Kent City Council examines environmental and zoning issues
By Tyler Carey, Theresa Cottom and Carolyn Pippin
Kent City Council took the final steps to end an on-going environmental cleanup at 800 Mogadore Road after past companies on the street contributed to petroleum infiltrating city-owned property and leaking into the Cuyahoga River.
The Cuyahoga River, as seen from John Brown Tannery Park.
Council passed a motion to adopt the ordinance to go forward with the petroleum cleanup, along with a motion that will reexamine two proposed housing units on Horning Road.
On the city council’s agenda, the ordinance focusing on the issue at Mogadore Road read as follows:
An ordinance authorizing the city manager or his designee to execute a right of access agreement to Thomas & Betts Corporation and their agent HZW Environmental Consulting, LLC, in order for them to remediate petroleum releases from 800 Mogadore Road, which are crossing nearby city property and to restore said property, and declaring an emergency.
“I’m awfully glad this is being tended to,” said Ward 5 Councilwoman, Heidi Shaffer.
A letter from the Department of Community Development explains the affected section is known as the “North Ditch Area,” and is city park land. The area includes a tributary flowing into the Cuyahoga River, which is next to the Kramer Field Ball Field Complex – a baseball field – and behind John Brown Tannery Park.
Investigations, conducted by HZW Environmental Consultants, LLC in 2015 and 2016, found petroleum-contaminated soils and sediments in the North Ditch Area, which is northwest of the 800 Mogadore Road property currently owned by Thomas & Betts Corp., according to an Interim Remedial Action Plan.
HZW is a company offering environmental and safety services to clients, and Thomas & Betts Corp. hired them to handle the soil and sediment restoration and remediation tasks.
Matthew Knecht, president of HZW Environmental Consultants, said the petroleum is limited to the North Ditch Area and isn’t near any residents or neighborhoods. It is, however, part of Fred Fuller Park and people could potentially gain access to it.
“We are monitoring places in the river where you can see oil in the river,” said Knecht.
The Interim Remedial Action Plan, describes how Thomas & Betts Corp. was not aware of the pollution in the off-property North Ditch Area until 2015 because there was no knowledge of prior testing of that specific soil done up until that year.
After researching the contamination of the area, HZW concluded the historic manufacturers on the property caused the current soil and river contamination.
The past industrial owners include: Falls Rivet and Machining Company, Lamson & Sessions Company, and the Russell, Burdsall and Ward Corporation. All companies were metal fastener manufacturers.
According to a story on Patch.com, a community-specific news network, the methods for containing oil on the property in years past included, “old railroad tank cars buried underground to open-air oil lagoons.”
Kent resident, Brett Davis said, “A lot of people either through hearsay, rumor or fact know that there’s a lot of material still around in there. And it was nice to hear the council say responsibly that they need to keep on top of this.”
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) approved a remedial plan to clean up the affected area, but certain conditions needed approval before the plan could begin.
A letter, from Bridget Susel, the city’s community development director, to Dave Ruller, the city manager, detailed how the city of Kent needed to execute a “Property Rights of Access Agreement” with HZW in order to begin the remedial process.
The drafted Property Right of Access Agreement means the city of Kent would grant access to Thomas & Betts Corp., as well as their consultants, to enter upon city property in order to clean up the North Ditch Area.
The agreement also outlines that the “cost of the Activities shall be borne by the Owner and Consultant.” This indicates all the costs of the project are assumed by Thomas & Betts Corp. and their consultants.
HZW was ready to start the clean-up earlier in the year, but the upcoming baseball season delayed the remedial project. “We’ve been chomping at the bit to go since April,” said Knecht. “We are good to start on the 24th if the council approves this.”
Following the items on the agenda, the new business brought up at the council meeting included two housing units proposed on Horning Road.
Residents expressed concern with the influx of students the projects would bring, prompting council to take a closer look at traffic and zoning issues. See more in the video and infographic below.
Four out of the five ordinances and resolutions passed at the meeting were declared a state of emergency, so the legislation could take effect immediately instead of in the normal 30-day waiting period.
https://twitter.com/crayolaaa48/status/789498979570548736
My #JMCRPP team covered this week's Kent City Council meeting. Check out the full story here: https://t.co/g5rhLp2VJT
— Tyler Carey (@TC_CLE) October 21, 2016
Kent City Council works to clean up the Cuyahoga river, but debates over new student housing #JMCRPP https://t.co/IgaXiA6ij2
— Theresa Cottom (@Theresa_Cottom) October 22, 2016