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OEPA: S.H. Bell Co. in East Liverpool says it will lower its dust emissions
EAST LIVERPOOL — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the S.H. Bell Co. has agreed to take substantial new steps to reduce manganese dust emissions at its two ferro-alloys facilities here.
Since 2000, samples taken at three East Liverpool air monitors have shown the average concentrations of manganese exceed the U.S. EPA’s recommended safe levels for inhalation exposure, according to Ohio EPA spokesman Mike Settles.
S.H. Bell handles and distributes metals, minerals and semifinished industrial materials.
The federal EPA says that long-term human exposure to inhaled high levels of manganese may result in central-nervous-system problems affecting reaction time, hand steadiness and hand-eye coordination.
Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski said, “As a result of this agreement, I am optimistic we will soon see the day where manganese emissions no longer pose a concern for the community. I commend S.H. Bell for continuing to invest its time and resources improving its facilities and East Liverpool’s air quality.”
The settlement with S.H. Bell follows a 2008 agreement aimed at eliminating nuisance dust conditions at the company’s Stateline facility at 2217 Michigan Ave. and its Little England facility at 1st St. George and Walter Streets in the city.
After the initial agreement, S.H. Bell implemented several measures to control dust generated by the facilities’ processing, handling and storage operations. But outdoor air-monitoring results showed that though manganese concentrations have dropped since mid-2008, they continue to pose a public-health nuisance.
S.H. Bell agreed to promptly install additional dust-control measures for all of the remaining significant sources of manganese emissions at the facilities. Efforts will focus on dust-suppression efforts on the dump-truck and river-barge unloading areas, as well as the crushing, screening and dryer operations. In addition, all processing, handling and storage of materials that would cause manganese emissions will completely be eliminated at the Little England facility.
The OEPA will evaluate future air-quality data to determine the effectiveness of the additional controls.
Rusty Davis, vice president of operations for the company, said that the new dust controls will cost between $400,000 and $800,000 this year.
He said that previous cleanup efforts have cost the company $750,000.
“We’re trying to do what we can,” he said.
In a statement, company President John M. Bell, said: “S.H. Bell Co. has established itself as a dedicated community partner. We have 70 employees at our two facilities in the area, and many of those employees live in the region. We, too, are concerned about emissions.”
wilkinson@vindy.com