Home Care In Delta, OH

DELTA, Ohio (WTVG) - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a series of testing to be conducted in Fulton County after elevated lead levels were recently detected in the air, causing concern among community members.

A statement from the Ohio EPA on Thursday said the agency alerted Bunting Bearings and the Fulton County Land Bank that environmental sampling, lead dust suppression measures and community engagement are required. It comes just days after state leaders notified the community that elevated lead levels were detected in November and December near the Bunting Bearings demolition site.

The demolition has since stopped. Environmental experts will continue to monitor lead levels. If the levels of lead leaving the site remain elevated, Bunting Bearings and the Lank Bank will be required to investigate the cause and determine next steps to reduce emissions. They will also have to hire an expert to develop plans to assess the site and address lead concerns.

Those entities have to submit details of lead mitigation plans, air quality monitoring and more, then have that approved by the Ohio EPA before any additional demolition work can resume.

“The order also requires the responsible parties to name a community liaison and create a plan for communicating with residents and coordinating access for sampling activities,” the statement read in part. “In addition, Bunting Bearings and the Land Bank must submit documentation to Ohio EPA on where all materials from the demolition went, along with waste receipts.”

Officials took air and wipe samples from the community on Wednesday and the results of that testing will be available at the link here. They also checked over the elementary, middle and high school buildings.

Experts also conducted water testing out of an abundance of caution and found there was no lead detected.

Ohio EPA collected additional samples from areas including the elementary, middle and high schools. Lead was not found in public drinking water in Delta and Swanton.

DELTA, Ohio — The Ohio EPA issued Director's Final Findings and Orders to Bunting Bearings and the Fulton County land bank on Thursday, following the detection of elevated levels of lead in air samples caused by a demolition project in Delta.

The orders require Bunting Bearings and the Fulton County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) to conduct environmental sampling, implement lead dust suppression measures and participate in community outreach.

Under the order, if elevated levels of lead continue to be detected by the Ohio EPA's air monitors, Bunting Bearings and the land bank are required to investigate the cause and propose steps to reduce emissions.

An environmental contractor must also be hired by the county and company to develop a site assessment plan concerning lead releases associated with the demolition. The plan requires Ohio EPA approval and must include community soil and surface wipe testing, a timeline for completing the work and steps to reduce lead if air sampling continues to exceed state or federal standards.

According to an Ohio EPA statement released Tuesday, air sampling from November and December showed lead concentrations ranging from three to five times the federal safety standard. The agency said that demolition at the site caused the elevated levels of lead in the air. Demolition at the facility on Van Buren Street, which processes and manufactures materials including lead, began in November as the company prepares to relocate operations to Mansfield, the Ohio EPA said in its report. The Ohio EPA has been monitoring in Delta near Bunting Bearings since 1986.

A spokesperson for Bunting Bearings told WTOL 11 on Wednesday that the Fulton County land bank and an environmental firm are in charge of the demolition project, with a goal of furthering community development in Delta.

Demolition has been halted at the site and before future demolition can take place, the company and land bank are required to submit a lead mitigation plan regarding how dust will be controlled, how waste will be handled and how air quality will be monitored.

The Ohio EPA's order also requires both parties to name a community liaison and create a plan for communicating with residents and coordinating access for sampling activities. Bunting Bearings and the land bank must submit documentation to the Ohio EPA regarding where all materials from the demolition went, along with waste receipts.

Additionally, the Ohio EPA said that additional air and wipe samples were collected Wednesday from structures in areas near the demolition site, including Delta's elementary school, middle school and high school. Lead was not detected in drinking water samples collected out of an abundance of caution from the Delta and Swanton water treatment plants, according to the Ohio EPA.

Questions related to health, lead exposure or blood testing should be directed to Kim Cupp at the Fulton County Health Department at 419-337-0915, or the Ohio Department of Health at 614-644-8562, the Ohio EPA said.

Any questions related to the environment, including outdoor air, soil or water sampling, should be directed to the Ohio EPA at 614-644-2160.

Air samples showed elevated levels of lead near the Bunting Bearings site from November and December, and as a precaution, water will be tested in Delta and Swanton.

DELTA, Ohio — The Ohio EPA is investigating demolition activity at the site of a lead processing and manufacturing facility in Fulton County.

The agency conducts air sampling several times a month near the Bunting Bearings facility, which processes and manufactures materials containing lead. In November, demolition began at the Van Buren Street site as part of Bunting Bearings’ plan to relocate operations to Mansfield.

While collecting a routine air sample Dec. 16, Ohio EPA staff observed a large amount of dust coming from demolition work at the site. Because the demolition was occurring close to residential areas, the agency expedited analysis of the December sample.

According to the Ohio EPA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead is 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter. Test results returned Dec. 31 showed the monthly average lead concentration near the site was 0.451 micrograms per cubic meter in November. Expedited results returned Jan. 2 showed the December average was 0.747 micrograms per cubic meter.

For comparison, the monthly average at the same monitoring location was 0.006 micrograms per cubic meter in September and 0.012 micrograms per cubic meter in October.

Ohio EPA staff were on site over the weekend and Monday to confirm that demolition activity has stopped. The agency will continue air monitoring to determine whether lead levels remain elevated and says it will release sampling results as they become available.

While the agency said it has no concerns about drinking water, Ohio EPA will analyze water samples from the Delta and Swanton public drinking water systems as a precaution. Bunting Bearings has been instructed to hire an environmental consulting firm to conduct soil and other testing to determine the extent of any potential contamination. The Ohio EPA said it will issue official orders to the responsible parties and will review how demolition waste was handled and disposed of.

The Ohio Department of Health said the immediate public health risk has decreased because demolition has stopped, reducing lead levels in outdoor air. However, lead dust already in the environment remains a concern, particularly for children under 6, who are more vulnerable to health effects from lead exposure.

Health officials note that people exposed to lead may not show immediate symptoms and say a blood test is the best way to determine exposure. ODH is working with the Fulton County Health Department to encourage residents to contact their health care provider with concerns. The county health department has also committed to supporting community testing.

Ohio EPA and ODH said they are working closely with the company, the Fulton County Health Department and the village of Delta.

ODH recommends steps to limit lead exposure, including washing children’s hands and toys, removing shoes before entering the home, wet-cleaning floors and dusty surfaces and removing work clothes before entering the house if household members work with lead-related materials.

The ODH Department of Health Lead Program can be reached by calling 1-877-LEAD-SAFE or by emailing [email protected].

On Wesndesday, Bunting Bearings released a statement on the spike in lead found in air samples:

"Please note that the results of high lead in the air do not in anyway come from our ongoing and daily operations at our delta facility but rather a demolition project ran by the Fulton County Landbank and an environmental firm that was in charge of the project.This is a short term event resulting in dust which comes from buildings that were being demolished to make room for further community development within the Village of Delta.OEPA routinely monitors our site and we are constantly below the .15 threshold and we are working with and in full cooperation with OEPA in every area to ensure compliance and safety of the community.”