EPA begins sediment cleanup at Little Scioto River Superfund site in Marion Township, Ohio
CHICAGO (June 1, 2023) – This week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will contact affected property owners as part of the first phase of cleaning up contaminated sediment in a 3.25-mile section of the Little Scioto River Superfund site in Marion Township, Ohio.
The section being cleaned up is north of Marion-Agosta Road and ends slightly south of Marion-Green Camp Road, in Marion Township, Ohio. EPA is contacting property owners to request access to their properties to survey the river and the surrounding area and conduct preliminary activities as necessary.
Preliminary activities will include clearing vegetation, creating access roads to the river, and preparing temporary staging areas to place excavated sediment that will be removed and disposed of in a permitted landfill. EPA will restore all disturbed areas to pre-excavation conditions. EPA anticipates the entire cleanup project should be finished in 2028. Cleanup activities will be done at no cost to property owners.
Main activities throughout the entire cleanup will include:
- Placing temporary dams and bypassing water in segments of the river at approximately 0.5-mile intervals.
- Excavating the top 2-4 feet of sediment from the river channel.
- Staging contaminated sediment for drying and treating it with a cement-like material.
- Transporting treated sediment to an offsite permitted landfill.
- Replacing excavated sediment with clean sediment and restoring the river’s water flow.
- Restoring riverbanks and the temporary staging areas for excavated sediment with natural vegetation.
Previous sampling performed in this section of the river detected sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, or PAH, chemicals. PAHs are a group of chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances. The Little Scioto River Superfund site is comprised of two separate operable units, or OUs. This portion of the river is part of the first operable unit, OU1, an 8.5-mile stretch of the river and four small nearby ditches. OU2 includes the former Baker Woods Creosoting facility, a lumber preserver from the 1890s until the 1960s. Historical information suggests that poor disposal practices at the Baker Woods facility contaminated groundwater, sediment, and soil in the area with arsenic and PAH chemicals.
For more information about the site, please visit the EPA website.
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