Heather Lauer, a spokeswoman with the Ohio EPA, said the agreement means the two companies have voluntarily investigated and cleaned the property at 145 Dellinger Road.
The site had been contaminated with trichloroethylene, a carcinogen that was commonly used in the manufacturing industry as a degreaser. Other volatile organic compounds were also cleaned from the site. While the chemical is still in use in the manufacturing industry, it is now usually used in much smaller amounts, Lauer said.
The agreement with the EPA essentially provides banks and other agencies with more confidence that the EPA will not require further action at the site, Lauer said. Siemens and Gould will pay $100,000 to resolve previous costs associated with the cleanup.
“It provides a level of comfort, especially with facilities that have been used for manufacturing,” Lauer said.
Officials at Siemens could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, May 11.
Groundwater still cannot be drawn from under the site, and a maintenance and operating plan requires the groundwater must still be monitored.
The EPA had been accepting public comments on the issue until February this year.
According to information from the EPA, the agency audits at least 25 percent of the properties that apply for a covenant not to sue, in order to make sure cleanup standards have been met.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
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