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Mr. Murray said that the removal of the large spinning machines will be more costly than the actual purchase of the equipment.
EPA officials stress that all equipment must be declared free of contamination before it is permitted to leave the site.
The on-site assets, excluding the building and grounds, have been valued at $3.5 million, according to Mr. Murray.
The EPA placed a $40 million lien on the property to help pay for the cleanup operation at the 400-plusacre site.
Nearly 300 of the 400 workers who lost their jobs-at Avtex have been absorbed back into the workforce through the Shenandoah Valley Private Industry Council. A small staff of 17 guards, maintenance men and staff members headed by former Avtex officer David Tousignant remains at the plant to supervise security and operations.
As Avtex gradually disolves, the once pungent smell of carbon disulfide no longer permeates the air, but the Shenandoah River is expected to be PCB-contaminated for years to come. Several generations may pass before anyone is able to eat the fish caught in the river.
Avtex Fibers put Front Royal and Warren County on the map over the last few years as it gained natioiial attention for industrial air and water pollution.
The company, which also incurred worker safety violations, first came under careful scrutiny in 1987 after the report of three employee deaths.
That same year, PCBs were discovered in the Shenandoah River downstream from the plant. Further investigation lead to the discovery of leaky transformers on the rooftop of the plant as well as evidence of PCBs in the soil near the plant and the emissions from the plant.
Crippled by environmental fines and bad publicity, the company threatened to close down in November 1988 when it became the recipient of a million dollar federal bail-out initiated by Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va.
However, nearly two more years passed before the 50-year-old plant was forced to close its doors for the last time.
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