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Currently, the Charlotte and Monroe Pipe facilities occupy roughly 240 acres, of which 55 acres are located in the city of Charlotte. However, the untold story is Charlotte Pipe’s real estate company, Oakmont Acquisition LLC, owns more than 500 acres rezoned to industrial in and near the town of Oakboro.

Hundreds of acres of farmland have been rezoned with little to no public information regarding the significant environmental implications of the incoming foundry.

I hope Oakboro town board members are aware of the environmental issues with foundry plants. If they aren’t, then who will be responsible for the environmental issues associated with the foundry industry and with the emission of harmful and poisonous gases, dust and particles and the generation of waste pollutants?

If you doubt my position, then ask yourself the question of why is the City of Charlotte not fighting to keep Charlotte Pipe Foundry within its community? Is it because of the harmful emissions and pollution?

As Charlotte Pipe prepares to relocate its operations to Stanly County,  there are many questions that still need to be addressed from planning to environmental compliance, to traffic trends and to the impacts on the community’s quality of life.

Wayne Coble

Oakboro