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Environmental investigation begins at ARMCO site

Release Date: 8/30/2005
Contact Information:

CONTACT: Kären Thompson, (312) 353-8547

For Immediate Release
No. 05-OPA001

CHICAGO (Aug. 30, 2005) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 announced that an environmental investigation, which is the first stage of a cleanup project, has begun at the Hamilton ARMCO site, 401 Augsperger Road, New Miami, Ohio.

Residents and businesses near the site can expect to see construction equipment and workers in required safety gear. The Phase 1 work will determine the nature and extent of contamination and will include sampling of soil, ground water, surface water and sediment and installation of monitoring wells. Sampling areas will include former by-product areas such as air sludge scrubbers, a rail yard, stormwater outlets, drainage ditches, fuel storage tanks, wastewater settling ponds and a closed landfill.

The site is composed of two parcels on 252 acres with a history of heavy industrial use since the early 1900s. Starting out as a coke plant, the property was also the site of iron, steel and road tar manufacturing. Now vacant, the property was purchased by AK Steel in 1994 and subsequently blast furnaces, buildings and other structures were demolished.

The work now under way will be performed by AK Steel contractors under EPA oversight in consultation with Ohio EPA. Residents with questions about the project may call EPA Remedial Project Manager Pablo Valentin at (312) 353-2886.