The Brevard Water Treatment Plant is located on Cathey's Creek adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest. Federal and state environmental authorities are continuing to investigate the handling of lead contamination on the property from a former shooting range. One city official faces a federal indictment. Frank Taylor / Carolina Public Press
The Brevard Water Treatment Plant is located on Cathey's Creek adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest. Federal and state environmental authorities are continuing to investigate the handling of lead contamination on the property from a former shooting range. One city official faces a federal indictment. Frank Taylor / Carolina Public Press

Lead and water—two words that should not go together—is a concern one Western North Carolina community faces.

On this week’s Kicker, we take a deeper look at a story Carolina Public Press has followed since early October: How a former shooting range in Brevard operated by the police department mishandled contaminated soil, endangering the water supply.

Dan DeWitt, the reporter who first brought the story out of Brevard, and Gray Jernigan, southern regional director and Green Riverkeeper for MountainTrue talk about what happened and where the situation stands right now.

Our reporting started after a federal indictment filed in September in Asheville’s U.S. District Court naming Brevard public works director David S. Lutz in the mishandling of lead-laden soil from the city’s abandoned police department firing range.

This week Carolina Public Press is releasing more on this story. if you’d like to be the first to receive further updates on this issue, text INSIDER to 919-897-8555.

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Stephanie Carson is the former news and community partnerships manager at Carolina Public Press.

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