CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Ohio Senator Jon Husted recently announced $1.5 million in state funding for Mary Lou Patton Park on Chillicothe’s east side—a beloved community space that has also been at the center of a long-running environmental debate.
For generations, Mary Lou Patton Park has served as a gathering place for families. Countless Chillicothe residents learned to play baseball and football on its fields. Now, the park is set for a major overhaul.
According to Husted’s office, the funding will be used to address chronic drainage issues, reorganize traffic flow and parking, improve green space, and upgrade overall park infrastructure.
What has not been publicly addressed is whether any portion of the funding will be used to test the soil for potential contamination—an issue raised repeatedly by residents and researchers over the years.
Mary Lou Patton Park sits less than 300 yards from what is considered the edge of the toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) plume beneath the former Wear-Ever aluminum plant. Groundwater on Chillicothe’s east end has also been influenced by two large collector wells tied to the former paper mill. These wells—and the Wear-Ever site itself—became a major concern decades after the factory closed.
In April, the announced closure of the paper mill renewed regional concern as residents became reacquainted with the documented toxic legacy of one of America’s most recognizable cookware manufacturers. According to the Ohio EPA, the TCE plume extends beneath the Wear-Ever site, portions of the Chillicothe Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Union Springs factory, and nearby residential areas adjacent to the former aluminum plant.
Ohio EPA mapping indicates that the plume bypasses Mary Lou Patton Park. However, researchers have questioned how that determination can be made with confidence when the park itself has never undergone comprehensive environmental testing.
Further complicating the issue is the former Allied Chemical Company site along Washington Avenue. During its years of operation, the facility produced aluminum oxide used at the paper mill. The plant closed in the early 1990s. A subsequent U.S. EPA investigation found that the site had contaminated the groundwater beneath it and contained two large, unlined sludge pits. After the site’s full closure, the Ohio EPA requested that Allied Chemical be removed from the federal Superfund list (A Superfund site is a contaminated location in the U.S. designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for long-term cleanup of hazardous substances to protect human health and the environment).
Groundwater beneath the former Allied Chemical site is also influenced by the same collector well system. Flow maps show groundwater moving from under the former chemical plant, across Washington Avenue, and toward Mary Lou Patton Park.
I reached out to Chillicothe City Council member Dan DeMint to ask whether the newly announced funding would include environmental testing. DeMint provided the following statement, reproduced verbatim for transparency:
“I don’t believe it includes testing, sir. I truly don’t know the specifics of the plan either.
As far as the testing there goes, Rich and I had a video conference approximately two months ago with a guy who does environmental testing. He was recommended by Lisa Bennett.
He said that testing MLPP would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and that the only contamination that would be on that site, if any, would be surface area pollutants from the railroad tracks. There was actually a lot to what he said. I wish I would’ve taken notes.
Also asked him about the Wear-Ever site. He said that total remediation would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take a decade or longer. He said that the remedy for the contamination on the Wear-Ever site is exposing it to air through pumps.”
In December, I approached city council members with an opportunity for a free scientific consultation. The offer included a full review of past and current testing data related to the Wear-Ever site and the associated plume.
The consultation was offered by Dr. Michael Ketterer, a biochemist who previously identified radioactive isotopes at Zahn’s Corner Middle School—findings that ultimately led to the school’s closure.
To date, city officials have not explained why they declined to consult with a scientist of Dr. Ketterer’s credentials.
I also reached out to Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney with questions regarding how the $1.5 million will be used and whether environmental testing of Mary Lou Patton Park is being considered. As of publication, no response has been provided. Should the mayor issue a statement, the Guardian will update this story to include it.
As the city moves forward with revitalizing one of its most cherished parks, unanswered questions remain about what lies beneath the fields where children continue to play.