Some buildings at arsenal can be razed

RAVENNA (AP) -- The Army has determined that most of the buildings at a former ammunition plant in northeast Ohio can be demolished despite being coated with lead-based paint.
Only six of the 121 buildings remaining at the site cannot be razed and would have to be burned because explosive materials remain within the structures, said Mark Patterson, facility manager at the Ravenna Arsenal.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has to approve the burning because the paint contains high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which can cause cancer, liver damage and skin irritation, as well as environmental problems.
The EPA's decision is expected within weeks, but public hearings and potential appeals could take a year, said Patterson and William Krimmer, a resident who opposes the burning.
Residents and local government officials complained in January after a study by contractors concluded that more than 100 buildings at the 21,419-acre site needed to be burned as part of cleanup efforts.
The Army's Technical Center for Explosive Safety has re-examined buildings and determined that if equipment was fortified with metal plates and shields, workers could be protected against small explosions during demolition of some of the structures, Patterson said.