FAIRFIELD, OH - Residents of Hamilton's Lindenwald neighborhood remain deeply concerned about ongoing pollution from the USALCO facility in Fairfield, with new information revealing the company was cited for failing an emissions test months before publicly promising to address particulate fallout.
For more than a year, neighbors have reported a persistent accumulation of particles on their homes and vehicles, which they believe originate from USALCO, a company specializing in water treatment chemicals and alumina-based solutions. The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency (SWOAQA) has identified these particulates as aluminum trihydrate, according to a report by the Journal-News.
Hamilton City Manager Craig Bucheit met with over two dozen Lindenwald residents on May 21 at Benninghofen Park to discuss their grievances, the Journal-News reported.
SWOAQA first issued a warning letter to USALCO in November 2024, following numerous air quality complaints. The letter, from environmental compliance specialist James Nymberg, detailed two SWOAQA inspections of the facility at 3700 Dixie Highway — on March 4 and Sept. 9, 2024. During the September inspection, samples of a known alumina storage pile at USALCO and unknown particulate from residential properties in Lindenwald were collected. Analysis by the Hamilton County Crime Lab on Nov. 4 confirmed both samples were "comprised of mostly aluminum," leading SWOAQA to conclude that "particulate fallout from USALCO accumulated on nearby residential properties," the Journal-News stated.
Nymberg emphasized in the warning letter that emissions or escapes into the open air that endanger public health, safety, or welfare, or cause property damage, constitute a "public nuisance." In response, USALCO Plant Manager Les Gibson committed on Dec. 14 to several corrective measures, including improving preventive maintenance on a JVS-scrubber system, re-testing the scrubber, conducting new tests of other emission points, reviewing permitting needs for aluminum trihydrate with the EPA, and installing covered storage for the outdoor aluminum trihydrate pile, as reported by the Journal-News.
However, the Ohio Atomic Press has discovered a SWOAQA Notice of Violation dated Sept. 11, 2024, which predates USALCO's public commitments regarding particulate fallout. This notice reveals that emission testing performed on June 7, 2024, on USALCO's 23,000-gallon basic aluminum chloride digester (Emission Unit ID: P003) failed to meet permit requirements. The test, conducted by Air Dynamics Testing, showed an average overall control efficiency of 97% for hydrochloric acid (HCl) emissions, falling short of the federally enforceable permit-to-install and operate (FEPTIO P0135155, term C.2.b)(1)b) requirement of 98%.
SWOAQA stated this failure constitutes a violation of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3704.05(C), which prohibits violating permit terms. The agency requested an action plan from USALCO within 30 days of the letter's receipt to resolve the violation and prevent recurrence.
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