Another Lake County steelhead fishing stream is the scene of a pollution discharge

 

Within the span of about one month, a second Lake County stream noted for its steelhead fisheries experienced a pollution event.

On September 7th the Chagrin River was the scene of a pollution spill, though no environmental damage was reported.

A September 8^th, an Ohio EPA release did say that a “Mishandling of a petroleum distillate (oil) and wastewater mixture allowed the material to discharge to a storm sewer that led to the river. The spill (was) estimated to contain less than 80 gallons of oil and 800 gallons or less of wastewater.”

This storm sewer is located directly in front of Apollo Parkway in Willoughby and empties into the Chagrin River. The drain likewise is opposite the city’s Gilson Park.

Willoughby’s Gilson Park area is one of the lower Chagrin River’s most popular and accessible steelhead fishing sites. It also sits upstream from Lake Metroparks’ Chagrin River Park which straddles the Willoughby-Eastlake line, and is itself one of the most heavily used publicly accessible steelhead angling sites.

Responsible was Cortest, Inc., 38322 Apollo Parkway. The firm’s web site says of itself “Founded in 1977, CORTEST, INC. has an extensive history of providing laboratory equipment for corrosion and materials testing...”

Among the clients listed on the firm’s web site are BP, Shell, ExonMobile, Sherman Williams, and GE Global Research.

Cortest declined an inquiry from “Ohio Outdoor News” to respond to the incident.

However, Anthony Chenault, the Ohio EPA’s Media Coordinator for the agency’s Northeast, Central and Southeast Districts, said “According to the company, the discharge was associated with the testing of a newly fabricated piece of equipment.”

“Some of the material - similar to kerosene - was not drained prior to the rinsing of the separator,” Chenault said.

The Ohio EPA did issue a notice of violation to Cortest, Inc., for the incident, also said agency spokeswoman, Dina Pierce.

Pierce said a notice of violation means that the responsible party is notified that it has violated Ohio law which prohibits any unauthorized discharge into any waters of the state.

Generally, a fine is not included though the responsible party must pay for the subsequent clean-up, stop any further discharge, and take steps to ensure such a release does not reoccur, Pierce said as well.

In some cases, agencies and governments can similarly submit to the responsible party their respective, associated costs related to responding to an event.

Willloughby Fire Department Chief Todd Ungar told “Ohio Outdoor News” that his agency was informed of the incident around noon, September 7^th.

The Cortest incident, though, was not self-reported by the company as was the case for an accidental discharge of non-toxic vegetable-based oil into the Grand River on August 13th.

“We received a call from a visitor at Chagrin River Park who said a sheen was seen on the water there, but you had to look just so in order to see the oil,” Ungar said of the Chagrin River incident.

Ungar said, too, that once the city determined the fluid posed no combustible danger, his force worked with the Lake County Hazmat Team and Eastlake Technical Rescue Team to help contain the pollutant.

To that end, a small pollution containment boom was placed in front of the storm water culvert. This boom was removed September 9^th.

A second boom was stretched across the Chagrin River a few miles downstream. This 350-foot boom was placed at the very northerly end of Eastake’s Woodland Park – another popular public access site for steelhead anglers. It was removed September 8^th.

“That boom was placed as a precaution just in case any residual oil made its way downstream,” Ungar said.

As previously mentioned, the Chagrin River event follows the August 13^th self-reported incident involving an accidental release of 400 to 500 gallons of vegetable-based oil into the lower Grand River. That incident contaminated roughly two miles of the lower Grand River’s arguably best steelhead fishing section.

The August 13^th discharge originated from the Erie International Group’s Painesville Township plant located at 679 Hardy Road. This section parallels Fairport-Nursery Road (Ohio Route 535) and was book-ended by Hardy Road and the St. Clair Street bridge in Fairport Harbor Village.

By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

 

Only assessing clean-up costs and sending the bill remains after the August 13 accidental discharge of soybean oil into the Grand River

 

All that’s left following an August 13^th incident involving the accidental discharge of non-toxic soybean oil into the lower Grand River is the paperwork necessary to bill the responsible firm for its mistake.

The incident saw the accidental discharge of 400 to 500 gallons of the non-toxic oil that contaminated roughly two miles of the lower Grand River’s arguably best steelhead fishing section.

The discharge originated from the Erie International Group’s Painesville Township plant located at 679 Hardy Road. This section parallels Fairport-Nursery Road (Ohio Route 535) and was book-ended by Hardy Road and the St. Clair Street bridge in Fairport Harbor Village.

Within this section are the fabled steelhead-fishing hotspots locally referred to as the “Uniroyal Hole” and the “Pipe Bridge Hole.”

Erie International self-reported the incident to authorities at around 6:30 p.m., August 13th. The company’s web site bills itself as “...a ‘green’ company that develops and manufacturers natural animal feed ingredients and specialty chemicals from renewable raw materials.”

An Ohio EPA spokesman said the non-toxic contaminant entered the stream from the plant via a large pipe that lies underneath Fairport-Nursery Road.

The plant draws water from Lake Erie to cool the plant’s heat exchangers. In turn, these heat exchangers cool whatever oil is being processed for further refinement.

“During a cleaning operation, a pump was left on and overflowed a wastewater retention pond, spilling into a ditch, which flowed into a storm drain, and ultimately flowed into the Grand River,” said Anthony Chenault, the Ohio EPA Media Coordinator for the agency’s Northeast, Central and Southeast districts, and shortly after the accidental discharge.

Another 1,000 to 2,000 gallons were discharged onto the ground and recovered at the facility, Chenault said as well.

More recently, Chenault told “Ohio Outdoor News” that the Ohio EPA considers the cleanup to be complete “and the company will continue to monitor the area and recover additional material if necessary.”

“The larger booms across the river have been removed,” Chenault said August 30th.

“(But) the collection booms at the outfall will remain in place to capture any residual material that may discharge from the storm sewer during a rain event.”

No environmental damage to the stream’s fish, wildlife or vegetation was noted.

On August 15th, siphoning of the material was instituted as the Grand River’s current carried the contaminate to the booms where a skimmer and vacuum could extract the contaminant.

Performing the work was Spill Tek Environmental Services of Vermilion.

“Ohio EPA will bill the company to recover costs incurred by the Agency associated with the cleanup – those costs have not yet been determined.,” Chenault said also.

Responding to the incident were various local agencies. These various local agencies and entities are also expected to tabulate their respective costs associated with providing security, assistance, and other expenses and submit their bills to the Erie International Group.

By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

REVISED DISCHARGE FIGURES: Clean-up underway following August 13 accidental discharge of non-toxic contaminant into the Grand River

An August 13^th incident involving the accidental discharge of non-toxic - likely soybean, canola, or both - oil contaminated roughly two miles of the lower Grand River’s arguably best steelhead fishing section.

The Ohio EPA said on August 16^th that the amount of non-toxic oil released into the Grand River was 400 to 500 gallons, “while another 1,000 to 2,000 gallons were discharged onto the ground and recovered at the facility.”

Originally, the company said only between 30 and 40 gallons of material had entered the stream.

The discharge originated from the Erie International Group’s Painesville Township plant located at 679 Hardy Road. This section parallels Fairport-Nursery Road (Ohio Route 535) and is book-ended by Hardy Road and the St. Clair Street bridge in Fairport Harbor Village.

Within this section are the fabled steelhead-fishing hotspots locally referred to as the “Uniroyal Hole” and the “Pipe Bridge Hole.”

Erie International self-reported the incident to authorities at around 6:30 p.m., August 13th. The company’s web site bills itself as “...a ‘green’ company that develops and manufacturers natural animal feed ingredients and specialty chemicals from renewable raw materials.”

The firm is a part of what’s called the “oleochemical” industry. This rapidly rising market is involved in the manufacture of materials used to help make everything from inks to soap and cosmetic products to lubricants.

There has been some concern expressed, however, that the oleochemical industry must strive better to prevent and contain accidental spills.

As for the Erie International incident specifics, the non-toxic contaminant entered the stream from the plant via a large pipe that lies underneath Fairport-Nursery Road.

The plant draws water from Lake Erie to cool the plant’s heat exchangers. In turn, these heat exchangers cool whatever oil is being processed for further refinement.

“During a cleaning operation, a pump was left on and overflowed a wastewater retention pond, spilling into a ditch, which flowed into a storm drain, and ultimately flowed into the Grand River,” said Anthony Chenault, the Ohio EPA Media Coordinator for the agency’s Northeast, Central and Southeast districts

Bob Foster, managing director of the Chicago-based Pullman Global Corporation which owns Erie International, said his company had “actually begun work on a project three months ago to update the system which is pretty old.”

“We were trying to stay ahead of the curve but obviously we were not far enough ahead. It just looks bad, but the oil goes into products that consumers uses every day,” Foster said.

Responding to the incident were various local agencies. Among them were fire departments with Fairport Harbor Village and Painesville Township along with both the state and federal Environmental Protection agencies, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and others.

Likewise contributing was the Lake County Hazardous Intervention Team. This team employed at least one containment boom provided by the nearby Lubrizol Corporation.

This floating boom was placed across the Grand River at Lake Metroparks’ Grand River Landing, located immediately below the St. Clair Street Bridge.

A second boom was also installed following the escape of some of the material after an August 14th mild rainfall.

On August 15th, siphoning of the material was instituted as the Grand River’s current carried the contaminate to the booms where a skimmer and vacuum could extract the contaminant.

On hand to perform the work was Spill Tek Environmental Services of Vermilion. The effort was expected to take several days to complete, said Ohio EPA spokesman, James Lee.

Ohio Division of Wildlife’s executive director, Brian Banbury, also told “Ohio Outdoor News that “no fish or wildlife were affected, but that the agency continues to monitor the situation.

Experiencing the incident first-hand was angler Rob Peavy of Painesville.

Unaware of what was happening the morning of August 14th, Peavy had launched his canoe about three miles upstream at Painesville City’s Kiwanis Recreation Park.

His intention was to fish the Grand River and take out at the Lake Metropark Grand River Landing site.

Peavy said he and a companion stopped fishing once they reached a point at the stream’s Uniroyal Hole where the culvert pipe had discharged the material.

“There was still some material coming out,” Peavy said, who added that he caught one catfish and one bowfin where the contaminant was entering the Grand River.

And when Peavy did remove his canoe from the stream at the Grand River Landing, the vessel had a residual film of whitish, oily substance at its waterline.

Heidi Griesmer, The Ohio EPA’s Deputy Director for Communications, told “Ohio Outdoor News,” that the Erie International Group will be footing the bill for clean-up efforts along with other, possible, costs or remediation – if any.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com

ATF warning Ohio gun shops about the fraudulent use of credit cards to illegally obtain firearms

 

The federal government is warning the nation’s 136,643 federal firearms license holders of a scam intended to defraud not only bank-card institutions and gun dealers, but also appears intended to steal firearms.

What has occurred, says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (commonly referred to as simply “ATF”) is an increase in firearms transfers involving the use of suspected fraudulent credit cards.

The illegal activity involves the transfer of firearms from out of state, or within the same state, for pickup at firearms dealers in Ohio, the ATF says.

Ohio has 4,556 holders of FFL licenses, though not all are firearms dealers. The ATF has 11 different classifications of FFL licenses. Among them is the “01” classification, or “Dealer In Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices (Includes Gunsmiths).”

In the U.S., the ATF has issued 53,816 such licenses, among which are 2,057 in Ohio.

Similarly, the ATF has issued 53,211 Classification 03 FFL licenses, called “Collector of Curios And Relics” licenses. Holders of these licenses cannot sell firearms, and are also limited to buying from a select group of permitted antique, relic and curio (odd) firearms with less governmental red tape. Ohio has 1,512 such Classification 03 license holders.

The ATF recently notified via text and e-mail to FFL license holders – including 01 and 03 types – of the scam.

What is occurring and what FFL license holders need to be aware of, the ATF says, is that a suspected individual “completing the transfer has been arriving at area firearms dealers unannounced, indicating they are receiving a notification of the delivery of the firearm.”

“The transferring individual then completes an ATF Form 4473, provides their ID, and completes the transfer,” The ATF notification says.

The selling firearms dealer then has been receiving charge-back notices from a credit card company at a later date resulting in the selling firearms dealer being at a financial loss, the ATF says.

To safeguard against such fiscal fraud and thus help prevent individuals from illegally receiving firearms, the ATF is requesting that firearms dealers implement a couple of steps before completing a transfer from another firearms dealer. This, in order to “reduce additional illegal firearms transfers of this nature,” the ATF says.

First, FFL license holders should review the purchase invoice details related to the purchased firearm, and determine if it actually matches the address of the transferring individual prior to transferring a firearm.

Secondly, if a purchase invoice is not included with the firearm to be transferred, contact the selling FFL license holder and request in writing or verbally confirm the billing information is the same as the address of the transferring individual.

“Please contact your area ATF Field Office if there are any questions regarding this FFL Alert. If similar purchasing activity has already occurred at your location, please report this information to your area ATF Field Office,” the ATF concludes with its alert notice.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@Ameritech.nt

JFrischk4@gmail.com