Adolph McLendon

Richland Mayor Adolph McLendon said the pipes have caused the city's water to consistently exceed US Environmental Protection Agency standards for asbestos for the past five years, and in December 2003, a water sample showed asbestos fibers at 3,132 times the federal standard, according to the article.

State Rep.

But now the decades-old pipes are beginning to crumbled, notes Mayor Adolph McLendon, and things are getting worse.
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A few years ago, Mayor McLendon applied for a half-million dollar state grant to start replacing the pipes.His request was denied.

"I'm not happy drinking this tea," said Mayor Adolph McLendon, lifting a full glass over lunch recently at the Whistle Stop Cafe, the liveliest spot on the town's dusty main stre ...

Adolph McLendon, the Mayor of Richland expects the replacement of old water pipes can be started in one month.

"We'll have to put in new water lines completely. We've put in a few and are in the process and hopefully we'll have it completed as fast as possible," he said.

A sample taken in February showed contamination at 5.1 billion fibers per liter Despite these results, mayor Adolph Mclendon says the state has ignored his pleas during the 24 years he has been mayor.

Mayor Adolph McLendon is trying to keep a lid on local anxiety, while he works to get the new water lines in place. "The people here have had a longstanding concern, and justifiably so," McLendon said.
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McLendon said those readings ran as high as 40,000 parts per million of asbestos, several orders of magnitude above allowable levels. Recent readings have mostly ranged between 20 and 100 parts per million, which is still considered elevated, he said.

For the past two legislative sessions, Richland has attempted to get a bill through the Legislature which would give the town special authority to impose a municipal sales tax earmarked for repairs to the water system. The city of Atlanta was able to get a similar measure passed for its infrastructure repairs, but Richland has so far failed in its bid.

McLendon said the sales tax route is preferable to the hodge-podge of grants and loans the city has used to finance the repairs so far. "We don't want to borrow a lot of extra money we can't afford to pay back," he said. He noted that 70 percent of Richland's population of about 1,700 is in the low-income bracket.

Estimates of the cost for the still-needed repairs range from $500,000 to $700,000, he said, adding that the clock is ticking. "The bad pipe that's still in the ground will only get worse," he said.

Mayor : Incumbent Olan Faulk , retired from U.S. government , first term ; Adolph McLendon , served 21 years as mayor , retired from CSX Transportation.

Post 3 : Incumbent Kenneth Josey , employed by Tolleson Lumber Co. , served 11 years.

Adolph McLendon, who served 22 years as mayor and who retired from the railroad, is challenging Mayor Olin Faulk, who retired after serving as a representative for former U.S. Sen.

RICHLAND , Richland Mayor Adolph McLendon says he is delighted to see 150 jobs and nearly $4.5 million in payroll return to the city with the opening of Apex Homes, a modular home manufacturing facility.

McLendon said Richland lost about the same number of jobs and amount of payroll when Redmond-Champion closed its mobile home manufacturing plant here in November 2003.
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"It's going to be a big boost for our economy," McLendon said.

Richland Mayor Adolph McLendon said the pipes have caused the city's water to consistently exceed US Environmental Protection Agency standards for asbestos for the past five years, and in December 2003, a water sample showed asbestos fibers at 3,132 times the federal standard, according to the article.State Rep.