Raleigh City Council urged to oppose lab
Published: Wed, Jul. 30, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Wed, Jul. 30, 2008 06:36AM
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closeConcerned about protecting Raleigh's drinking water, city staff members issued a report Tuesday recommending the City Council oppose a proposal to locate a federal defense lab in Butner.
The recommendation comes after the city's public utilities department determined that the federal Department of Homeland Security had failed to respond to critical questions that Raleigh had formally submitted to federal officials in September.
Most of those questions related to the fact that the Butner site is within the Falls Lake watershed. Falls Lake is the sole source of drinking water for Raleigh and six other Wake County towns.
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City Manager Russell Allen will present the report to the City Council at its meeting Tuesday.
Raleigh worked with the engineering firm Arcadis to come up with the questions and comments that it submitted to Homeland Security.
Tuesday's recommendation came after city staff and Arcadis reviewed a draft of an environmental impact statement that Homeland Security officials are preparing for the Butner site. The draft did not adequately address Raleigh's concerns, the staff determined.
david.bracken@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-4548
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