Petroleum cleanup moves to remediation

NORWALK — State and Huron County officials are continuing the cleanup of petroleum contamination tied to a former Sohio property in the Shady Lane complex area. State records list the site at 258 Benedict Ave. while county records tie the cleanup to the larger Shady Lane complex. The exact location of the former underground tanks within the property was not clear from records available at the time of publication. State officials say petroleum remains in the soil and groundwater, but there is no immediate health risk to the public. Jamie Crawford, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, said the original fuel release happened in 2009. Gasoline or diesel escaped from underground storage tanks, and crews responded by removing as much of the liquid fuel as possible. That addressed the immediate problem, including any potential fire hazard, but some petroleum remained underground. Over the years, environmental testing has been used to determine where that contamination is located and how it should be cleaned up. Contamination remains underground Testing completed in June found benzene above cleanup levels in two monitoring wells. One of those wells is located off the county property in the East Water Street right-of-way near U.S. 250. Crawford said the finding does not mean nearby residents or businesses face an immediate health threat. Instead, the state wants the remaining contamination treated so it does not cause problems in the future, such as spreading farther underground or interfering with future use of the property. The contamination is tied to the historic fuel release and not a new spill. Treatment planned The next step is laid out in a remedial action plan, which serves as the formal cleanup plan for the remaining contamination. The remedial action plan submitted July 31 calls for treating three areas of the property through 53 underground injection locations. An environmental treatment material would be mixed with water and injected into the ground at depths ranging from about 7 to 20 feet. The treatment is designed to reduce the petroleum contamination remaining in the soil and groundwater. Officials would then test groundwater every three months for a year to determine whether the treatment worked. Soil would also be tested near the end of that period. Crawford said the active cleanup comes after years of testing to determine the extent of the contamination. The property is in a mixed-use area with county facilities, businesses and residences nearby. State records identify the former Sohio property as 258 Benedict Ave. County records identify it as part of the larger Shady Lane complex, also known as the old administrative campus. County has worked on site for years Huron County has previously taken steps to address the contamination. In 2021, county commissioners approved an agreement with BJAAM Environmental to prepare and carry out cleanup work at the Shady Lane complex. The estimated cost at the time was about $34,000. The county later placed restrictions on the affected portion of the property because of the historic petroleum contamination. The latest cleanup plan was also advertised through a public notice. Crawford said that notice is required when this type of active cleanup takes place and should not be viewed as a warning that a new spill or immediate danger has been discovered. "The remedial action plan addresses historical contamination and is part of the regulatory process for proper cleanup," Crawford said.