According to Ohio EPA staff, the agency soon will be sending letters to hundreds of sites throughout the state requesting that property owners take action to evaluate known trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination.
For more than a year, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been reviewing records and investigating sites that may be contaminated with TCE. Now, Ohio EPA intends to request that property owners take further action. In a recent meeting with environmental consultants, Ohio EPA announced its intention to send letters informing property owners that "TCE may be a health concern at their property." In these letters, Ohio EPA plans to ask property owners to "evaluate health risks both on and off their property" and notify Ohio EPA of the property owners' "plan of action and results" regarding TCE. Ohio EPA has not yet shared the letters with the public, but noted that the letters will be sent "in the coming weeks." Sites targeted by Ohio EPA include some that have satisfied all of Ohio EPA's Voluntary Action Program (VAP) no further action criteria. This is significant for site owners and interested parties who believed all environmental issues on their properties have been addressed.
