EDITORIAL: City turns page on burned textiles plant.(Editorial)

Sep. 17--When the former Montex Textiles property burned in Allentown more than two years ago, it was no routine fire. Crews had to contend with hundreds of barrels of chemicals being stored there, including highly dangerous powdered aluminum, sulfuric acid, acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

After firefighters had the area at S. Sixth and Cumberland streets under control, the presence of the chemicals, some in damaged containers, so alarmed federal environmental officials that they ordered an immediate clean-up, even before the owners of the property could be found. There were homes right across the street and the sprawling Good Shepherd hospital buildings are nearby.

To make matters worse, the family involved with the business was not forthcoming about what was stored at the site. Last week, therefore, it was good to see criminal charges filed against two men who were indicted by a federal grand jury.

Moshe Rubashkin, 50, and his son, Sholom Rubashkin, 28, are free on $250,000 bond following their arrest Tuesday. Though the property was sold to Skyline Industries of Brooklyn in 2002, according to an indictment, the Rubashkins continued to store chemicals there through 2005. There actually were four fires that year, including an arson that never was solved.

On Wednesday, the Rubashkins paid about $3,000 in overdue Lehigh County taxes, interest and penalties on 11 of the 12 parcels at the Montex site. The Rubashkins still owe $171,000 in back ...