Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin declared a state of emergency for a Montgomery County neighborhood, where health officials found “extremely high levels” of arsenic in the soil.
The governor’s decree will activate the National Guard to help with remediation and allow the state to fund the clean-up.
The arsenic is believed to have come from a wood treatment company that closed decades ago.
The state Division of Waste Management tested the soil in August and found dangerous levels of arsenic near homes, playgrounds and a pool. Several residents have filed a lawsuit against Southern Wood Treatment Company, alleging the company failed to properly dispose of the arsenic used as a wood preservative when it shuttered in the 1980s.
The state has offered families in that area money to relocate.
Source: AP
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