Report: EPA, community relationship ‘troubled’
By Michael Cooper, Springfield News-Sun, Ohio | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
But unless new information is discovered, it likely won't change how it plans to clean up the Tremont City Barrel Fill.
"We do think (the cleanup) is permanent and we do think it's protective and we do think it's a balance of all the criteria we have to look at," said
The
The goal is to have the site listed within the next year.
Local officials have worked for years to change the proposed remediation plan at the Tremont City Barrel Fill, a closed landfill for industrial waste barrels that contains about 1.5 million gallons of hazardous waste.
All local agencies want the barrels removed from the site, but the
Officials believe rainwater draining through the barrels could eventually contaminate the county's drinking water as the barrel fill sits near the city's aquifer. Any leakage could pose a risk to public health decades from now, officials said.
The immediate concern is to hear from and respond to the community, Tanaka said. She spoke with the Ohio EPA last week about sitting down with community stakeholders later this year.
"I'd like to do that as soon as we possibly can," Tanaka said. "We want it to be science-based. Science isn't easy. People have to get up to speed on the information. You have to get the right people at the table. To me, that's the most important next step."
Tanaka and site manager
"We would like (Monday's forum) to be the start of that process," Tanaka said. "We'd like to get in the weeds a little, as they say, and get a group, a number of folks who can represent the community, in the weeds with good science. We can talk about this and do our best to bridge any gaps we might have."
In 2010, area leaders believed the
In 2011 the
There are differences of opinion within the community about risk management decision-making and the nature of the hydrogeology on the site, according to the
If new information is discovered during the design phase, Tanaka said, it could lead to changes in how the contamination is addressed at the site.
"It's not uncommon to have that happen," Tanaka said. "It's usually new technical information about what's the situation at the site, either with geology, the nature of the contamination we're dealing with or the volume of the contamination."
The
"The site is assured to be cleaned up," Tanaka said. "You don't have to rely on cooperative responsible parties. It's a great place to be if you want work done on your site."
Last week,
The
"I do not think this situation will 'self correct' -- and will therefore either (i) continue indefinitely or (ii) will need substantial efforts aimed at conflict management and improved working relationships," McMahon says in the report.
The forum was a "huge step" in improving communications, said Welker of
"I do think we've turned a corner," Welker said.
The forum was presented by the Wittenberg geography department, which included 20 minutes of questions from community members. The conversation was constructive, Tanaka said, and they're working hard to clean up the site in
"People in my office know about your aquifer," Tanaka said. "They really do. They know how important it is to keep it safe."
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