CHESAPEAKE, Ohio — State environmental regulators have intensified enforcement against a Chesapeake towing operation after linking it to suspected dumping of industrial waste from a former chemical pigment plant with a long history of hazardous contamination.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued multiple notices of violation since April, citing the site for open dumping, failure to perform hazardous waste determinations, and noncompliance with state waste laws. The most recent letter, dated June 26, follows a June 17 inspection that documented stained debris and more than a dozen unmarked 55-gallon drums on the property—materials reportedly originating from the former BASF pigment facility in Huntington, West Virginia.
That facility, now owned by Flint Group Pigments, has been under federal corrective action since 1999 due to decades of contamination from pigment manufacturing. According to the U.S. EPA, the site contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethylene (PCE)—chemicals linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, and neurological effects. Groundwater beneath the site remains contaminated, and vapor intrusion investigations are ongoing to determine whether toxic vapors are migrating into nearby homes and businesses.
Despite this, Ohio EPA inspectors say debris from the BASF site—including ash-covered building materials and pigment-stained waste—was observed being used as fill at the Chesapeake property. The agency has repeatedly requested documentation, including manifests, waste characterizations, and photographs, but says the business has failed to respond.
A certified letter sent April 21 specifically asked for information on the origin and contents of the drums, as well as any materials received from the BASF/Flint Pigments site. Calls to the listed phone number reportedly went unanswered, with voicemail boxes full.
The agency has warned that misclassifying contaminated demolition debris as “clean hard fill” violates Ohio law and may result in civil or administrative penalties. Officials emphasized that any stained or ash-laden material from the BASF site must be tested and properly disposed of at authorized facilities.
The Huntington facility’s legacy of contamination spans more than a century of pigment production, beginning in 1912. Past owners include Standard Ultramarine Company and Chemetron Corporation. The site remains under active oversight by the U.S. EPA and is subject to ongoing groundwater monitoring and vapor intrusion testing.
Ohio EPA has given the Chesapeake site 14 days from receipt of each notice to provide documentation of cleanup and compliance. A full inspection report is expected later this summer.
Add comment
Comments