ROOM FOR CONFUSION

Let’s start off with the mission statement of the Ohio EPA: To protect the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship.

Now let’s move on to the situation in Fayette: An astonishingly high level of contamination found in catch basin sludge near the former Fayette Tubular Products facility and additional contamination in sewers near the school.

Next comes the action taken by the agency charged with protecting public health:

We’re still waiting.

Has the agency ordered testing by DH Holdings, the firm responsible for cleaning up contamination at the site? At the meeting Thursday night, it was reported that the agency is still talking about the situation and that DH Holdings claims no responsibility.

So has the Environmental Protection Agency studied the situation on its own? From what was said Thursday, the agency is only baffled by the presence of contamination in Fayette’s sewer system, stating that it should have been washed clean through heavy rains.

Village administrator Tom Spiess asked for direction in the matter. Should the sludge be considered hazardous waste?

How should it be cleaned up? Is there a danger to village workers?

The answer from an Ohio EPA official: “We’ll keep talking to DH Holdings.”

That’s it? After three months, this is how the public’s health is protected?

Last week’s quarterly report by the agency was far from comforting for village residents looking for answers to an environmental saga that began a dozen years ago when the Ohio EPA first became involved.

A village resident stated that people don’t know the facts of the issue. An agency representative responded that she isn’t sure where the confusion arises. The Ohio EPA provides consistent reports to the community, responds to concerns with letters, and maintains a file of all documentation at the local library.

She’s right, those actions are taken by the agency and that’s commendable, but there’s plenty of room for confusion.

The Ohio EPA states there’s no detection in school air, but then it’s reported that another firm did detect contamination in the school. The Ohio EPA says there’s no groundwater contamination near the school on the north side of the new addition, another environmental firm says there was detection two feet from the wall.

To top it off, the data are always changing. With every report, the edge of the plume of pollution is delineated, and every time it’s in a new location.

“We’re fairly confident we know where the plume is,” said an Ohio EPA official Thursday.

But how confident are we that they know what to do with it?