Sampling of Riverside vapor investigation nears end

City, EPA wants residents to sign up for free tests.


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What: Valley Pike vapor intrusion informal meetings

When: 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4

Where: EPA local office, 2049 Harshman Road

More info: Call 937-237-7530

The window is closing for some Riverside residents to get their home tested to help determine how serious vapor intrusion is in the Valley Pike neighborhood.

Residents have until March 30 to turn in a signed access agreement to have the Environmental Protection Agency collect air samples from their home after the deadline was extended in November and the testing area was expanded.

Steve Renninger, on-scene coordinator for the EPA’s Region 5 in Cincinnati, said the EPA also is now looking to sample homes in the Pompano Circle area, which raises the total number of homes impacted by the investigation to approximately 520.

About 310 homes have been sampled, and approximately 85 mitigation systems have been installed, he said.

“The city encourages anyone who’s in the area that’s being investigated to strongly, strongly consider having their home tested,” Riverside City Manager Bryan Chodkowski said. “It doesn’t cost anything. It will definitely improve the in-home air quality if a remediation system is installed for those who are affected.”

An investigation started the summer of 2013 after the EPA conducted groundwater sampling in the area and discovered an above screening level presence of TCE (Trichloroethylene) and PCE (Tetrachloroethylene).

Symptoms of breathing high levels of TCE and PCE include headaches; dizziness; liver, kidney and immune system issues; effects to reproductive and respiratory systems; nausea; cancer in animals and possibly humans; and, in some cases, death.

The EPA will host two informal sessions for the public on Wednesday, March 4, at its local office, 2049 Harshman Road. EPA, Riverside and health officials will be available for one-on-one discussion.

Renninger said this is the agency’s final push before the deadline.

“There’s the possibility of additional sampling (after the deadline), but we’re trying to get it done as much as possible in March,” Renninger said.

The area of concern was initially bordered by Guernsey Dell Avenue, Minnesota Drive, Hypathia Avenue, Rohrer Boulevard and Valley Pike.

Last July, the sampling expanded to the Forest Home Avenue, Prince Albert Boulevard, Broadmead Boulevard and Warrendale Avenue areas. In November, the EPA expanded the area of concern farther west to Sagamore Avenue.

The contamination is moving southwest, parallel to Valley Pike, Renninger has said.

Renninger said the EPA continues to investigate the source of contamination, and he hopes to have it wrapped up in March or April. He previously said the source likely is located about 800 to 1,000 feet east of Hypathia Avenue.

Councilman Steve Fullenkamp said City Council might invite Renninger to a council meeting in March to give an update on the investigation.

“This does have an impact on that community, and I do feel bad for those folks,” he said.

Sampling takes 24 hours, and it takes three weeks to get the results back, Renninger has said.

The sampling and mitigation installation are at no cost to the homeowner. It costs the EPA $1,000 for the sampling and $5,000 to install the mitigation system. A mitigation system costs a homeowner about $75 a year in electric expenses, Renninger has said.

The fan in the mitigation system comes with a five-year warranty, and the homeowner is responsible for any repairs once the warranty expires.

The drinking water is not impacted by the site conditions, according to the EPA. The drinking water comes from the city of Dayton’s public water supply.

Health officials previously advised residents who have a private water well to no longer consume the water because there could be the potential of cross-contamination with home plumbing.

Vapor intrusion occurs when underground pollutants give off dangerous gases that can rise up through the soil and seep into buildings through foundation cracks and holes, causing unsafe indoor air pollution, according to the EPA.

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