logo
WPAFB working to combat forever chemicals, water contamination

WPAFB working to combat forever chemicals, water contamination

Yahoo06-06-2025

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials gave 2 NEWS an inside look at efforts to combat forever chemicals in their water.
Wright-Patt is working to reduce water contamination on base through several water treatment sites. This comes after the EPA updated the maximum PFAS containment levels in 2024.
Trump administration moves to roll back Biden-era PFAs water protections
PFAS stands for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are synthetic compounds with properties to repel oil, water and other liquids. This water contamination comes from 'film forming foam' used in firefighting, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural runoff and more.
The Air Force Base plans to have five treatment sites in total — currently, two are active. WPAFB has treated more than 31 million gallons of water so far.
The deadline to meet the new EPA standards is 2029.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EPA plans to test 250 homes near Federated Metals this summer
EPA plans to test 250 homes near Federated Metals this summer

Chicago Tribune

time2 days ago

  • Chicago Tribune

EPA plans to test 250 homes near Federated Metals this summer

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to sample just over 250 homes for toxic soil, including lead, this summer primarily in Whiting-Robertsdale near the former Federated Metals property. It comes more than a year after the agency added it as a Superfund site in late 2023, declaring it one of the country's most polluted properties — nearly 90 years after the industrial site first opened, according to the EPA. Homeowners have to sign up with the EPA, before their yards can be tested on a first-come, first-served basis. EPA maps of the area — littered with green dots — note several yards tested before have shown high levels of lead or arsenic. 'It's upsetting,' said Julian De Leon, who grew up in Whiting and whose parents still live on Birch Avenue. 'It's dangerous and harmful. I've got kids, so I definitely don't approve of (the lead) and if it is here, we should move out (as soon as possible).' The 30-year-old told the Post-Tribune Friday that he doesn't know if his parents have received communication about the lead testing, and he didn't know about it. De Leon worries about families with kids near the Superfund site. 'It's upsetting,' he said. 'It's something we should be on top of.' Nearly 10,000 people live within a mile of the former smelter in Whiting and the Robertsdale neighborhood of Hammond. The site is near a bike trail, parks, a church and Calumet College of St. Joseph. Multiple residents near New York Avenue in Whiting did not know about the EPA's plans to test the area for toxic soil. David Pustek, a New York Avenue resident, said he hasn't received communication about testing from the EPA or city. Pustek's property was tested about three years ago when new development came to the area, he said, including with private testing he had done. Lead was found in the soil, Pusek said, but he doesn't think it was a high amount. 'The other ones came up negative,' Pusek said, 'but I'm sure they would have said that anyway.' Another Whiting resident, John Milch, said he also didn't know about the area's lead testing. Milch, 54, said he's lived in Whiting his entire life, and he's in good health. 'I think it's important,' Milch said about lead testing. 'People like me should know more about it. … When you live here, you see (industry), but you don't think much of it.' The EPA did not respond to a request for an interview. Several agency representatives appeared to be on vacation. Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar could not be reached. His office was closed Thursday and Friday. Critics, including David Dabertin, a Hammond lawyer and former regional director of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, have said that state and federal regulators failed generations of people who lived near the former facility. 'I would have had (your yard) sampled years ago,' he said Thursday. 'I wouldn't wait for the U.S. EPA. It's horrible.' By contrast, he praised Hammond's approach to take federal money in recent years to remediate nearly 70 yards. It was 'unique and very admirable,' he said. 'They said, 'We're not going to wait.'' Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott 'and I don't see eye-to-eye on anything,' Dabertin said. 'Time has born that out,' he said of the city's actions. 'Those people got those yards cleaned up.' Everyone else going to the EPA 'is going to be waiting a long time.' Dabertin previously told the Post-Tribune that he confronted Gov. Eric Holcomb in April 2018 and asked why federal and state officials then allowed other lead-processing companies to operate on the same site. McDermott said by text Friday that the city's efforts were '98%' if not completely done. However, the EPA's part could likely take 'a decade or longer.' Located at 2230 Indianapolis Boulevard, Federated Metals was a metal smelting, refining, recovering and recycling facility for nearly 50 years along George Lake, which borders the Robertsdale neighborhood of Hammond and Whiting. Originally owned and operated by Federated Metals Corp. (FMC) the facility was sold in 1985 to HBR Partnership and was used by multiple businesses, including Northern Indiana Metals and Whiting Metals, before shutting down permanently in 2020. Smelter operations like Federated Metals emitted lead, arsenic and other heavy metals from their buildings and waste piles, the EPA said. Pollution at the site has long been a concern of the EPA. In 1992, FMC and its parent corporation, ASARCO, entered into a federal consent decree to settle a lawsuit brought by the agency stemming from alleged violations of environmental regulations. The company agreed to construct a landfill on the site and cover lead-contaminated soil with trees. Soil samples taken by the EPA from 2016 to 2018 found 163 residential yards had soil lead levels above 400 parts per million, the level at which the agency recommends action — or soil removal. In recent years, the agency has found highly toxic properties with lead levels at least three times over that benchmark. In 2018 and 2019, the EPA removed contaminated soil from 33 residential properties in Whiting and Hammond that had lead levels exceeding 1,200 parts per million or were home to pregnant women or children under 7. The city of Hammond launched its own soil removal project in 2021, funded with $5 million from the city's American Rescue Plan Act funds, and had cleaned up 69 properties by 2024, according to the EPA. The agency also said that it needs public input for 155 properties already tested that have high lead levels in the soil. More information is expected to be released later this summer. Lead is unsafe at any level, according to the EPA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ingesting tiny concentrations can permanently damage the developing brains of children and contribute to heart disease, kidney failure and other health problems later in life. Long-term exposure to arsenic could lead to severe illness, including cancer. It's also linked to skin lesions, high blood pressure and elevated risk for diabetes.

Archaeologists Found a Slab in the Middle of Nowhere—With the Lord's Prayer Carved in It
Archaeologists Found a Slab in the Middle of Nowhere—With the Lord's Prayer Carved in It

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Archaeologists Found a Slab in the Middle of Nowhere—With the Lord's Prayer Carved in It

Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A rock carving discovered in the Ontario backcountry started a search for the meaning and history of the site in 2019. The carving features what experts now believe to be an 1800s runic interpretation of the Christian Lord's Prayer. The find may be traceable to an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In 2018, the toppling of a tree near the township of Wawa, Ontario, revealed a rectangular piece of bedrock (about four feet by nearly five feet) etched with 225 symbols alongside a depiction of a Viking longboat. Eventually, a local historian came across the odd finding—now known as the Wawa Runestone—and reported the find to the Ontario Centre for Archaeological Education (OCARE). You can see the stone here. The team at OCARE, led by archaeologist Ryan Primrose, decided to keep the stone concealed from the public until they could gather more details about its origin. And now, they're finally talking about the object for the first time. 'Well, it's certainly among the least expected finds that I think I've encountered during my career,' Primrose told the CBC. 'It's absolutely fascinating.' Initial research, according to an OCARE statement, showed that the carving was likely written in Futhark characters—a runic script once used in northern Europe and Scandinavia. This led some experts to think that the carving must have been completed as far back as the Viking era, especially considering the second carving of a boat (which resembles a Viking longboat, contains about 16 occupants, and is flanked by several crosses or stars) found adjacent to the script. Primrose, it turns out, was wise to hold off on publicly announcing it as a Viking-era find. In 2019, he brought in Sweden-based expert Henrik Williams, professor emeritus at Uppsala University, to consult on the site. Williams confirmed that the inscription was runic, but disagreed that it was Viking in nature. Williams said that the runic writing was a version of the Christian Lord's Prayer, which had been carved in Futhark. 'The text conforms to the Swedish version of the Lord's Prayer used from the 16th century and is written using a variation of the runic translation developed by Johannes Bureus in the early 17th century.' OCARE stated. 'It must have taken days and days of work,' Williams told the CBC. 'They are really deeply carved into the rock. Someone must have spent a couple of weeks carving this thing.' While tough to pinpoint, OCARE researchers believe the inscription itself dates to the 1800s. Williams believes the creator of the carving had to come from Sweden, and as Primrose researched the history of the area, he found that the Hudson's Bay Company hired Swedes in the 1800s to work at remote Canadian wilderness trading posts—including the Michipicoten post, located not far from the Wawa carving, the CBC reported. Whether this was a popular religious site—the inscription was found under soil after the tree fell, and no other artifacts have been found nearby—or the work of a single person toiling alone is still a question. But with this announcement, many other questions have been answered. 'Canada now has a total of 11 objects claimed to bear runes but only five in fact do so, and three of those constitute modern commemorative inscriptions,' Williams wrote in an OCARE report. 'The Wawa stone is Ontario's first with actual runes, the longest runic inscription of any on the North American continent […] and the only one in the world reproducing the Lord's Prayer.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?

Are banks, post offices open on Juneteenth? Here's what's closed on the federal holiday
Are banks, post offices open on Juneteenth? Here's what's closed on the federal holiday

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Are banks, post offices open on Juneteenth? Here's what's closed on the federal holiday

Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, marks a pivotal moment in American history — the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas were finally freed. Though it originated in Texas, Juneteenth has grown into a nationwide celebration of freedom, resilience and African Black American culture. In 2021, it was officially recognized as a federal holiday, prompting many government offices and organizations to observe the day with closures or special events. This milestone was largely due to the efforts of Texas native Opal Lee, now known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' who famously walked nearly 2.5 miles every year on Juneteenth to raise awareness and advocate for the holiday's federal recognition. Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday established in 2021 by former President Joe Biden, is observed annually on June 19. More: When is Juneteenth 2025? Is it a national holiday? Here's what you need to know Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom following the end of the Civil War — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by former President Abraham Lincoln. While Juneteenth is a federal holiday, meaning government and federal employees typically get the day off, most private-sector workers are not guaranteed time off, especially in states that do not officially recognize the holiday. In fact, federal law doesn't require private companies to observe any of the 11 federal holidays, though many businesses and schools offer days off or holiday pay throughout the year. Texas became the first state to observe Juneteenth in 1980. It has been a paid holiday for state employees since. Like most federal holidays, expect your local banks and credit unions to be closed in observance of Juneteenth. Postal service retail locations will be closed on Thursday, and there will be no regular mail delivery — except for holiday premium Priority Mail Express — according to a U.S. Postal Service release. UPS and FedEx will be open on June 19, with all services available as usual. Most businesses and restaurants remain open for the holiday. Costco will operate during normal hours on Thursday. The warehouse chain only closes on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Walmart will be open during normal hours. The chain closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Target will be open during normal hours. Target stores close for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but remain open the rest of the year. The next holiday that most U.S. workers will take off is Fourth of July, which falls on a Friday this year, followed by Labor Day on Monday Sept. 1. There are typically only 11 federal holidays, but Inauguration Day is included for 2025. However, it is only a holiday for federal employees in Washington, D.C., and certain federal offices. Inauguration Day, which took place on Jan. 20, is not part of the regular 11 federal holidays, but because it aligned with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, most American workers had the day off. Here's a list of the federal holidays in 2025: Jan. 1, 2025 – New Year's Day Jan. 20, 2025 – Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 20, 2025 – Inauguration Day Feb. 17, 2025 – Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) May 26, 2025 – Memorial Day June 19, 2025 – Juneteenth National Independence Day July 4, 2025 – Independence Day Sept. 1, 2025 – Labor Day Oct. 13, 2025 – Indigenous People's Day Nov. 11, 2025 – Veterans Day Nov. 27, 2025 – Thanksgiving Day Dec. 25, 2025 – Christmas Day This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What's open, closed on Juneteenth 2025: Banks, USPS, UPS, FedEx

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store