GHENT, N.Y. - Residents in Columbia County have expressed concern about the after affects of the fire at a Ghent recycling plant two weeks ago.
The August 1st chemical fire and explosion at TCI Inc. caused concern over a toxic cloud of dangerous chemicals many believe are in the air. But at a community meeting held Thursday, officials from the federal, state and county levels were ready to explain, but at the
last minute the TCI representative canceled due to a death in the
family, according to Assembly woman Didi Barrot.
"Without the perpetrators being here it's a waste of all our time because we will not get the answers," said one resident.
That still did not change the minds of many residents, who called Thursday's meeting a waste of time and who also believe they are hiding facts.
Many residents are worried about possible after affects from PCB's
"I asked these people if they would eat a salad out of my yard and they laughed," said Courtney Powell.
The officials assured residents their soil and air are safe, but they did admit they could have done a much better job alerting residents of the initial fire, saying they "dropped the ball."
Residents also questioned why neighboring counties have a reverse 911 call in place, yet Columbia County does not.
Sheriff Tom Lanthear of Columbia County isn't arguing. "We have to have a reverse 911, no other way around it, we need something," he said.
Photo from the chemical fire at TCI Inc. the night of August 1, 2012
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