By John Kiesewetter
Enquirer staff writer

FAIRFIELD TWP. - Hazardous lead levels have been found at two more homes in Brentwood Estates, bringing to eight the number out of 11 homes tested in the 1970s subdivision built on an old shooting range in Butler County.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday the results of its May soil samples, as it turned them over to the U.S. EPA.

The federal agency was awaiting the complete state results before writing an "action memo" outlining the need for a clean-up, said Rafael Gonzalez, spokesman for the U.S. EPA's Chicago office.

"There is probably sufficient data to get the U.S. EPA involved," said Randy Watterworth, senior site coordinator for the Ohio EPA's southwestern district office in Dayton.

Two locations of contaminated soil - more than 400 parts per million - were found 6 to- 2 inches deep at a home on Elenor Drive, Watterworth said. One hazardous spot was found 3 to 6 inches deep at a home on Mindy Drive, Watterworth said.

The six other homes with tainted soil were on Mindy and Elenor Drive in the neighborhood immediately east of Butler Tech.

The Ohio EPA received a tip last winter that a small shooting range was operated on the land along Millikin Road after lead contamination was found at Lexington Manor, a new subdivision one mile east on Millikin Road in Liberty Township. Ryland Homes is removing contaminated soil from 32 homes at Lexington Manor under an agreement with the U.S. EPA.

Watterworth said the Brentwood Estates contamination is not as extensive as Lexington Manor. Only 49 hazardous deposits were found on eight properties from 348 soil samples, he said. More than half (26) were in the top 3 inches of soil, he said.

"The lead is more scattered than we thought. That might have to do with building houses, digging basements and moving dirt around," Watterworth said.

The highest lead readings were 91,500 and 51,900 parts per million at 5942 Mindy Drive. Owner Tanya Moore said last month she had never seen lead pellets around her home of 19 years.

The Ohio EPA turned over tests results to the federal agency because the state has no money for lead cleanup.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com