City audit singles out R&D Testing and Drilling

ATLANTA - An audit report shows that Atlanta will have to spend an extra $6 million after paying nearly $8 million to remove contaminated soil from D.L. Stanton Park. <br> <br> The report - released Tuesday - says the City Council asked for the internal city audit in November, citing hefty project costs and questions about work done by the primary contractor, R&D Testing and Drilling. <br> <br> The firm was once owned by Samuel ``Rickey&#39;&#39; Rowe, a close friend of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell. <br> <br> Auditors found that numerous purchasing laws were ignored when Rowe was awarded nearly $8 million to remove landfill materials from the 7.7 acre park. The work was awarded without bids or a formal contract. And, Rowe&#39;s company didn&#39;t have payment and performance bonds that the city code requires. <br> <br> Cleanup at the park was initiated in January 1999 after a girl was burned in a methane gas explosion in the soil. An investigation revealed that the park was built on a landfill. <br> <br> Campbell promised that the city would spend $1 million to fix the problem and reopen the park in a year. Auditors concluded that an annual citywide contract with R&D had expired in June 1999, before work began. <br> <br> Company officials say Rowe has sold his interest in the business, which filed for bankruptcy recently.

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