The proposed meeting would be open to the public and would likely include members of the Springfield City Commission, Clark County Commission, local Twp., trustees and other community leaders.
The goal is to get answers as to why a planned cleanup proposal has yet to move forward as well as discuss next steps in the future, said Springfield City Commissioner David Estrop.
Frustration stems from the proximity of the barrel fill to an aquifer that provides drinking water for tens of thousands of area residents. The area of concern, a little over 3 miles north of Springfield, is located at 3108 Snyder Domer Road and is a 8.5-acre section of a closed landfill that had been used for industrial waste barrels.
The chemical waste at the Tremont Barrel Fill has not contaminated the source of local drinking water. But the concern is that waste, if not removed, can seep into the water supply in the future causing major complications.
The hope is that a community meeting will not only lead to the cleanup process moving forward, but educate the next generation about the importance of removing toxic waste from the barrel fill.
A previous community meeting that saw hundreds in attendance eventually lead to action being taken in 2018, said Estrop and he is hoping that another meeting will have the same result.
However, when and where the meeting will take place is still being discussed.
Officially listed as the Tremont City Barrel Fill Site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is a closed industrial waste landfill in German Township and is about 1.5 miles west of Tremont City and about 3.5 miles northwest of Springfield.
The site is located in the northwest corner of a larger, 80-acre property that also includes the Tremont City Landfill and the Tremont City Waste Transfer Facility. About 51,500 drums and about 300,000 gallons of industrial liquid waste were disposed of in waste cells at the site between 1976 and 1979.
That information was listed on U.S. EPA’s website as the barrel fill is being addressed under that agency’s Superfund alternative approach.
But, local officials have expressed frustration over what they see as a delay in the cleanup process.
A record of decision regarding the barrel fill was finalized in 2018 between the community, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Potential Responsible Parties, which determined the method for cleaning up the barrel fill site, according to past news release from the City of Springfield.
The U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Justice began negotiations with Potential Responsible Parties in 2019 and have yet to finalize a Consent Decree placing the financial burden on the companies who contributed toxic chemicals to the barrel fill site, the release from the city added.
The consent agreement, if agreed upon by those companies listed as the responsible parties, would allow the process to move forward as well as the development of more detailed cleanup plans. That would include the removal of liquid toxic waste from the site in Clark County and the remaining solid toxic waste would be reburied in a double-lined pit. That location would then be capped and nearby ground water would be monitored to detect any leaks.
However, local officials say they have not been notified when that would happen and are looking at ways to apply pressure so that the consent agreement will be finalized soon.
A spokesperson with the EPA said that it is not uncommon for those type of negotiations, including a consent agreement, to last from six months to a few years, depending on the specific legal and technical circumstances at each Superfund site.
The spokesperson said that the EPA is committed to moving the negotiation process forward. However, the city of Springfield and Clark County Health Commissioner Charlie Patterson met with the Ohio EPA last month to discuss the option of listing the site on the Superfund’s National Priorities List.
The City of Springfield and Clark County have asked Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine to consider listing the property on the National Priorities list in a move to reignite efforts to clean up the site.
“It’s an outrage that this site hasn’t been cleaned up and still poses a threat to the health and safety of this community,” Estrop previously stated. “Our aquifer is not only one of this community’s most vital assets, but key to the health and well-being of those who live here.”
State Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, said he is urging Ohio’s two U.S. senators and House representatives that represent Clark County to lobby on behalf of having some money from a recently approved federal infrastructure bill directed towards the cleanup of the barrel fill site.
About the Author
