A road resurfacing project in Liberty County, Georgia, has raised alarms among nearby residents, who say the material spread across their street is causing problems that go beyond the inconvenience of a bumpy ride.
According to people living on Poncell Drive, possibly toxic particles from the road surface have settled on homes and cars, drifted through outdoor play areas, and made their way into a nearby pond and marsh.
Here's what to know
Residents told WTOC that the surface applied to Poncell Drive appears to be recycled asphalt left loose rather than fully bound or properly paved. With wetlands along one side of the road and a pond on the other, they say rain has already washed bits of it into nearby water.
Speaking with the station, retired physicist Daniel Scott — whom WTOC said spent 20 years working in road engineering for the U.S. Department of Transportation through his own firm — stated: "It's already run off. You can see where it's all run off down into the ditch."
According to Scott, the material on the road is reclaimed asphalt pavement. WTOC also said that research shows recycled asphalt can contain heavy metals such as lead, chromium, and zinc, along with petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are considered carcinogenic.
"There are binding agents with almost all contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," Scott said. "And those are released — in many cases, they are carcinogenic."
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WTOC reported that Brandy Helmey, who lives on Poncell Drive, said she filed a complaint with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in mid-July.
More background
These potential risks can pose even more danger to people with a history of serious medical conditions. Helmey said this issue hits especially close to home since her daughter Evelyn was diagnosed with brain and spinal tumors when she was only 1 month old, and began nearly three years of chemotherapy at around 4 months old.
Helmey said Evelyn's tumors are now stable, but her daughter still spends much of her time outside and fishes in the pond next to their home.
"That's the fish she's catching, and we're ultimately eating," Helmey said. "Everybody who's part of the community who eats fish and plays in the water is affected."
What's being done?
Residents have publicly voiced their concerns, hoping officials will determine whether the material poses a health or environmental risk.
According to WTOC, Liberty County's administrator, chairman, and engineer said Poncell Drive was treated with the same product used on other county roads and that no prior complaints about it had reached them, including the one Helmey said she submitted.
The officials told WTOC they were not aware of any cancer-causing compounds in the material but said they plan to revisit the site to assess whether it poses any risk.
"She's outside from early in the morning until later at night," Helmey said. "The dust comes and covers our cars, our house, and she's only breathing that when she's outside."
Where can I learn more?
What's happening on Poncell Drive points to a wider issue: which road materials can be sent into the air and nearby water, and who ends up dealing with the effects. Similar disputes elsewhere have focused on asphalt emissions, alternative paving mixes, runoff from neighboring projects, and roadwork near sensitive land.
• At Arizona State University, a new street mix could cut harm from hot asphalt.
• In Hawai'i and California, crews are repaving roads with non-recyclable plastic instead of landfilling it.
• In Alaska, residents warn that they're losing their community as the Ambler Road project advances.
Each of these stories looks at a different side of the same problem: Road and construction choices can affect far more than the pavement itself. They add context to the health, runoff, and land-use questions Liberty County residents say still need answers.
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