Air monitoring shows compliance with federal limits overall, but Middletown officials hear complaints and ongoing enforcement at coke facility

Carrie Caslin, a representative of the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, told the Middletown City Council on Feb. 10 that the agency operates five ambient monitoring sites in Middletown and has seen generally downward trends in sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter since reductions in regional coal burning, but that localized spikes and elevated annual PM2.5 averages remain a concern for residents.

Caslin said four local monitors that track SO2 remain below the three-year-average National Ambient Air Quality Standard, though one significant spike — which the agency attributes to emissions from Middletown Cove Corporation — raised the three-year average in that location. "We think that occurred because of emissions from Middletown Cove Corporation," Caslin said during the presentation. She added that Cleveland Cliffs and Middletown Cove operate as large, long-standing industrial sources in the city and sometimes produce localized SO2 or particulate spikes.

Why it matters: Council…