Old Jeannette Plant More Than Just An Eyesore
JEANNETTE (KDKA) -- It's not just an eyesore.
What's inside an old plant in Westmoreland County could be putting everyone who lives near it at risk.
Thirty years, that's how long a New York company has owned the old glass plant in Jeannette.
Inside of it, toxic chemicals and dangers for people living nearby. Jeannette has asked the plant to be cleaned up, but yet another deadline for that to happen has come and gone.
"I want them to clean it up. I'm tired of looking at that," said Marvin Josephine Howard, a Jeannette resident.
Howard lives right next to the long-closed Jeannette glass plant.
Owned the Zion Bullitt LLC, Westmoreland County and Jeannette have fought to have the grounds cleaned up for decades. Zion Bullitt missed another court ordered deadline to clean up July 13.
"This family thumbs their nose at orders and authority and continues to get away with it," said Scott Avolio, Jeannette's solicitor.
The latest reason, according to both the DEP and the city, the company claims it has a new legal team and environmental consulting team and they need brought up to speed.
"It is an act. It's always been an act," said Avolio. "It's a calculated effort to kick the can down the road."
KDKA's Ross Guidotti spoke to the DEP, and they say the company has made some progress but there's still a lot to do.
A survey found the site to contain high levels of cancer causing PCBs, heavy metals and cullet, which is waste from the glass-making process. The DEP says it will offer an extension to the latest deadline hoping the company cooperates.
"Our community knows there's no cooperation," said Avolio.
"They're in New York and they don't care about us people," added Howard. "If they don't think about nothing else, think about our babies."
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