RANSON, W.Va. — An official with a controversial plant under construction in Jefferson County said they are committed to completing a human health risk assessment (HHRA).
In August 2018, the Jefferson County Board of Education encouraged Rockwool to complete a HHRA focused on school-age kids. This is due to the site’s close location to three schools. The HHRA is not a legal or regulatory requirement.
The Board of Education began taking applications for consultancies in October. Only one applied in time for the extended November deadline. As a result, Rockwool will now search for a consultancy independently.
Vice President of Group Communications for Rockwool Michael Zarin explained on MetroNews affiliate WEPM’s “Panhandle Live” Tuesday that the HHRA is not a legal or regulatory requirement.
Getting a consultancy can be difficult because they must have experience working with industrial operations. Zarin explained that comes with its own set of challenges.
“That’s maybe unavoidable because of the scrutiny that they’re under and the challenges to their integrity. The concern that we have is that in this environment there is a very high risk of essentially preemptive attacks on the consultancy’s professional integrity on their independence. We think that’s been part of the challenge in getting other qualified consultancies to apply through this process.”
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“So we hope anyway that (by) taking this course, we’ll be able to get going more quickly then would otherwise be the case. So that we can deliver the health risk assessment that we promised to the (Jefferson) Board of Education and have an opportunity to actually do something with the results.”
Rockwool announced plans for the facility in July 2017 without backlash. Plans call for a $150 million plant, which will be used for manufacturing stone wool insulation.
It will include two stacks each about 213 feet tall, 460,000 square feet of space and could use between 100,000 and 125,000 gallons of water per day. The plant is expected to employ roughly 150 people in positions ranging from production to management.
“It’s really important to emphasize that the Rockwool emissions from this facility will be well under the limits that are set specifically to protect the health of sensitive populations including children, the elderly and asthmatics,” said Zarin.
Zarin insisted during Tuesday’s interview he would not be concerned if he had a relative moving close to the plant, even with asthma or other breathing ailments.
“Knowing what I know about the emissions, regulations and the science that underpin those regulations, it wouldn’t bother me in the least. Knowing what I know, from Rockwool colleagues, who have moved within a very short distance of other Rockwool facilities around the world. Knowing what those experiences have been, I wouldn’t be concerned at all.”
Construction on the site is expected to be complete in the early part of 2020.