Officials plan Luckey water testing following Toledo Blade report on radioactive water
LUCKEY, Ohio (WTVG) — Ohio health and environmental agencies plan to conduct water testing in Luckey following a bombshell report by the Toledo Blade that says there “high levels” of radioactivity in the drinking water there. BLADE REPORT: Legacy of Luckey: Blade testing finds high levels of radioactivity in groundwater in Cold War town
The Blade conducted independent testing that identified problems with radon levels. A statement Friday from the Ohio EPA said preliminary results from the Blade’s data showed that while there was some detection of contaminants, “all levels” remain within state and federal drinking water standards. It added that radon can come from naturally-occurring sources. The agency said Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Health crews will get water samples from the Eastwood Local School buildings and the Pemberville library locations next week, maintaining there is “currently no cause for alarm.”
“The results will be reviewed carefully, and any concerns will prompt immediate coordination with school officials, local government, and residents to determine the next steps,” the EPA statement said. “As testing moves forward, Ohio EPA will continue to share results and, once available, provide the community with testing details.”
The Blade report said of 19 or the 39 samples it collected from various locations had radioactivity “at least 10 times greater” than what the federal guidance said is normal for the area.
“One sample from a hallway drinking fountain at Eastwood Middle School showed radioactivity 10 times above normal background levels. Another sample from the Luckey Library was 45 times higher,” the Blade report read. “When a Blade reporter collected a sample from a water pump near athletic fields, lab results showed radioactivity 1,731 times greater than background.”
An effort to clean up radioactive material from an old beryllium plant began years ago and drew renewed concerns from residents over proposals to draw water from a quarry near the contaminated site. In previous 13 Action News I-TEAM reporting, village officials said the EPA tested and approved using that water source.
Read the Blade’s expansive report at the link here.
See earlier 13 Action News stories on Luckey in below.
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