Welcome to Citizen Pollution Watch

CPW Mission and Vision (What success looks like):

Citizen Pollution Watch (CPW) is a citizen led group comprised of residents, business leaders, and local leaders from Westerville, Blendon Township and Columbus, Ohio, who are concerned about the I-270/Westerville Road industrial site, and the reported impacts it is having on our community.  We are coming together to, at long last, clean up this industrial site, and remedy the reported negative impacts it is having on our community.  Our ultimate goal, which is in alignment with the long-term goals of Blendon Township and Westerville, is to transform this industrial site from the ugly, dusty, noisy, odorous, and potentially dangerous area it is now, into a vibrant, multi-useful and healthy area for all to enjoy.  This is our mission.

Our guiding document is the Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan, a plan created in 2015 by Blendon Township and Westerville, to redevelop this industrial site, and the Westerville Road area near the site.  We will have succeeded in our mission when everyone, living within a three-mile radius of this industrial site, can enjoy their properties, schools, places of worship, city and town free of disruptive industrial asphalt and compost odors, industrial dust, noise, and truck traffic, and when we are certain the surface, ground and groundwater at and near this industrial site, are being protected from any and all contaminants related to this industrial site.

In a sense, CPW is the second iteration of this industrial site clean-up/transformation.  The first clean-up effort took place back in early 2000, and was led by a different citizen group that called themselves “Citizens for Clean Air.”  CCA disbanded in 2005.  CPW was started by a different group of citizens, unrelated to “Citizens for Clean Air.”  We started operating without a name in April of 2013.  When we started a Facebook group in 2016, we named ourselves and our effort, “Citizen Pollution Watch.”

The Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan:

This plan was created in 2015 by Blendon Township and Westerville, and, as mentioned, is an exciting “new” vision of what this industrial site (and the area of Westerville Road near it) could be.  You can view this plan on the CPW homepage, and sign your name in support of this 270/Westerville Road industrial site transformation.  Our goal is to collect tens of thousands of signatures in support of this very important plan for our community.

Our Ultimate Goal:  Our ultimate goal is our mission mentioned above, but the possibilities for making things better at this industrial site are numerous, from the minimal, to the more extensive (see the CPW Clean Up Plan).

CPW has already uncovered some 30 violations at the site and taken these to the proper regulatory authorities.  This is a good first step.   A good second step would be a moratorium on any permitting/activity that would increase emissions and discharges.  Also, a continuous air monitoring system should be installed at the site, especially since the companies here have a history of violations, AND because the OEPA readily admits they are too understaffed to keep watch.  There are ~5000 emitting facilities in Franklin County alone.  Next, a comprehensive audit should take place, including a thorough review of all permits, air emission formulas, chemical air and water analysis, noise measurements, and a traffic study.  This audit would ensure that the very best pollution control measures are being employed at the site.

If citizens continue to suffer, some plants might have to be relocated.  If citizens continue to suffer, production levels of those remaining might have to be reduced.  AND if citizens continue to suffer, maybe an industrial site is not appropriate here at all.

CPW Free Membership:

As of December, 2020, our CPW membership is roughly at 265 LIKES on our facebook page.  With the launch of our new website (January, 2020), and our CPW MEMBER section, we hope to formally and significantly grow our numbers.  Growing our collective voice is critical to achieving our goals.  To become a CPW member is free and easy.

 

CPW Communication System(s)

 

  • Our newly launched CPW website
  • CPW facebook page
  • Our monthly email updates (you can sign up for this when you become a member)
  • Periodic community meetings (in person or on zoom)
  • CPW 4th Friday Info. Booth
  • Our on-line citizen complaint system (via our website)

 

Joining CPW and Other Simple Action Steps You Can Take Right Now to Help

We hope you will consider joining CPW in our efforts to clean up and transform the I-270/Westerville Road industrial site.  We hope every citizen and business leader in Blendon Township, Westerville and NE Columbus will take the following action steps, but others can too.  Maybe you are from another town or city and you shop at the new Aldis in Blendon Township, and have been bothered by the asphalt production odors, or, the composting smells. Maybe you enjoy going to Sharon Woods or Innis Woods, and are bothered by the asphalt production odors.  Maybe when you drive on Westerville Road you are annoyed by all of the truck traffic around this area.  You too can help by taking the following simple action steps:

  1. Become a CPW member (its free and easy at the CPW website)
  2. File your citizen pollution complaints at the CPW website whenever you feel you are being impacted by the 270/Westerville Road industrial site
  3. Visit the CPW website and sign your name in support of the Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan
  4. Print off the Westerville Road Area Plan Synopsis to share with everyone you know. Pass it around at your school, place of worship, etc. and ask people to add their name in support of this plan at the CPW website
  5. Visit the CPW Educational Booth at Westerville’s 4th Fridays
  6. Spread word about our group and our efforts

Who Has CPW Met With, Talked With, etc.?    

CPW has been working on this issue for seven years.  Our goal was to learn everything we could about this industrial site, and the impacts it might be having on our community.  We have made countless public record requests, and collected binders full of documents associated with this industrial site.  You can view all of these on the CPW website’s “Public Archive” section.  We have also made hundreds of phone calls, and follow up phone calls, with practically every regulator and leader associated with this industrial site, including extensive talks with the Ohio EPA and the U.S. EPA.  We have met with the OEPA twice, with Rep. Leland twice, Rep. Lightbody once, presented before Westerville City Council and Blendon township, etc.  We have held 2 community meetings on this issue, displayed our CPW educational booth for the past two years at Westerville 4th Friday.

We have reached out to the media and our environmental injustice story was featured in the Dispatch in 2014.  In 2018 a reporter from 10tv came to our community to cover this story (you can view this on our homepage).  In 2014, one of our members also filed a Verified Complaint concerning the asphalt plant (any citizen can do so with the OEPA).  This set an OEPA investigation in motion, which then led to litigation via the Environmental Review Appeals Commission, an administrative body that oversees the OEPA’s decisions.  Through this process company documents related to the asphalt plant were collected.  We also have these on file.

The 270/Westerville Road Industrial Site:                                                                 

The 270/Westerville Road industrial site is at the juncture of I-270 and Westerville Road.  This large industrial site operates in close proximity to the long-established neighborhoods of Blendon Township/Huber Ridge, Westerville, NE Columbus/Northland/Minerva Park, etc.  All of the citizens in the neighborhoods surrounding this industrial site, and living within at least a 3-mile radius, are subject to the risks that come with industrial production.  This industrial site ALSO operates along Alum Creek, and a quarter of a mile upstream from the Huber Ridge public drinking water supply wells.  These important water sources are also subject to the risks associated with industrial production.

The industrial site consists of not one or two, but up to eight emitting facilities (and each facility may have numerous emitting components to their operation):

  • Scioto Materials asphalt plant (co-owned by Kokosing Materials and Shelly Materials)
  • An unnamed portable recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) crushing plant
  • Anderson Concrete plant
  • Top Cat Concrete plant
  • Metro Materials portable reclaimed concrete crushing plant
  • Sarasota Transport’s portable plants (concrete related)
  • Kurtz Bros Commercial nursery
  • Kurtz Bros/Westerville Yard Waste Facility class IV Yard Waste Compost Facility
  • Kurtz Bros Grinding plant

 

The Industrial Site in More Detail

This industrial site is 109 acres, and it operates out of view, and along Alum Creek.  It is set back off Westerville Road, just south of I-270.

It is bordered by:

  • Westerville Road to the east
  • Alum Creek to the west
  • I-270 to its north
  • Paris Court at the southern tip
  • Dempsey Road cuts through the middle of the industrial site.

 

The industrial site can be dissected into three sections:

  1. Northern section
  2. Mid-section
  3. Southern section

 

THE NORTHERN SECTION
Northern section operates in Columbus.
This northern section includes:

  1. Scioto Materials’ Asphalt Plant
    Co-owned by Kokosing Materials and Shelly Materials
    A 600,000 ton a year plant
    This is considered a large asphalt production plant
  2. A portable Recycled Asphalt Pavement Crushing Plant (RAP plant)
    Owner unknown
    Crushes tens of thousands of pounds of RAP each year
  3. Anderson Concrete
    Amounts produced unknown
  4. One of Three Sections of Kurtz Bros’ Class IV Yard Waste Composting Facility
    Amount of compost created is unknown

 

THE MID-SECTION
This section operates in Blendon Township.
This mid-section includes:

  1. Metro Materials’ portable concrete crushing plant
    A 3 million ton a year portable crushing plant
  2. Sarasota Transport’s Portable Pugmill plant(s)—Concrete Related Plants
    Amounts unknown
  3. Second of Three Sections of Kurtz Bros’ Class IV Yard Waste Composting Facility
    Amount of compost created is unknown

THE SOUTHERN SECTION
Operates in Blendon Township.
This southern section includes:

  1. Third section of the Kurtz Bros Class IV Yard Waste Composting Facility
    Compost amounts unknown
  2. TopCat Concrete
    500,000 tons a year

Alum Creek and the Huber Ridge Public Water Supply Wells

This industrial site operates adjacent to Alum Creek, a water of the state.  At least one tributary cuts from east to west across the property.  This tributary flows between the asphalt plant property and Anderson Concrete and empties, of course, into Alum Creek.  This site is also approximately a quarter mile up-stream from the Huber Ridge public drinking water supply wells.  In fact, the southern section of the industrial site operates in the Source Water Protection Area for this public water supply.

This close proximately to these water sources has citizens concerned as to what impact this industrial activity could be having on the creek, and the ground water/aquifer that feeds the Huber Ridge drinking water wells.  CPW has uncovered 30 + violations at the site, some of which have to do with illegal industrial pollution discharges, and a lack of legally required water sampling.

What air contaminants are being emitted from this industrial site?

According to the many OEPA air permits related to this site, the companies are allowed to emit many tons of particulate matter (PM).  This PM can contain various chemicals.  The asphalt plant is permitted to emit tons of PM and chemical (gas) stack emissions.  In OEPA lingo, these PM/ chemical emissions are called “allowable emissions.”

What chemicals make up the cumulative PM? No one knows for sure because there has never been, to our knowledge, a comprehensive chemical air analysis of the cumulative PM emissions coming from this industrial site.  However, if one knows what chemicals are in the products being used and made at site (concrete, asphalt, yard waste compost, etc.) one can surmise the possibilities.  (We go into more detail about this in our “About Industrial Site” section).

What chemicals make up the asphalt stack emissions?  These are the only emissions scientifically measured at the site.  Unfortunately, these stack chemical emissions (or class of chemicals) are required to be measured ONLY once every five years to ensure the stack is emitting below the allowable levels outlined in their OEPA air permit:

  • Volatile organic compounds (see the long list in the “About Industrial Site” section)
  • Nitrogen Oxide
  • Sulfur dioxide
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Particulate Matter

Q: If emissions are measured on this one day, who is to say the asphalt plant will run, for the next five years, exactly that same way, as it did on the day they measured emissions?  I mean, aren’t there many variables that influence how many emissions are released during       asphalt production?

A:  The test is supposed to be conducted (via the federal Clean Air Act laws) under what is called “worst case conditions.”  This way, the OEPA and the citizens living within 3 miles of this plant, are ensured that EVEN when the plant is running in a way that will create the most emissions, it still can pass its test.

Q:  So, has the OEPA required the plant to always conduct its 5-year test under “worst case conditions?”

A:  No and this concerns CPW a great deal

What contaminants might be going into Alum Creek, the tributary on site, down sewers, onto the ground at the site, and groundwater, etc.?

No one knows because there has never been a comprehensive chemical analysis of ground, groundwater, storm water runoff, leaching, etc.  We do know that concrete washout is deposited into unlined pits at the site, and that this can contain toxic metals.  No direct discharges from the site should be going into the creek, the tributary, etc.  CPW does not yet understand the procedure for depositing industrial waste into sanitary sewers, and/or if this is permitted at this site.  We will write more when we understand this process, and if this is happening here.

Citizen Pollution Complaints:

The industrial site, as we know it today (complete with all of these emitting sources) has developed over the past two decades, since the late 90s.  For years, local leaders, including the regulators of this industrial site, have received complaints from the citizens living within at least a three-mile radius of this site. In the last 18 months alone, CPW has forwarded 206 citizen pollution complaints to these leaders and regulators. Before these 206 complaints, these same leaders received 9 pages of citizen testimonials outlining concerns. CPW will continue to forward these citizen pollution complaints as documenting these complaints is critical to achieving our clean-up goals.

Citizens contend that the odors, dust, noise, and truck traffic, associated with this large industrial site, are causing them to experience physical symptoms, emotional stress, and a degraded quality of life.  Parents have expressed concerns that the site could be negatively impacting their children’s health.  Teachers have expressed concerns about odors impacting their student’s when they are out on recess.  Residents of these neighborhoods are worried it might be impacting property values, local businesses, and their city’s marketability.  While still others are concerned about the possible impacts this industrial site might be having on Alum Creek and the Alum Creek aquifer.

Citizens complain of the following primary issues:

  • Various odors
  • Large amounts of dust (particulate matter)
  • Industrial noise
  • Truck traffic on Westerville Road associated with the industrial site

 

Specific concerns are described as the following:

  • chemical odor(s) allegedly from asphalt production
  • cherry-like odor allegedly from the odor control product used by asphalt plant
  • detergent smell (source unidentified–citizens concerned it is coming from this industrial site)
  • putrid odors allegedly coming from the compost facility
  • fire-like odors allegedly coming from fires that spontaneously combust atop the compost piles
  • industrial noise from various site activity (sometimes at all hours of the night)
  • on-going “dust” or particulates coming from the site
  • endless truck traffic to and from the site

 

Along with these complaints are descriptions of physical, mental, quality of life AND financial consequences:

  • Dizziness
  • Headaches
  • Burning noses, throats, and chests
  • Nausea
  • Body weakness
  • Loss of sleep
  • Increased stress and depression
  • Not opening windows, walking or sitting outside, etc. due to odors
  • Keeping children inside for fear of the odors/contaminants
  • Property constantly being covered with soot-like dust
  • Not shopping in Westerville due to odors
  • Moving away and/or removing children from Westerville school due to odors, etc.

 

CPW and Some of our Concerns

  • Records show that tons upon tons of chemical and particulate emissions are permitted, via OEPA permits, to be released into our air from this industrial site. With so many emitting facilities operating here, and being so close to long established neighborhoods, why has no agency ever conducted a comprehensive air test to measure emission amounts and contents? Is silica being emitted from the concrete crushing plant and recycled asphalt pavement crushing plant?  What levels of PAHs, heavy metals are being released?  Better yet, why has the OEPA not required continuous air emissions monitoring of the air at this industrial site?  How about epidemiological studies here to determine the health impacts of living near this industrial site?
  • When this industrial site operates next to Alum Creek, AND is merely a quarter mile upstream from the Huber Ridge public drinking water supply wells, why has there never been a comprehensive chemical analysis of the surface and ground water at or near this site? How might the industrial site impact Alum Creek and the Huber Ridge water supply? Better yet, why does the OEPA not conduct regular, unannounced water testing, especially considering the violations uncovered by CPW?
  • How is the industrial site impacting our health, and the health of our children?
  • How are other at-risk groups (elderly, pregnant women, the sick) being impacted?
  • How is it impacting our property values and the marketability of Westerville, Blendon Township, Cooper Road condos, etc.?
  • How is it impacting the businesses that operate near this site?
  • How do the VOCs and nitrogen oxide emitted from the asphalt plant impact our local ozone levels? Franklin County recently received an F rating in the 2019 American Lung Association’s State of the Air Report for ozone. Note:  VOCs + nitrogen oxide + sunlight create ozone.

 

Violations at the Industrial site:

When CPW members first started to get informed about this industrial site (back in 2013) the Ohio EPA (the main “regulator” of the site) openly admitted that the paper work for the site was a mess.  The OEPA, and other regulatory agencies affiliated with the site, seemed to be unaware of various things going on at the site.  To date (December, 2020) CPW has helped to uncover some 30 violations.  We have taken these to the appropriate regulators, and notices have been issued to the companies.  However, these are not the only violations that have happened here over the years.  The state of Ohio brought suit against the Shelly Holding Co./Shelly in 2007 and Kokosing Materials in 2006 for serious air violations.  Shelly, including Shelly Materials, was found guilty on many counts (Shelly Materials owned and operated a different asphalt plant at “our” industrial site at the time).  Shelly Materials had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.  It is our best guess, from reviewing documents, that Kokosing Materials was sued in 2006 and settled out of court by signing a Consent Decree, and was charged some $180,000 in air pollution fines.

Regulation of the Industrial Site

Since CPW is made up of citizens, we initially had little understanding of how the regulation of this industrial site worked.  At the start, we naively believed that regulation meant that air and water pollutants were not allowed to be coming from this site, or, that the Ohio EPA monitored them regularly with special equipment, etc.  But after conducting public records requests, studying applicable air and water permits, and having hundreds of conversations with the regulators and leaders associated with this site, we have learned that the regulation of this industrial site is very different from our naïve vision.

Essentially, environmental and zoning regulation at the site works like this:

  • Every company that operates in Ohio, has to secure various operating permits and registrations. If they emit pollutants, they have to secure an air and water permit from the Ohio EPA.  If they house chemicals in large above, or, underground storage tanks, they have to register these tanks with the Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulations (BUSTR). They have to secure a Certificate of Zoning Compliance permit from zoning departments.  If they have water wells on their property, these have to be registered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), if they remove water from Alum Creek, they have to file this usage with ODNR, etc.
  • All of these permits and registrations outline rules that carry out various environmental laws and zoning rules laid out in the Ohio Revised Code, the federal Clean Air and Clean Water Act, the Columbus Municipal Zoning Codes, the Blendon Township Codes, etc. All of these rules/laws must be followed by the companies.  For instance, the air permit for the asphalt plant outlines exactly how many tons a year of VOCs, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, etc. the plant can emit every year.  Other air permits outline that the dust can only hang in the air at a company’s site for 1 or 3 or 13 minutes.  Some rules require that companies reduce dust by watering down their roads, their piles, etc.  Water permits outline that companies have to collect storm water discharging from their site quarterly to take visual samples, etc.
  • Regulation is defined as “a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.” Who are the authorities that are supposed to be enforcing the rules in the various permits for this industrial site?  Who ensures that they are following the rules every day?  See this list below. You will notice that the first “regulator” on this list below are the companies themselves. This is because, for the most part, the companies regulate themselves day to day.  They do their own visual water sampling, they file yearly compliance reports to the Ohio EPA, etc.  On paper, the Ohio EPA is the primary environmental regulator, but the system is largely a self-regulating system.
  • Note: Regarding zoning regulation of this industrial site, Columbus regulates the northern section and Blendon township regulates the mid and southern sections.

 

What Do the Regulators and Local Leaders Say about the Site?

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
As mentioned, CPW has helped to uncover 30 + violations at the site in the last few years. The OEPA asserts that all companies at the site are presently (Dec, 2020) in environmental compliance, and NOT posing a public nuisance. Unfortunately, CPW has been told this before, only to find more violations at the site.

Much to the disappointment of citizens who are reported to be suffering, the Ohio EPA has stated they will not participate in further public discussion about this industrial site (CPW has met twice with the agency). The main reason the OEPA has disengaged is because in 2018 the agency conducted a 12 month long olfactory study, and found “no odors of concern” related to the asphalt plant and composting facility.  CPW has concerns about this subjective OEPA olfactory study, and asserts it has not faced scrutiny.

The U.S. EPA
The U.S. EPA has now become involved. They conducted air sampling in the summer of 2018. They made a correlation between the Scioto Materials’ asphalt plant and emissions in a Westerville neighborhood. The agency has plans to continue air sampling, but CPW has not heard confirmation as to when this will take place.

The Columbus Public Health
Columbus Public Health is seemingly deferring to the Ohio EPA. Since the OEPA has declared no public nuisance related to the asphalt plant/Kurtz Bros odors, and asserted all companies are in regulatory compliance, the health department is saying there is nothing that can be done at this time. The agency also says all noise pollution from the northern section (the Cols section) is under 60 decibels. 

The Franklin County Health Department (FCHD)
FCHD is the inspector of the Kurtz Bros/Westerville Yard Waste Facility. They are to conduct quarterly inspections of the compost piles. Inspections should have been taking place since 2011 when Kurtz re-filed with the OEPA to become a class IV yard waste facility. CPW discovered, however, that the FCHD did not know that this facility was a class IV site requiring such inspections. CPW brought this to their attention, and as of the end of 2017, inspections have been taking place. The FCHD claims the facility is in total compliance. CPW uncovered that the leachate pond associated with this facility was too close to Alum Creek, and in violation of the ORC. The Ohio EPA confirmed this fact, and granted the facility a variance (a pass) on this violation.

Columbus and Franklin County Floodplain Regulators
They assure CPW that the violations we brought to them have also been resolved. 

Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulation (BUSTR) via Fire Marshall
There was a significant underground diesel storage tank leak in 1991 that required remediation.  This remediation was completed back then.  Also, an underground storage tank was removed from Anderson Concrete’s property in the last few years as well.  Some soil was contaminated.  CPW tried to find out from the OEPA where this soil ended up being placed, but we were unsuccessful.  

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)
To be determined. 

Columbus Zoning and Blendon Township Zoning
Columbus: In 2019, CPW uncovered what we thought were some significant zoning violations at the asphalt plant, and took these to the Columbus zoning.  The asphalt company(s) were issued violations for operating an illegal salvage yard, illegally storing recycled asphalt pavement, for not having an updated site plan, etc.  In Jan. 2021, the company(s) will be going before the Board of Zoning Adjustment to ask that they be granted 3 Special Permits that will legalize/legitimize the storage and recycling of their asphalt, to seemingly add concrete storage and recycling, to have a laboratory on site AND to add a heliport here.  They will also request 6 variances be granted so as NOT to have to add a 6-foot fence, as is required by code, to have piles 60 feet high vs the required 10 feet, etc.  Citizens are working hard, and will be going to the zoning meeting to testify against these permit and variance requests.

Blendon Township:  Blendon Township has received complaints from citizens and businesses adjacent to the industrial site regarding dust, flies, noise, etc. Blendon Township asserts all companies in the mid and southern sections of the site are in zoning compliance. With this said, Blendon Township has a new vision for this industrial site, and this vision is mapped out in the “Westerville Road Area Plan.”  Note: this Plan does not include the northern section  of the site (as it is in Columbus).

Westerville (Note: not a regulator, but a concerned party)
CPW presented before the Westerville City Council. The Chair said this is a longstanding issue that, at long last, needs addressed.  Westerville hired a Co. to assess the air in Westerville.  This Co. fond no issues of concern, but as Westerville continues to receive odor complaints, they have plans to do more and different air/odor sampling.  Westerville also has a new vision for this industrial site as their name is also on the “Westerville Road Area Plan.”

Representatives Lightbody and Leland, and Senators Maharath and Brenner
Citizens will be meeting with Representative Lightbody in Jan. of 2020. Representative Leland attended a meeting with CPW, the OEPA, Westerville, Columbus, etc. back in 2016. He was concerned. CPW has not yet made face to face contact with Senators Maharath and Brenner. They all receive citizen pollution complaints when they are filed with CPW. 

Friends of Alum Creek
In 2020, The Friends of Alum Creek commissioned a study to be done of Alum Creek near the industrial site. It was found that the industrial site was most likely having a negative impact on Alum Creek.  They sent these findings to the OEPA, and have not heard back from the agency as of Dec., 2020.

What Does CPW Say About this Site?

In the end, CPW argues that “compliance” is a movable goalpost that has very little meaning when it comes to relieving the reported suffering of citizens living near this site.  For instance, if the asphalt plant does not pass its emissions test (taken once every five years), and is “out of compliance,” it can simply ask the OEPA to amend their air permit to allow for higher emissions. This may put them back into compliance, BUT does this compliance improve the air quality for citizens?  No.

It is our belief that regardless of present/future compliance claims, the fact remains that citizens continue to report they are suffering from odors, dust, noise and truck traffic they associate with this industrials site.  This cannot be an acceptable state of affairs, can it?  If the OEPA representatives found no odors of concern, and citizens ARE experiencing odors, let’s discuss this disconnect together.

There are issues at this industrial site that go far beyond the asphalt plant and composting odors, ie: noise, dust, pattern of water violations, etc.  Let’s discuss and analyze the entire industrial site, and all come together (citizens, civic leaders, business owners, and regulators) in good faith.  Let’s try to solve this issue with full transparency.  We need to share, discuss, question, and investigate this issue and the site itself.  We need to review permits, emission formulas, allowable emission levels, etc. We hope the Ohio EPA will consider returning to discussions on this issue.

Overcoming Roadblocks: 

At this time (Dec. 2020) the regulators of this industrial site are saying all companies are in regulatory compliance (save for the outstanding zoning issue at the asphalt plant mentioned above), and there are no problems here.  Again, we have been told this before only to discover more violations at the site.  Nonetheless, this declaration being made by the regulatory agencies is a big hurdle for those of us reported to be suffering from the industrial pollution.  We are not alone, however.  There are many communities like ours, around Ohio and beyond, seeking environmental justice in their communities, and hurdles are part of this work.

The regulators will not be able to ignore us forever as long as we continue to document our experiences, grow are CPW group and continue to grow support for the inspiring and important Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan.  Also, again, Westerville is interested in further air testing, as they continue to receive complaints about this industrial site.  Also, Representative Lightbody, whose district houses part of the industrial site, will be holding community meetings soon on this issue (Jan. 2020), specifically to discuss the Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan.   

Push Back We Have Encountered:

Our CPW introduction would be incomplete if we did not talk about the resistance we have encountered in our work to clean up this industrial site.  Some have said “but we need asphalt and concrete!”  CPW would not argue with this.  These companies have the right to produce their products, BUT other businesses have rights too, as do citizens.

Surely, we can all agree that companies do not have the right to produce at levels, or in ways that negatively impact our citizenry, businesses, property values, etc. Just because you happen to live on Cooper Road, across the creek from this site, doesn’t mean you should have to put up with mind numbing noise, and large amounts of industrial dust.  If you move to Blendon Township, or, Westerville, you should be able to breath the air, on any day, without experiencing horrible odors, and burning in your nose and throat.  Everyone should be able to sit outside at a restaurant on Westerville Road without the odors giving them a headache.  And teachers and parents should not have to worry when they send children out to play because the air smells strange.

The citizens that live in proximity to this industrial site deserve the same quality of life as someone who does not have this kind of industrial site in their community!  This is a concept known as environmental justice, and we are seeking it.  Welcome to Citizen Pollution Watch.  We are glad you are here.  Enjoy exploring the rest of our website.