Mayor says Ohio EPA monitoring plume at former Howmet site; city stresses water safety

Mayor Michael Feeney told the Chillicothe City Council on July 28 that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has long been monitoring a soil contamination “plume” tied to past aluminum operations at the former Howmet site and has asked Howmet to plan for what would happen if nearby industrial wells stop operating.

Feeney said the EPA and the companies involved "have known, for many years that the existence of that plume," and that the agency has required Howmet to analyze potential migration and to install additional ground monitoring wells. "So we've got a situation that has been known about for a long time," he said.

City officials emphasized public-safety steps and monitoring rather than immediate remediation decisions. "First and foremost, we wanted to make sure that our drinking water is safe," Feeney said, noting that the city’s drinking-water wells, drilled in Yactanji Park, are more than two miles from the plume’s current location.

Why it matters: residents raised questions after news reports about a plume near industrial properties on Chillicothe’s southeast side. The mayor framed the issue as ongoing oversight by the Ohio EPA, not a new emergency, and said the city is working with the agency to increase monitoring and to press Howmet on remediation planning.

Key facts established in the meeting

- The contamination is described in council discussion as a soil "plume" left from historical aluminum-related operations at the former Howmet site. The mayor described that the plume’s position has been affected by nearby industrial groundwater wells (identified in council remarks as wells 17 and 18). - The Ohio EPA has reviewed the site and has asked Howmet to study the plume’s behavior and to propose remediation or management steps if nearby wells cease operation. The mayor said the EPA has also required installation of new monitoring wells. - The city’s drinking-water supply is drawn from wells drilled in Yactanji Park and is stated in council remarks to be more than two miles from the plume. The mayor said the EPA predicts water quality will remain safe even if the nearby wells stop operating. - The mayor told council the plume is closer to the wastewater treatment plant than to the water-treatment wells; he described that even proximity to the wastewater plant would not pose an additional public-health risk because wastewater is treated before being discharged.

What the council and city said they will do

- Continue daily interaction and reporting with the Ohio EPA regarding ground monitoring and wastewater treatment operations. - Support EPA demands for additional monitoring wells and insist that Howmet provide a remediation plan should monitoring show migration. - Share updates with the public when they are available.

Public response in the meeting

Residents urged stronger municipal action and direct engagement with Howmet. Jamie Brown, a city resident, asked the council to "subpoena or ... compel Howmet to do whatever you can to get them in here and hold their feet to the fire," and asked city leaders to press state authorities to hold multinational corporations accountable. Council members did not take a legislative action at the meeting related to Howmet; the mayor characterized the matter as one of ongoing oversight with the Ohio EPA.

Context and limits on authority

Feeney repeatedly described the Ohio EPA as the lead regulator and said cessation of operations at the industrial site would follow an EPA-approved cessation process that may involve removal of contaminated equipment and other site remediation steps. The mayor did not propose or request any ordinance or funding action from council at this meeting.

Ending note

The mayor said the city will continue to monitor the situation and to report new information to residents. "If and when there are updates, I will provide them to the community," Feeney said.