TOSC-envirosafe, Ohio Project

Summary of Outreach Plan

Citizens of greater Toledo, Ohio, have requested Technical Outreach Services Communi ties (TOSC) Program assistance concerning the investigation of the environmental con tamination at the Envirosafe Services of Ohio (ESOI) hazardous waste landfill, in Oregon, Ohio. TOSC is a university based technical assistance program that is funded under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and that seeks to promote effective public involvement in the decision making about the investigation and cleanup of the ESOI facility. Following meetings with interested citizens and local officials, TOSC has prepared this Outreach Plan, which provides a summary of the contamination problem and describes current work at the facility, concerns that have been expressed by community members and services that TOSC will provide to address those concerns.

The ESOI facility is permitted to accept hazardous waste for treatment, storage and disposal. The facility operates under federal and state permits. These permits require ESOI to further investigate known contamination of groundwater and soils on its property and clean up contamination that presents unacceptable risks.. This “corrective action” work began in March 2002, and the first stage should be completed in March 2003. The entire investigation will take 2-3 years. During meetings, members of the public raised specific concerns and questions. They include (additional questions are listed in the full Outreach Plan, below):

What contaminants have been found at the ESOI site and where have they been found? What media (soils, groundwater, sediments) have been affected? How do we know that information, i.e., what site investigation work has been conducted? How reliable is that information?
Will the work currently being conducted at the site by ESOI, under the direction of the U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA, result in a clear understanding of the extent of contamination?
What ecological and human health impacts (if any) may have resulted (and may continue to result) from the ESOI site? What do the documents say on these issues? The Toledo drinking water intake lines run through the ESOI site and waste has been found in proximity to the lines. Is there a risk of contamination of drinking water from the operation of the ESOI facility (irrespective of whether there is offsite contamination)?

While some data exist about the contamination, there are many gaps in our understanding, which the current investigation is designed to address. To address the concerns of community members, the TOSC program will carry out the following tasks (these tasks are described in detail in the full Outreach Plan, below):

Provide information on key issues and concepts related to the characterization of the contamination at the ESOI property; and hold workshops to explain those issues and concepts, as they relate to the ESOI contamination.
Conduct a modeling/visualization exercise to explain the report’s findings. TOSC will develop 3D Flow and Transport Modeling and Visualization of the Envirosafe site based on typical or average values. The modeling will be conducted after the release of the Phase 1 report (scheduled for March 2003). The visual model will use existing data and assist citizens in understanding the effectiveness of the monitoring network and corrective action plan.
Assist Oregon citizens in staying informed during the Corrective Action process, including the regulatory framework and opportunities for public comment.

The ESOI facility is in the initial phases of the investigation of contamination. The timing of the project provides an excellent opportunity for the public to participate as a knowledgeable partner to the government agencies in the decision making about the cleanup work needed at the site. In assisting the community TOSC will work closely with others who have knowledge of the ESOI contamination, including local environmental organizations and faculty at other universities. TOSC’s involvement should not be seen as a substitute for U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA or ESOI’s reporting to the public on the corrective action investigation.

Other sections of the TOSC Outreach Plan: