Edited sentence: After a hundred years of discharge into the river there are sediments on the bottom that cannot be removed.Covington, VIrginia has had many choices to make concerning their historic public buildings and most have been removed.Currently there is one other historic public building in Covington.Dispite public pressure to find a better use for the old, but sound structure, it was reduced to rubble to make a parking lot.For a good look at the ravages of Meade Westvaco pollution go to the hilltop off US220 and observe the pristine green river turn to a dark ugly black color.If in Covington, please stop in to see this grand parking lot next to the new eye-sore that is the new city hall.It has little recreational use and is not safe to swim in the toxic mess.Please come take a picture before bad taste and bad government destroy this part of our heritage also.Pollution does this.The County Courthouse is a dignified structure located on Main Street.The Jackson River is a very beautiful scenic river upstream from Covington.The decision was prompted by a mayor and two city councilmen that formed a 3-2 majority.The fish downstream from the Covington Meade Westvaco paper mill are not edible and the water is not potable.The most recent was the razing of the old city hall building which was also an early high school