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U.S. EPA, Delphi examine 10 homes for air pollution
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
DAYTON — An investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Delphi Corp., in the vicinity of the company's Home Avenue plant, has found five homes with excessive levels of indoor air pollution and another five that could be hazardous, the Southwest Priority Board was told Tuesday night.
Steve Renninger, on-scene coordinator for the federal agency, said chemicals spilled from storage tanks at the plant two decades ago had crept into nearby soil and groundwater, which carried vapors through soil into neighboring houses, all of which are on South Ardmore and Bish avenues.
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Within weeks, the EPA and Delphi should agree on how to clean the contamination, he said. Delphi will fund the installation of indoor air evacuation devices to remove any harmful pollutants from the five homes and begin testing the other five. Testing will continue outward from the site until it is determined that the chemicals haven't spread any farther, Renninger said.
The levels of indoor air pollution are above exposure limits set by public health agencies but not high enough to require residents to leave their homes, Renninger said.
It's unclear what long-term health effects have been caused, said Mark Case of Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health. The chemicals — chloroform, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene — were used as cleaners and degreasers.
The leaking tanks were removed in 1989 along with contaminated soil and Delphi believed the problem had been resolved. In 2003 and 2004, testing showed problems might have gone beyond the plant gates, Renninger said. The Ohio EPA requested help in March.
Thomas Woods, a Delphi spokesman, said the company is using equipment at the plant to remove vapors from the soil.
