PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Martinsburg, WV Cascades PERMIT #86 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 01-29-09 Countryside ❖ Potomac Falls ❖ Lowes Island ❖ Sterling Pushing Forward News, page 3 Classifieds, page 13 Classifieds, A sign displays ❖ a continuing problem for Belfort Park: No Route 28 direct access. Sports, page 12 ❖ Real Estate, page 11 Real Estate, ❖ E, page 8 ❖ Faith, page 7 Vapor Combating Intrusion? Foreclosure Acting Up News, page 3 News, page 3 E, page 8 Photo By Justin Fanizzi/The Connection www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJanuary 28-February 3, 2009 ❖ Volume VI, Number 4 Read usLoudoun/Cascades online at connectionnewspapers.comConnection ❖ January 28 - February 3, 2009 ❖ 1 SMILESMILEYou’ve got nothing to hide... You’ve got nothing to hide... NEW PATIENTS WELCOME FREE $89.00 TEETH (REG $250) WHITENING Greatare easier than smiles ever to achieve! 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(LIMITED TIME OFFER) FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFER Sterling, VA 20164 EXPIRES FEB. 28, 2009 703-444-3412 www.betterdentist.com 2 ❖ Loudoun/Cascades Connection ❖ January 28 - February 3, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Cascades Connection Editor Jennifer Lesinski News 703-917-6454 or [email protected] Health Assessment Seeks Tests Photo by Photo Recommends EPA to investigate possible Zentz Andrea toxic vapors in air inside and outside homes. /The Connection By Andrea Zentz The Connection he Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Stay Informed Thas recommended that the EPA test Broad Run Farms properties Agency for Toxic Substances and and homes for “vapor intrusion” to deter- Disease Registry (ATSDR) draft health assessment report of Hidden Lane Landfill mine if the groundwater is emitting vola- Superfund site. tile organic compounds such as trichloro- HOW to obtain report: E-mail Jill J. Dyken, ethylene vapors into the air. Trichloroeth- ATSDR environmental health scientist, at [email protected]. ylene (TCE) is an industrial cleaner and DEADLINE: Community and stakeholders probable human carcinogen found four send comments by Feb. 27. years ago in 26 residents’ wells. WHERE to send comments to: Records Center, ATSDR The Loudoun County Health Department ATTN: Hidden Lane Landfill NPL Site waited 16 years to do widespread testing 1600 Clifton Road N.E. (MS F-09) of Broad Run Farms’ wells after discover- Atlanta, GA 30333 ing two wells with TCE in 1989 and another six wells over the ensuing 15 years. In a draft report assessing potential risks A cable serves as a gate to prevent trespassers from entering the Hidden Lane Landfill. to human health, the ATSDR called for groundwater and soil gas sampling to de- through the soil above the water table to In some cases, the compounds encounter cases, those vapors can reach levels that termine if vapor intrusion exists and for the reach the air if the levels are high enough cracks or lines that bring the contaminants pose a health hazard, the report said. EPA to take action as necessary. in the groundwater and if the groundwater into home interiors, such as basements, and Lenny Siegel, executive director of the Volatile organic compounds, which is close enough to the surface, the report the vapors can build up inside. This is evaporate easily into the air, can move said. known as vapor intrusion, and in some See Report, Page 4 Pushing Forward County Seeks Funds owland Elementary. Supervisors vote unanimously to forward A new program may The three neighborhoods were chosen Task Force’s recommendations to Planning provide relief to the because they met the criteria outlined by the state. The requirements stated that Commission. Sterling Park area. the localities must have 10 percent of its housing vacant for at least 90 days due to foreclosure and must have the great- By Justin Fanizzi Furniture. Created Jan. 15, 2008, the task By Justin Fanizzi est percentage of foreclosures in relation The Connection force was formed to solve transportation The Connection to the rest of the county with the highest and land-use issues for the area that is bor- percentage of homes financed by a he Board of Supervisors voted 8-0- dered by S. Sterling Boulevard, W. Church he Board of Supervisors voted subprime mortgage related loan. Accord- T1 to forward the Belfort Park Area Road, the W&OD Trail and Route 28. Tunanimously to approve a reso- ing to data collected by project manager Task Force’s countywide transpor- “This is a great opportunity for this area,” lution to apply for state funding Kelly Marrocco of the Department of tation recommendations to the Planning Huber said. “It would really revitalize this to help revitalize three neighborhoods in Family Services, 29 percent of Sterling Commission for further consideration at its area and has the potential to be a project the Sterling area at its Jan. 21 meeting. Park’s and 28.6 percent of Sugarland Jan. 21 meeting. that could get national recognition. Like The funding would give the county $2 Run’s mortgages are subprime loans. The recommendations were the result of Supervisor McGimsey said, ‘Let’s see if we million as part of the $20 million dollar Though several neighborhoods may a year of work can make lemons Neighborhood Stabilization Program have similar foreclosure statistics, to be for the task force, into lemonade.’” signed into effect by former President approved, the applications must show an which is co- “It would really revitalize this George W. Bush last July. The money, if extreme urgency for the funds and must chaired by Su- THE PROB- given to the county, would be used to show that the locality chosen will be one pervisor Andrea area and has the potential to LEMS in the area purchase or renovate foreclosed homes that will have an impact on surrounding McGimsey (D- arose with the in the Sterling Park South town houses, areas as well, not just its own. Potomac) and be a project that could get construction of a Sterling Park single-family neighbor- “Sterling Park is the hardest hit; every Michael Huber, hood off Maple Avenue and the chief executive national recognition.” See Moving, Sugarland Run town houses near Mead- See County, Page 5 officer of Belfort — Michael Huber, co-chair of task force Page 13 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Loudoun/Cascades Connection ❖ January 28 - February 3, 2009 ❖ 3 News Week in Loudoun Jury Sentences Repeat Felon Report Provides Health Assessment Linwood Grant, a 45-year-old Leesburg man, was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted unlawful wounding. On May From Page 3 for radon, to removing the source material, she said. 11, 2008, Grant swiped at his 21-year-old victim with a knife Efforts to reach Larry Johnson, EPA Region 3 com- during a confrontation over allegedly disparaging remarks ex- California-based Center for Public Environmental munity involvement coordinator, and Fred Mac Milan, changed concerning interfamily difficulties. All parties were “lis- Oversight (CPEO), elaborated. “A typical home has remedial project manager, for comment were unsuc- tening to music” during the early morning hours when Grant a lower pressure in the air than the air pressure in cessful. lunged at the victim with a knife without connecting. Grant then the soil. If there is a crack, then the home sucks up Siegel said the EPA started to recognize vapor in- allegedly held a knife to the victim’s throat, a fact that Grant the vapors. It’s like a vacuum cleaner, but not as trusion in 2002, but his group and others now dis- denied. strong,” he said. pute how high the density levels should be to war- In a sentencing phase, a jury heard evidence concerning a por- rant action. In 2003, the EPA initially set that level at tion of Grant’s career in crime. Three separate convictions for THE INOPERATIVE Hidden Lane Landfill, which a vapor density measurement of .017 micrograms per cocaine possession coupled with two felonious theft convictions abuts Broad Run Farms, has been identified as the cubic meter, he said. But the federal agency with- and a prior conviction for malicious wounding were used by As- source of the wells’ toxins. In March 2008, the EPA drew the assessment and it now uses an action level sistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Vernail to illustrate added the landfill to the Superfund National Priori- of 1.0. Grant’s menacing past. The jury was quick to fix a sentence of ties list, qualifying it The ATSDR, based in Atlanta, Ga., is a five years in prison after the day-long trial, the maximum sen- for a federally-funded federal public health agency of the U.S. De- tence allowed for the offense. cleanup program of “At least they would partment of Health and Human Services. Circuit Judge Burke F. McCahill will conduct a final sentencing the nation’s uncon- The health assessment said that no adverse hearing April 27. Under Virginia law a judge may reduce a jury trolled hazardous know possibly it was health affects are expected from consump- sentence providing written reasons therefore, but may not in- waste sites. Another tion and household use of the contami- crease a jury sentence. community, Country- from TCE or whatever nated well water if it is properly treated side, lies adjacent to garbage they have in with the filtration system. Real Property Assessments the landfill, but its “However, if people are drinking un- The 2009 real property assessment notices being mailed Fri- public water supply the landfill.” treated well water containing the highest day, Jan.