City to hold public forum over former Dunbar toxic sludge site

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The area bounded in red shows the site in Dunbar where sludge from a water treatment plant was disposed of.

Residents living near a former toxic sludge dump site in Dunbar will soon be able to ask questions and express concerns at a public meeting.

The exact date and time of the meeting has not yet been set, but it will happen some time during January, city officials said.

The city of Fort Myers has been criticized for how it handled the toxic sludge site.

“I don’t trust them,” resident Bernice Brown said.

SERIES: Dunbar toxic sludge

The test results of wells revealed arsenic with three times the government standard.

Crystal Johnson, of Dunbar, expressed frustration with how the city dealt with the information about the arsenic levels at the site.

“That’s what I’m ready for and I want everyone to know … I’m very angry, and upset that they don’t value our lives and our community like we should,” Johnson said. “This would not be acceptable anywhere else.”

MORE: Councilman discusses arsenic levels found outside Dunbar sludge site

Others, like resident Annie Freeman said the city could have better gotten in front of the situation.

“It didn’t have to go this far,” Freeman said. “If they would only would’ve told people about it and let them make the decision whether to buy here or not.”

Brown thought of her family when learning of the latest test results and the lack of transparency associated with them.

“Think about it if it was your mother, your father, your brother, your sister,” Brown said. “We love our parents and our family just like everybody loves theirs and they need to get it right.

MORE: Residents react to Dunbar sludge saga

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