Q&A on the News

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Q: Have any holes been drilled in the soil for testing at the General Motors site to see how contaminated the area might be?

-- Wayne Everett, Cumming

A: Soil and groundwater samples have been taken, and General Motors has remediated lead from sediments and continues to remediate benzene from the groundwater, David Yardumian, a unit coordinator in the Hazardous Waste Management and Remediation Program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Land Protection Branch, told Q&A on the News. Both remediations are limited in area, which means the entire Doraville site, off I-285, does not have lead or benzene issues, Yardumian said in an e-mail.

Q: Recently, I read the body of celebrated graphic artist Harvey Pekar was found. Has the cause of death been determined?

-- Suzanne Sports, Peachtree City

A: A spokesman with the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Coroner’s Office told Q&A on the News that toxicology tests are not back from Pekar’s autopsy and “there is nothing new to report.” According to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Pekar suffered from high blood pressure, asthma and depression and had been diagnosed with prostate cancer before his death on July 12. He was 70. The paper reported that Pekar was cremated and buried in the city’s Lake View Cemetery. Pekar’s autobiographical comics were adapted into a 2003 movie, “American Splendor.”

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).