The Associated Press
COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will allow 25 properties under orders for mandatory cleanup -- including two in southwest Ohio -- to switch to a voluntary program, a move critics said breaks the agency's own rules.
EPA Director Donald Schregardus extended eligibility to the sites, including some of the state's highest priorities, using his enforcement direction powers, said Heidi Sorin, a manager in the Division of Emergency and Remedial response.
The two southwest Ohio sites are EM Science and Paddys Run Road. Other companies are Georgia-Pacific, Rockwell, Ashland Chemical and Ullman Oil.
"In fairness, these companies didn't have the opportunity to volunteer before they were ordered to clean up," Jenifer Kwasniewski, manager of the program, said Friday. "And this will free up some resources for us to pursue other sites."
"What the EPA has found is a loophole between investigative action and cleanup action," said Jane Forrest, environmental projects director for Ohio Citizen Action. "What will happen is these sites will be allowed to keep all the information away from the public; there will not be any oversight."
The Voluntary Action Program was established in 1996 because EPA doesn't have the resources to oversee cleanup of all contaminated sites.
Companies in the program are allowed to clean up without public hearings and avoid some government oversight. When the work is done, the companies have to reveal the extent of the contamination.
