{"id":125749,"date":"2025-09-01T21:49:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T21:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/125749\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T21:49:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T21:49:18","slug":"activists-speak-out-on-wear-ever-pollution-in-chillicothe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/125749\/","title":{"rendered":"Activists Speak Out on Wear-Ever Pollution in Chillicothe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Activists on the Wear-Ever pollution at the council session<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chillicothe \u2014 Activists gathered in front of old City Hall, and two members spoke to council, on concerns about the Wear-Ever pollution, at the August 25th, 2025 council session. Painted with skull faces, they handed out brochures on \u201cPoisoned Water?\u201d by the new \u201cBuzzards\u2019 Digest,\u201d labeled as \u201cChillicothe\u2019s Working Class Press.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wear-Ever \/ Howmet groundwater pollution has gained awareness in recent weeks as the Chillicothe paper mill was being shut down. A high-capacity well that supplied the Pixelle paper mill has redirected a \u201cplume\u201d of industrial chemicals in the groundwater under the Wear-Ever factory that was closed in the 1990s at 1089 Eastern Avenue<\/p>\n

Among the activists, Stephanie Renner and Jamie Brown spoke in the public address part of council. Renner said they were in \u201ccorpse paint\u201d because of their fears about living near the pollution, and felt that a sense of urgency about addressing the problem has decreased.<\/p>\n

Jamie Brown gave a long explanation on how the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision about the \u201cChevron Doctrine\u201d (or \u201cChevron Deference\u201d) affects a situation like this. He said the U.S. Congress used to rely on experts in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set policy, instead of members of Congress having to become experts on each issue and make law.<\/p>\n

\"FordTrendingFord Recalls 2025 Super Duty Pickups, Issues \u201cDo Not Drive\u201d Warning Over Brake Failure Risk<\/a><\/p>\n

However, the policy was overturned in June of 2024, and Brown explained that Congress must now legislate their policies on pollution. He said it will clog up legislation, and that big companies now lack restraint: \u201cCorporations do not have an incentive through that regulatory process any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said council needs to use their governmental power and \u201cbully pulpit\u201d to wear out Howmet and H.I.G. and force them to do the right thing for the community.<\/p>\n

Hear their addresses in council\u2019s video<\/a> on YouTube, from 39:40 to 47:20. (The audio is clear, but YouTube does offer close captioning.) \u201cChillicothe City Trackers<\/a>\u201d (Facebook page<\/a>) usually hosts an alternate video record from council sessions, but does not have that this time. <\/p>\n

\u201cBuzzards\u2019 Digest\u201d has a Facebook page<\/a> and Substack account<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Most of the participants have been activists opposed to council\u2019s Anti-Camping Ordinance \/ Chapter 555 regarding homeless camps on city property earlier this year. Some also spoke in the August 11th council session<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Handouts by the activists at the council session. <\/p>\n

Mayor Luke Feeney spoke on the topic before the public session. Hear from him in part one<\/a> and part two<\/a> side stories, both with videos of his briefing to council.<\/p>\n

Learn more in two stories derived from news releases, among several stories on the topic on the Scioto Post: \u201cPixelle Closure Raises Serious Toxic Exposure That the Company Indirectly Holds at Bay from Former Wear-Ever Plant in Chillicothe<\/a>\u201d and \u201cHowmet Responds to Ohio EPA Concerns Over Chemical Plume at Former Chillicothe Industrial Site<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regarding the groundwater pollution, there appears to be confusion between the \u201cWater Treatment Plant,\u201d where city water comes from wells in Yoctangee Park \u2013 and the \u201cWastewater Treatment Plant,\u201d the sewer plant at the end of Renick Avenue, south of the east end of Main Street.<\/p>\n

The Wear-Event groundwater plume is partly under the sewer plant, but about two miles away from the water wells. Mayor Feeney has said that the Wastewater Treatment Plant does not draw groundwater to process sewage.<\/p>\n

Learn more in my upcoming story about a tour of the Water Treatment Plant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

They explain their concerns about the Wear-Ever pollution and explain other projects.<\/p>\n

\"\"The icon of \u201cBuzzards\u2019 Digest\u201d from their Facebook page. <\/p>\n

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