By By JOHN WALLACE
Staff Writer
Hazel Chappelle addressed the Escambia County Commission at its regularly-scheduled Monday morning meeting to inquire about a problem she and other residents along Lewis Lane have been experiencing with dust from Citation/Alabama Ductile trucks.
Also at the meeting was Safety, Environmental and Training Manager for Citation/Alabama Ductile John Jones to address the residents' concerns.
Chappelle said she talked with County Commissioner David Stokes last Tuesday about trucks from Alabama Ductile traveling along Lewis Lane with loads of a very fine black sand. She said the black sand and dust kicked up by the trucks leave a black coat on her house. She also said the trucks had worn down the street and caused several potholes.
Since speaking with Stokes the potholes have been repaired and the truck beds have been covered with tarps, she said.
Stokes said he invited Chappelle and Jones along with Citation/Alabama Ductile Human Resources Manager Bobby Hill to attend the meeting to find a solution.
Jones said the black sand is a non-hazardous byproduct of the casting process and is recognized by Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) as a useful additive for concrete and asphalt as well as construction backfill. He said it is also an approved product that can be used as a daily landfill cover.
He also said the company has practices in place in an attempt to reduce the amount of dust caused by the sand and is willing to take an extra step to prevent the sand from coating houses and vehicles near the dumping site off Lewis Lane.
He said plans to transport the sand to a different location outside the city limits are currently being finalized and tarps have been put on the trucks to help reduce the amount of dust that falls from the trucks.
Jones said the company will plant over the sand at the current location before moving to a new site.
Robert Hardy said the trucks also leave sand and dust on houses up and down Lewis Lane, especially when they leave the site.
Jones said he will work on that by having the trucks watered down before they leave the site.
In other business, the county commission heard an update from County Engineer John Downing on the watershed maintenance project. Downing said "it is looking good."
The commissioners also voted to:
n approve the minutes of the Aug. 14, 2000 meeting;
n approve a change order for the new health department building project to cover the unexpected expenses of excavation of the construction site;
n approved the transfer of a retail beer license for Parker Grocery; and
n approved a budget amendment for FY2000 that added funds from FEMA to reimburse the county for work done with county funds during the flood of 1998.