are empowered to do is advise; we believe this defined role is the source of the community’s frustration.
The CAG has learned that a request has been made asking for its reorganization. As I acknowledged to The Star’s Brandy Warren, the CAG was already in the process of reorganizing and refocusing before the request was started.
During the CAG’s existence, seven people have resigned, three have had serious illnesses and one member has died. This contributes to a lack of consistency. New members lack background and need training to fully understand their roles.
Please know that the CAG is always looking for ways that we can work more effectively within the flux of members to address the obvious community discontent, which involves issues related to legal settlement concerns, ongoing health problems, fears regarding risks to children and grandchildren and the logistics of the residential cleanup.
We understand and sympathize with the frustrations, and we certainly share these remediation and contamination concerns.
The CAG strives to perform its duties in a studied and deliberate manner, both in relation to the cleanup and as we manage a staff person to help facilitate the day-to-day needs related to this complex project. While we cannot publicly discuss personnel matters, we do not lack a background in supervisory responsibilities related to employees.
The CAG’s decision to end an employment agreement is an internal matter. We agonized over the decision, but our action is in the best interest of meeting community needs that obviously were not being met, as evidenced by the request for reorganization of the CAG.
Although it is disheartening for a group of volunteers who have been striving to achieve its mission to be criticized publicly, we accept this as a part of public discourse. The CAG will continue to review and offer recommendation on the consent decree, provide opportunities for public comment and fulfill our commitment as mandated by the federal court decision, and we will make every possible effort to bring the public’s concerns before those who have the authority to act on them.
Anniston resident Shirley Baker is CAG chairperson.
