A History: the Chem-Dyne Superfund Site

Items

• City units return to Chem-Dyne to keep watch on steaming tanker
  August 13th, 1976 Page 7 Important Quotes: “Firemen were summoned to the scene with a pumper unit about 2a.m. after police said they saw the truck giving off steam or smoke and emitting a foul order. Firemen did not spray the tanker.” “One firefighter had to be taken to the hospital and two police officers complained of suffering irritations and feeling nauseous after reportedly inhaling the gaseous emission.” “Bruce Whitten, Chem-Dyne president, said late this morning that the company had been cleaning sludge from the tanker the past two days. ‘It’s a routine tank cleaning that’s done all the time,’ he said. ‘The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was here yesterday and said it’s okay. The city just over-reacted.”
• Order sought by firm against Hamilton denied
  July 8th, 1976 Page 11 Important Quotes: “’This court has heard only conclusions and or interpretations by the plaintiff and no evidence has been presented which would give rise or be the basis for a temporary restraining order.”
• Tank no peril, Chem-Dyne says
  July 7th, 1976 Page 15 Important Quotes: “Chem-Dyne vice president William Kovacs testified this morning that, in his opinion, the tanker incident involved no threat or hazard.”
• Chem-Dyne trial tactic draws protest from city
  July 3rd, 1976 Page 2 Important Quotes: “Koehler contends that the use of ‘proffer procedure’ by Chem-Dyne attorneys Hugh Holbrock and John Willard is incorrect under Ohio law.”
• Police Blotters
  July 2nd, 1976 Page 36 Important Quotes: “William L. Kovacs, vice president of Chem-Dyne Corp., 500 Ford Blvd., reported items valued at $584 were taken from the firm Wednesday or Thursday. Missing were four calculators, an electric typewriter, an adding machine, clocks, and a brief case.” *Likely no bearing to any environmental injustices conducted by Chem-Dyne, but interesting that a brief case went missing
• Plant-city hearing recessed
  June 24th, 1976 Page 9 Important Quotes: “The corporation has continued its line of questioning under the legal umbrella of ‘proffer.’” “Koehler [the city attorney] objected to being called a witness by company attorneys, but was overruled by Marrs. The judge added, however that the procedure was unethical and could possibly be referred to the Bar Association grievance committee.”
• Can’t find city officials? Look for ‘em in court
  June 23rd, 1976 Page 7 Important Quotes: “Chem-Dyne has charged the city with harassment and loss of business as a result of that incident, while Hamilton officials contend that corporate officials were uncooperative in what they (they city) viewed as a crisis situation” “Kirsch testified that he had not made any contacts with Chem-Dyne customers regarding the corporation’s business, but also acknowledged that he did not know who the company’s customers were.” “The test results provided by EPA, said Kirsch, showed some high concentrations of potentially dangerous materials.”
• Chemical firm sues city, officials for $30 million
  June 5th, 1976 Page 21 Important Quotes: “The suit charges the city officials with harassment following an application made by the company for a zoning variance earlier this year.” “The suit also charges the defendants stopped company vehicles entering and leaving the plant and impounded one tank trailer. The suit charges the city of officials misrepresented the nature of the ‘emergency’ to state and federal agencies to harass the company.”
• Incinerator bid remains stalled
  June 4th, 1976 Page 8 Important Quotes: “The Hamilton Board of Zoning Appeals Thursday tabled for a third time a request by the Chem-Dyne Corp. for a conditional use permit to install a thermo-oxidizer incinerator.”
• Tanker incident snags firm's plan
  May 27th, 1976 Page 11 Important Quotes: “Chem-Dyne Corp., involved in that controversial chemical tanker leak episode last month in Hamilton has encountered problems in Aurora, Ind. as a result.”
• EPA to test dump samples
  May 12th, 1976 Page 11 Important Quotes: “Tuesday’s excavation effort, conducted by state EPA authorities and chemical experts from the U.S. Army, resulted in the uncovering of about 40 fifty-gallon drums of oozing liquid from the lagoon site.” “EPA officials are concerned that the materials are polluting or could pollute underground water and streams.”
• Waste burner issue delayed
  May 7th, 1976 Page 9 Important Quotes: “both City Manager Jack Kirsch and building commissioner Lloyd Towers said they have had difficulty obtaining information about chemicals now handled by Chem-Dyne, as well as those that would be burned in the incinerator.”
• Danger at landfill ‘pure speculation’
  May 6th, 1976 Page 15 Important Quotes: “Though Forsthoff has been quoted saying the landfill presents no immediate danger, he said this morning that, until the OEPA receives additional information, “it’s pure speculation.” “Forsthoff denied any connection between his agency’s desire to search the dump and last week’s leaking chemical tanker episode” “Some reports have indicated the search was initiated after officials were told chemical waste from Chem-Dyne may have been disposed of at the landfill.
• EPA dig delayed at Union landfill
  May 5th, 1976 Page 11 Important Quotes: “Dump officials have refused to disclose what items are buried there and where they are buried.” “Samples drawn from chemical containers in a warehouse at Chem-Dyne by OEPA representatives are being analyzed.”
• Local clean water workshop tonight
  May 4th Page 13 Related Article Important Quotes: “Local participation in the national Save Our Streams program culminates today with a test analysis of the Great Miami River and a public workshop tonight.”
• Crisis over, but Chem-Dyne Incident stays on mind of city
  May 4th, 1976 Page 13 Photo
• EPA searches Hamilton plant
  May 4th, 1976 Page 1 Important Quotes: “Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) officials late this morning served a search warrant on the Chem-Dyne Corp. in Hamilton and immediately began checking contents of containers in a company warehouse.” “The remainder is occupied by Fisher Body… Kovacs cited potential dangers of explosion and illness created by a spraying process conducted by Fisher Body in that firm’s portion of the building. ‘We believe they are polluting,’ he charged. ‘There is runoff.’”
• Tanker episode leaves plant, city officials fuming
  April 29th, 1976 Page 1 Important quotes: “the City of Hamilton and the Chem-Dyne Corp. have begun trading charges over the way the episode was handled.” “[Whitten] charged that he and others were harassed by police and other city officials and repeatedly stopped for ‘routine inspections.’” “Whitten called statements that Chem-Dyne has failed to cooperate with the Fire Department ‘totally unfounded.’” “Whitten said: ‘The problem of repeated erroneous and untruthful statements by city officials attempting to link the company as the cause of all air, water, and land pollution in a 100-mile radius continues unabated.” “Contrary to Whitten’s comments, the city manager said Chem-Dyne officials did not give full cooperation to police and firemen.” “’They [Chem-Dyne officials] have repeatedly, on many occasions since Saturday night, ordered people off their property,’ Kirsch said. ‘They have ordered city, state and federal people off, and this is certainly to my knowledge.’” “The city manager readily admitted that he knows little about Chem-Dyne, including how long it has been in operation and what its purpose is. He said the company has no permits or licenses from the city to run an industrial waste chemical operation.”
• City may oust chemical plant
  April 29th, 1976 Page 15 Important Quotes: “It seems to me they put profit above safety” -Mayor Witt “[Councilman Fred Banker] said he personally would suspect what the motives of Chem-Dyne officials are and added that, ‘I strongly object to our city becoming a dumping ground for anybody’s chemicals.’” “City Manager Jack Kirsch, questioned about the nature of the company, admitted he has ‘no knowledge’ of what waste products it handles or what waste processing equipment is has. ‘So therefore, the only thing they could do in Hamilton is ship them (chemicals) in and ship them out.’”
• Hamilton tanker scare ends
  April 28th, 1976 Page 1 Important quotes: “Chem-Dyne Corp., under the supervision of the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection agencies, began taking steps to stabilize the chemical reaction that has caused fumes to leak.” “Chem-Dyne officials have admitted adding a chemical to the contents… what that chemical is only the company the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) apparently knows… City Manager Jack Kirsch says he has been told it is ‘a trade secret.’”
• No solution yet on tanker
  April 27th, 1976 Page 1 Important Quotes: “Federal, state, and Hamilton officials this morning were still looking for a way to neutralize the chemical reaction” “As far as any serious immediate danger, we do not feel there is any” -Frutiger (Shell) “Repeated attempts to contact Chem-Dyne’s president, Bruce A. Whitten, failed.”
• City keeps vigil on chemical tanker
  April 26th, 1976 Page 11 Important quotes: “the temperature of chemicals inside the car has been rising” “Attorneys for the plant refused city officials access even when presented with the search warrant.” “When asked about the leaking tank car, [the party who answered the phone at Chem-Dyne] replied, ‘No comment.’”
• Chemical leak cause mystery
  April 25th, 1976 Page 1 “A railroad tanker containing about 17,000 to 18,000 gallons of a highly flammable liquid chemical mixture caused some anxious moment Saturday for Hamilton firefighters and industrial executives at the Chem-Dyne Corp.” “Several homes are located near the area, as well as athletic fields.”
• City taking long look at plan for waste burner
  April 2nd, 1976 Page 13 Important Quotes: “Whitten assured that the firm will not be handling exotic or dangerous materials.” “Before Chem-Dyne can install and operate the incinerator, however, it must receive approval from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.”
• Government & Policy Timeline
  This timeline details a history of government and policy action associated with the Hamilton, Ohio Chem Dyne Site from 1975 to 2022.