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King: Test results erroneous
2 toxic chemicals shown not to be present in high levels
epd
Recent water test results at the site of King America Finishing, a Screven County textiles plant under fire by Ogeechee River advocates concerned about pollution, were erroneous, according to an attorney representing the company.Rumors that the plant is being sold are also false, said Lee DeHihns, a King America attorney. Original test results for two toxic chemicals in groundwater samples showed elevated levels of cadmium and penanthrene, but further tests proved the original results to be false.“Last year, King America hired a company to sample the soil and shallow groundwater at the plant,” DeHihns said. “One of the test wells did show elevated levels of one metal and one petroleum compound.”Tests in December showed elevated levels of cadmium and penanthrene, according to Georgia Environmental Protection Division spokesman Kevin Chambers.However, the method of testing used has been known to produce false returns, and EPD officials ordered King America to drill more wells for additional samples.“As for cadmium, it is not used in any of the plant’s dyes and has not been found in the plant’s effluent,” DeHihns said.
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