The City of Fairburn Oct. 9 joined a growing list of cities, counties and community organizations calling for an end to operations of the Philip Services Corp. (PSC) waste treatment plant on Ga. Highway 92 near Fairburn. Among other stipulations, the resolution called for PSC to relocate its Fairburn facility and offered the city’s technical assistance in resolving the issues that have resulted in illnesses to hundreds of area residents.

The city council urged PSC to “relocate its operations as soon as possible to another area where it will not be in close proximity to residential dwellings and where its operations will not pose a threat to the health and well being of the general public.”

Significant in the resolution was the manner in which the city intends to support nearby Fairburn residents and those of neighboring communities. “The mayor and city council will fully lend its support to the citizens in the area affected by toxic emissions from the PSC plant by urging the responsible governmental agencies to give this problem their full and undivided attention and by committing its technical resources to assist citizens in dealing with this problem,” the resolution stated.

Speaking after the meeting, City Administrator Jim Williams said the technical support cited in the resolution included the help of the city engineer and city consultants that might be called on the assist with issues relevant to the needs of citizens.

The waste treatment plant currently holds a wastewater pre-treatment permit from Fulton County and a solid waste handling permit from Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The Fairburn resolution urged those entities to fully evaluate the operation at the plant and require that PSC follow the letter of the law in all its operations and that PSC come forward with financial assistance for those neighbors who have been harmed by toxic emissions from the plant.

“If the plant fails to take the initiatives to relocate its facilities to a location better suited to its operations and if the plant fails to properly correct its environmental and public health problems, the mayor and city council urge the responsible governmental agencies to not renew its permit to operate in that area,” the resolution said.

South Fulton/Fayette Community Task Force Chairman Connie Biemiller was at the meeting and accepted the resolution from Mayor Betty Hannah and the city council. Biemiller expressed the gratitude of task force members for Fairburn’s decisive action.

To date, more than 750 residents of South Fulton and north and central Fayette counties have reported symptoms consistent with exposure to chemicals introduced into the plant. A significant number of those affected reside in Fairburn.

To date, similar resolutions calling for the closure of the plant have been adopted by Fulton County Commission, Fayette County Commission, the Town of Tyrone, South Fulton Concerned Citizens and North Fayette Community Association. The City of Union City also voted to adopt a similar resolution. And U.S. Rep. David Scott is awaiting a response from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calling for the temporary closure of the plant until the area can be decontaminated and answers to the illnesses can be found.

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