Area surrounding former water plant where batteries burned free of pollutants in Piqua

PIQUA — The City of Piqua said Wednesday that the area surrounding the site of the former water treatment plant where the burning of lithium-ion batteries took place is free of pollutants and safe for residents.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More soil testing planned at former water plant where batteries were burned

It conducted water testing, air modeling, and soil sampling after stopping battery testing operations at that plant as neighbors raised concerns about the quality of the city’s drinking water.

The city released the results on its website on Wednesday.

>>RELATED: Third-party who conducted battery burning at Piqua facility moves out

News Center 7 has been reporting on this story since concerns began being raised last September by residents who wanted to know who was monitoring the first company that was performing the soil samples. Some residents blamed the company for performing the sampling.

That company, which was burning lithium-ion batteries for research purposes, moved on from the site in November after the Ohio EPA found that the company violated its air permit.

In September, the Ohio EPA and the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency investigated the site after fielding complaints from residents about air and water issues.

>>RELATED: ‘You have all failed us;’ Piqua residents air frustrations over battery burning to city leaders

The sampling conducted included surface water, potable water, and wipe samples in the former water treatment plant and at Roadside Dog Park, according to a city spokesperson.

Copper was detected in the potable water from the dog park fountain, likely caused by the water lines leading to the park not being fully flushed before the sample was taken.

The sampling of source waters showed there were no concerning contamination levels.

It says that the water is safe for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

>>RELATED: Ohio EPA: Piqua lithium-ion battery burning a ‘nuisance’; Fire dept. not on scene for burning

The Ohio EPA conducted its air quality modeling to determine any potential containments released in the air by the battery testing activities.

The results revealed no concerns about long-term health concerns.

This was in the Ohio EPA’s report:

“Ohio EPA mapped out potential contaminant plumes based on meteorological conditions reported at the Dayton International Airport for the select burn dates. The model consisted of all known circumstances of the burns including weather, wind direction, burn duration, and mass of battery combusted. The modeling showed all potential areas of emissions exposure were within 1,000 feet of the facility’s fence line. None of the modeled days showed the possibility of serious and/or long-term health effects from emissions exposure during the burn events.”

>>RELATED: Ohio EPA halts battery burning permit at Piqua training site after air, water quality concerns

Soil sampling results near the battery testing areas revealed one substance above screening levels.

It stated that arsenic is naturally occurring in southwest Ohio soils and can be found at elevated levels.

WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Inc. conducted the testing and said, “Considering background levels of arsenic in southwest Ohio and the site use history, WSP considers it to be unlikely that the arsenic detected in site soil samples is attributed to site activities related to lithium-ion battery testing and burning.”

>>ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Permit for firefighters to burn lithium-ion batteries near river raises concerns in Piqua

The city plans to recommission the former water treatment plant for use as a public safety training center through a joint-use agreement with Bowling Green State University, a city spokesperson said.

It will be also used for fire training, ladder training, search and rescue functions, rappelling tower rope training, and forcible entry practice, city officials said.

To read the full report, visit this website.

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