Thursday, December 28, 2006
The oil won't hurt anyone who touches it, an Ohio EPA official said.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
GREEN -- Cleanup is under way at Lisbon Road properties that were affected by an oil spill.
James Irwin, emergency response on-scene coordinator for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said the cleanup began Wednesday.
One hundred to 150 gallons of home heating oil leaked from a tank in the basement of an old house that was recently torn down.
It contaminated three yards on the same side of the road, the drainage ditch in front of them, and property across the road where the ditch crosses under it, Irwin confirmed. That property belongs to the Parks family, which owns Parks Garden Center. Tim Parks said that a pond on the property is used to water nursery plants.
Absorbent booms were still in place in the yards, on Parks' property and in the ditch Wednesday. The booms were placed there Dec. 1, the day the spill was discovered.
Irwin said the spill was not the fault of the contractor that demolished the house Nov. 27. He said the spill happened before the demolition, maybe because of vandalism.
Neighbor's discovery
The spill was discovered after a neighbor found yellow globs in his yard and called the fire department, said Dave Marino of 9339 Lisbon
Marino, who lives three houses down from the property where the spill occurred, said he came home Dec. 1 and saw a firetruck near his house. He said the truck was still there a few hours later, so he called a neighbor who told him there was a fuel spill. He said neighbors had noticed what smelled like diesel fumes all week. "That was the reason for it," he said.
Marino said he was never notified by anyone official about the spill, and that even though there was a boom placed in the drainage ditch in front of his house the night it was discovered, no one came to tell him his property might be affected.
He said that in days after the spill was discovered, it snowed. His children went out to play, and when they came in, they smelled of fuel oil.
Parks also said the EPA never contacted him, but he called the agency.
"And I talked to a gentleman there, and he said nothing made it under the road," Parks said. "But we know it made it under the road."
Marino said he is worried about his well water, which the family is using for cooking and washing. They are drinking bottled water.
He said he's noticed nothing unusual about the water, but he doesn't want to take a chance.
Irwin said that as far as he knew, neighbors were around while the containment was going on and they knew about the spill. He said the house next to the property where the spill occurred and the second house down were the most affected. Neither of those homeowners were available to comment.
Todd Baird, Green Township fire chief, said his department took immediate steps to contain the oil, then notified the Mahoning County hazardous materials team and the Ohio EPA.
He also said his firefighters notified neighbors. "We addressed it to everybody who happened to be out there," he said.
Will take water samples
Irwin said he did inspect Parks' property, and the contamination there is minimal. He said he told Parks he will take samples at the ditch, which empties into Parks' pond.
Irwin added that anyone who touched the oil would not be harmed unless they ingested it. He said wells in the area are 100 feet deep and aren't going to be affected, because the oil only contaminated about six inches of soil.
Nonetheless, he said, the agency will probably take well water samples just so residents can have peace of mind.
Irwin said a certified contractor is going to remove several tons of contaminated soil, which will be replaced. The project should take about two weeks. It's being paid for by insurance for the owner of the property where the spill occurred, he added.
starmack@vindy.com