CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Newly released federal funding documents show that a $1.5 million revitalization project planned for Mary Lou Patton Park does not include funding for environmental or soil testing, despite the park’s proximity to long-documented groundwater contamination on Chillicothe’s east end.
The documents were provided by the City of Chillicothe following an earlier Guardian report that examined concerns raised by residents and researchers about the park’s location near multiple former industrial sites with known contamination histories.
The funding, announced by Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, was authorized into law by the U.S. Senate last week. It originated from a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request submitted by the City of Chillicothe during the previous fiscal year.
According to the CDS application, the $1.5 million is designated exclusively for infrastructure improvements at Mary Lou Patton Park. Planned work includes drainage improvements, installation of catch basins, grading, paving of roadways and parking areas, and reconfiguration of traffic flow and parking. The application does not reference soil sampling, groundwater testing, or environmental assessment of the park property.
Mayor Luke Feeney provided the CDS application in response to questions about how the funding would be used.
“In response to your email, I have attached the Congressionally Directed Spending request we submitted last year, which resulted in the award authorized into law by the Senate last week,” Feeney wrote.
Mary Lou Patton Park is located within several hundred yards of groundwater wells associated with the former Wear-Ever aluminum plant site, which has been under federal and state environmental oversight for decades. The site is contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), a chlorinated solvent linked to cancer and other health risks.
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency groundwater data, contamination has persisted consistently over time at wells located closest to Mary Lou Patton Park. These wells are the closest sampling locations to the nearest ball diamond at the park, with the nearest pitcher’s mound located roughly 300 yards away.
EPA data show that TCE has consistently remained the primary site-related contaminant detected at those wells and that chlorinated ethene concentrations have not declined appreciably over time, despite remediation efforts at the former industrial site.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency mapping indicates that the documented groundwater plume bypasses Mary Lou Patton Park. However, the park itself has never undergone comprehensive environmental testing, and plume boundaries are based on Wear Ever on-site data rather than sampling beneath the park. As previously reported, the Guardian has pressed the Ohio EPA for clarification on whether the park can be considered safe without direct testing. To date, the agency has not provided a definitive answer, and without sampling beneath the park, a conclusive determination about site conditions cannot be made.
Additional groundwater influence in the area originates from the former Allied Chemical Company site along Washington Avenue. A U.S. EPA investigation previously found contaminated groundwater beneath that site and identified unlined sludge pits. Groundwater flow maps show movement from beneath the former chemical site, across Washington Avenue, and toward the vicinity of Mary Lou Patton Park. The same collector well system historically tied to the former paper mill has influenced groundwater movement across this portion of the city. The Allied Chemical was previously qualified for the U.S. EPA Superfund List, but was removed in 1993 by the Ohio EPA.
Chillicothe City Council member Dan DeMint previously stated that he does not believe environmental testing is included in the current project and said he is not familiar with the specific details of the plan. DeMint said he and another city official previously spoke with an individual who conducts environmental testing, who told them that testing Mary Lou Patton Park could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and suggested that any contamination present, if any, would likely be limited to surface-level pollutants from nearby railroad tracks.
In December, city officials were offered a free scientific consultation from 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. The proposed consultation would have included a review of historical and existing testing data related to the former Wear-Ever site and its associated groundwater plume. City officials declined the offer. No explanation has been provided.
The CDS application acknowledges that federally funded projects must comply with environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act. However, the document does not specify whether any site-specific environmental testing of Mary Lou Patton Park will be conducted prior to construction.
As planning moves forward for improvements at one of Chillicothe’s most heavily used public parks, newly released funding documents clarify how the $1.5 million will be spent — while leaving unresolved whether the ground beneath the park’s ballfields will be examined before construction begins.