1 00:01:41,580 --> 00:01:44,020 Stability, beautification, committee hearing, 2 00:01:49,270 --> 00:02:00,370 call mifes. Jones, here. Driscoll, here. Cramer, here. McPherson, here. Five present, also present, gattest and seron too. 3 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:11,940 Thanks, everybody, it's here from the administration, as well as the public. We really are looking forward to hearing from all of you and what is going to happen. 4 00:02:11,940 --> 00:02:16,640 So a few housekeeping moments before we really get started. 5 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:19,860 There is a sign-up sheet that is on the podium. 6 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,280 It will move its way over to the side table over here. 7 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,200 If you intend to speak and make public comments, please sign up on that sheet. 8 00:02:27,460 --> 00:02:29,840 So we can get to everybody in order. 9 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,480 We generally keep about a three minute per person rule. 10 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:36,120 So we can make sure we hear from everybody. 11 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,540 I just have some discretion on that. 12 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:40,540 So we will see how that goes. 13 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:54,740 And we will first hear from the administration once we get rolling here and then council will be able to ask questions that they would like to ask and then we will open it to public comments. 14 00:02:58,980 --> 00:03:09,640 Here we go. 15 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:14,820 teams at the environmental services who were onsite and providing air quality testing before 16 00:03:14,820 --> 00:03:16,240 the EPA even arrived. 17 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,880 All of these responders put themselves in harm's way to protect our residents and save lives 18 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,200 and we're, I don't want to speak for all Council, but I would imagine all deeply grateful 19 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,140 for their courage, professionals, and committed. 20 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,540 I also want to thank the governmental agencies that responded, those responsible for emergency 21 00:03:32,540 --> 00:03:36,160 management, public health, environmental monitoring, and more. 22 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,680 They're coordinated efforts where essential protecting residents during immediate crisis in its 23 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:41,080 afternoon. 24 00:03:41,900 --> 00:03:46,020 But gratitude for the response cannot substitute for accountability about what happens 25 00:03:46,020 --> 00:03:48,100 and I believe that we need answers. 26 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:54,060 Brent Industries is operating in a community where residents have a reasonable expectation 27 00:03:54,060 --> 00:03:57,640 that industrial facilities will operate safely and responsibly. 28 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,580 When there is a major explosion and fire, the public deserves to know what happens. 29 00:04:02,580 --> 00:04:07,420 What failed, whether all applicable safety requirements were being followed, and whether 30 00:04:07,420 --> 00:04:10,500 warning signs existed before this incident even occurred. 31 00:04:11,540 --> 00:04:14,640 There are also serious questions about the company's obligations to the community. 32 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:20,760 It's my understanding that threat industry is currently $861,000 in the rears on its water bill, 33 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,300 and nearly $20,000 in property taxes. 34 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,600 That is an extraordinary amount of money, and it raises legitimate questions about the company's financial conditions. 35 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:35,020 It's obligations to the city and whether there are broader compliance or oversight issues that this committee needs to understand. 36 00:04:35,980 --> 00:04:44,320 The public should not be left wondering whether financial difficulties, operational decisions, maintenance compliance or other factors play any role in the conditions at this facility. 37 00:04:45,020 --> 00:04:48,480 And while we investigate those questions, we cannot lose sight of the people who live nearby. 38 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:55,380 I'm particularly concerned by residents who continue to tell us that they're experiencing symptoms through following the fire. 39 00:04:55,380 --> 00:04:59,960 those residents deserve more than assurances, they deserve answers, access to 40 00:05:02,940 --> 00:05:13,220 We need to know what was released during the explosion in the fire. We need to know what environmental testing is found, and we need to know what monitoring was conducted, and I'm looking forward to hearing all of that today. 41 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:25,380 And I think it will beg the question whether additional testing is necessary, but I think that everybody will have a better understanding of what all has been done after today's presentation. 42 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,840 The people living in this neighborhood should not have to become their own investigators to determine whether they're safe. 43 00:05:31,420 --> 00:05:34,440 This hearing should, therefore, be about facts transparency and accountability. 44 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,620 If bread industries fail to meet its responsibilities, we need to know. 45 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:41,040 Affregulations were not followed, we need to know. 46 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,520 If inspections, permitting, and fortunately communication broke down, we need to know these things. 47 00:05:45,860 --> 00:05:48,940 Our obligation is not simply to respond when something goes wrong. 48 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,840 Our obligation is to do everything within our authority to prevent these incidents. 49 00:05:52,840 --> 00:06:00,560 So I identify risks before they become emerge disease and to make sure that companies operating in our community meet their responsibilities to the public. 50 00:06:01,460 --> 00:06:11,540 So today I anticipate hearing difficult questions, not because this committee wants to pre-judge the outcome of any investigation, but because the people we represent deserve real answers. 51 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,120 So without that or with that, we'll keep it over to the administration. 52 00:06:18,340 --> 00:06:19,600 So I understand what I'm talking to you there. 53 00:06:21,140 --> 00:06:24,200 Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Members of Council, 54 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:25,600 I'm Abby Arnold Deputy Mayor. 55 00:06:26,260 --> 00:06:28,940 I'm joined today by Deputy Chief Pasadne of 56 00:06:28,940 --> 00:06:30,880 Toledo Fire and Rescue and Abbott Salmon Commissioner 57 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:32,160 of Environmental Services. 58 00:06:33,340 --> 00:06:36,420 On August 18th, we suffered a tragedy when a 59 00:06:36,420 --> 00:06:39,240 second alarm fire claimed the lives of two members 60 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:40,000 of our community. 61 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,560 On behalf of Mayor Kebsickavage and the City of Toledo, 62 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,960 we offer our sincere condolences to the families, 63 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,160 friends, and co-workers of the victims. 64 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:53,700 Deputy Chief Pasadne served as incident commander during the response and environmental services 65 00:06:53,700 --> 00:06:58,620 was the first environmental agency on scene working alongside Slido Fire and Rescue to help 66 00:06:58,620 --> 00:07:01,040 ensure the health and safety of the surrounding neighborhood. 67 00:07:02,260 --> 00:07:07,840 This was a significant and complex response involving six fire and rescue bureaus, more than 68 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:14,540 a hundred Slido fire fighters, employees representing six city departments and 15 local state 69 00:07:14,540 --> 00:07:16,940 and federal agencies and partner organizations. 70 00:07:16,940 --> 00:07:20,720 that coordinated response has continued beyond the immediate 71 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,540 emergency as work at the site is progressed. 72 00:07:24,420 --> 00:07:27,160 We also recognize that residents who live near the site have 73 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,180 questions and concerns about the potential impact of this 74 00:07:30,180 --> 00:07:33,140 incident on their neighborhood, particularly as it relates to 75 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:35,960 air and water quality. Those concerns are understandable 76 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,840 and residents deserve clear information about what has been 77 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,080 done, what the testing has shown, and what we will continue 78 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,520 to be monitoring going forward. 79 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,980 And that is why today's conversation is important. 80 00:07:48,740 --> 00:07:51,960 We're here to provide council and the public with an overview of the response. 81 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,800 Deputy Chief Pasadne will walk through Toledo Fire and Rescue's response to the fire and 82 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,780 commissioner Saman will discuss the environmental response, including the city's coordination 83 00:08:01,780 --> 00:08:03,540 with our state and federal partners. 84 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,800 The environmental testing and monitoring that has occurred in the ongoing work at the site. 85 00:08:08,580 --> 00:08:13,120 Unfortunately, representatives from the U.S. and Ohio EPA were unable to join us today. 86 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,820 However, Commissioner Saman will be able to speak to their role in the response and the 87 00:08:17,820 --> 00:08:20,620 continued environmental monitoring and oversight moving forward. 88 00:08:21,420 --> 00:08:26,180 I want to thank the city employees and our local state and federal partners who responded 89 00:08:26,180 --> 00:08:30,840 to an extraordinarily difficult incident and who continue to be engaged in the work 90 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:31,580 that has followed. 91 00:08:32,260 --> 00:08:37,020 Most importantly, we want the residents who have questions about this incident to have access 92 00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:41,200 to the facts and an understanding of the work that has been and continues to be done 93 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:42,600 protect their health and safety. 94 00:08:43,260 --> 00:08:47,060 We appreciate the opportunity to provide that information today and answer council's questions. 95 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:50,340 With that, I will turn it over to Deputy Chief Pasadne. 96 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:54,320 Good afternoon. 97 00:08:54,940 --> 00:08:55,700 My name is Mike Pasadne. 98 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,120 I am the Deputy Chief of Operations and Special Operations for the City of Toledo. 99 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:02,180 Fire Department. 100 00:09:04,940 --> 00:09:07,180 Our alarm came in around 450 in the morning. 101 00:09:08,180 --> 00:09:11,820 They were sent to Bren Industries on a possible explosion. 102 00:09:11,820 --> 00:09:14,960 They're getting multiple calls on this. 103 00:09:14,980 --> 00:09:20,800 I was alerted at home, so I immediately got in and left work for early before they even dispatched us. 104 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,840 They could see by the text, what was coming in, that was something significant. 105 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,780 While I started going route, dispatched, I was listening to the channel. 106 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,720 The incident commander, Battalion II, Chief Dana Williams, was first on scene. 107 00:09:35,740 --> 00:09:39,280 He was given a size up what he had in front of him. 108 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,520 off of this size up, I start a contact in our dispatch to get a hold to little environmental 109 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,400 how EPA, because I knew we had more than what we could handle. 110 00:09:48,060 --> 00:09:56,060 We had active rescue, the way in place, we had 12 people that were missing, and that's 111 00:09:56,060 --> 00:09:59,960 what they were focusing on at first, they originally because of the devastation. 112 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:06,960 We have a 42,000 square foot building that was heavily damaged from the explosions, multiple explosions. 113 00:10:07,860 --> 00:10:18,140 The concerns were more explosions. We had 40,000 gallons of get starter, solid on the back side and the tanks. 114 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:19,840 So that was one of the concerns. 115 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,300 So they went to a defense of operation while they were still setting up. 116 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:29,720 having water issues, also when I was in rout, it's called dispatch, start getting on the water 117 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:36,360 Atlas with the explosions. Most of the time, you'll have infrastructure damage and also the building, 118 00:10:36,540 --> 00:10:41,980 a sprinkler. So when the building is heavily damaged, they're losing water, so we're able to tell 119 00:10:41,980 --> 00:10:46,690 them, tell them members shut down the post indicator valves and shut down that increase the water 120 00:10:48,870 --> 00:10:53,510 So going that I arrived on the scene, started establishin' safety zones, 121 00:10:56,850 --> 00:11:03,170 then we started, so some of the people they came out of it, started trying to get a head count, 122 00:11:03,170 --> 00:11:09,050 I kept asking for a roster to this day, I still didn't have a roster of the members that were in the building. 123 00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:19,030 So we're trying to piece together. How many people are still in there? So we went from 12, down to 4, down to 3, 2, and then in our search efforts. 124 00:11:20,390 --> 00:11:29,890 We had different descriptions of missing people and missing workers. So our numbers are starting to climb back up because the descriptions weren't matching. 125 00:11:30,530 --> 00:11:35,910 So we had a lot of stuff going on at the time, I made a call for the NRC, National Response 126 00:11:35,910 --> 00:11:36,390 Center. 127 00:11:36,490 --> 00:11:42,190 Once you contact that, they'll hit all the federal agencies because we were tasked to 128 00:11:42,190 --> 00:11:43,770 saturate it, we were focused on rescue. 129 00:11:44,090 --> 00:11:45,890 At the time, we still had 12 people. 130 00:11:46,130 --> 00:11:47,990 We did not confirm until we started confirm. 131 00:11:47,990 --> 00:11:48,950 We still haven't confirmed. 132 00:11:49,150 --> 00:11:52,850 So we got video evidence that we could start going through and doing head counts on 133 00:11:52,850 --> 00:11:54,910 that everybody was a count of four. 134 00:11:55,510 --> 00:12:00,790 So that took hours into it to get everything out because we had to pull a stop out of the building. 135 00:12:01,890 --> 00:12:04,290 The building, so it's up 42,000 is collapsed. 136 00:12:04,850 --> 00:12:09,830 Down had heavy fire conditions, but we had our hazmat teams there. 137 00:12:10,210 --> 00:12:15,130 I had to use them, and our technical rescue team, to start searching these buildings. 138 00:12:16,050 --> 00:12:17,590 There was, we would call pancakes. 139 00:12:17,690 --> 00:12:22,130 They would completely drop down, but our members are trained. 140 00:12:22,130 --> 00:12:25,470 So there have searchable weights, even though we had heavy fire conditions. 141 00:12:25,990 --> 00:12:31,650 I switched it from a defensive to an offensive, and we started doing rescue searches. 142 00:12:32,030 --> 00:12:37,950 They were able to take saws and we caught tunneling through the pile and when as far as they 143 00:12:37,950 --> 00:12:44,570 could, based on our last known information of several of the people, we went on a testimony 144 00:12:44,570 --> 00:12:48,650 of people that were on the scene, and we started focusing in those areas. 145 00:12:50,030 --> 00:12:58,530 There was one that was a discrepancy where there was someone further under the building, so we started getting excavators coming in case we had to dig in further. 146 00:12:59,450 --> 00:13:04,990 And our team was able to search for where they encountered heavy fire and then they had to start making their way back. 147 00:13:05,750 --> 00:13:16,230 During the search process, they were able to locate two deceased employees through the search and then we went from a rescue to a recovery. 148 00:13:16,230 --> 00:13:20,770 Because at that time, the building was completely engulfed in flames, and then we could not 149 00:13:20,770 --> 00:13:21,510 handle it. 150 00:13:21,550 --> 00:13:24,770 We were able to search some of the front offices to make sure there was no one in there. 151 00:13:25,070 --> 00:13:26,830 It's always still got a official head count. 152 00:13:28,470 --> 00:13:36,390 I said, when I got hold of the U.S. EPA, the first thing they contacted me, I was asking 153 00:13:36,390 --> 00:13:43,370 do we need shelter in place, or start sudden plume modeling, and also do we need to evacuate 154 00:13:43,370 --> 00:13:49,470 When they did their Eval, they were saying, no, not at the time, so that's where we went from there. 155 00:13:50,390 --> 00:13:52,850 So the environmental agencies were handling the air monitoring. 156 00:13:53,170 --> 00:13:55,350 That's what I request that we could not handle it. 157 00:13:55,350 --> 00:13:57,130 We had too many other things going on. 158 00:13:57,450 --> 00:14:00,570 So not sit there and wait and start to get the agencies coming here quickly. 159 00:14:02,570 --> 00:14:07,170 And that's pretty much it for us as a technical rescue team. 160 00:14:07,330 --> 00:14:11,250 So as they put it out there in the line, very good. 161 00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:13,810 No one else are going to build it, but they did. 162 00:14:19,410 --> 00:14:23,510 Okay, I think I'll have Abbott Suman talk through the environmental response. 163 00:14:25,210 --> 00:14:25,830 Good afternoon. 164 00:14:27,630 --> 00:14:35,610 I'd like to say that this tragedy is not even begins to describe what happened. 165 00:14:35,910 --> 00:14:37,330 Especially the loss of life. 166 00:14:37,330 --> 00:14:45,030 our hearts co-opt to those who lost loved ones and that read and brings it more real to 167 00:14:45,030 --> 00:14:52,670 how important our role is and that just is a city but also as environmental services. 168 00:14:53,330 --> 00:14:59,630 The Division of Environmental Services was notified about 5.2530 in the morning by 6.45. 169 00:15:00,020 --> 00:15:22,040 We had the responder on the scene that reported to insidic command, it becomes the unified command for the incident, and upon our arrival, we estimated the facility was roughly about 85% destroyed from the initial explosion. 170 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:32,220 TFRD was providing a massive fire and searching for employees, what our role was, we started 171 00:15:32,220 --> 00:15:39,000 by the way, surveyed the area and became conducting air monitoring by when we arrived 172 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,420 at the scene. 173 00:15:42,060 --> 00:15:49,760 Unified command and notified National Response Center, which is alerted the U.S. EPA and 174 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:58,280 EPA of the incident, but also environmental services, we contacted our local representatives 175 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:04,880 of the U.S. EPA and the highly EPA to make sure that they are there to a class. 176 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:08,740 So we know that we do not want to take any chances. 177 00:16:09,060 --> 00:16:11,360 We want to make sure we talk to someone. 178 00:16:11,940 --> 00:16:18,300 The National Response Center, which referred to as NRC, is the primary federal point of contact 179 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:22,040 for reporting all oil spills, chemical releases, 180 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:24,300 reological discharges, 181 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,860 unbiological contamination incidents within the United States. 182 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,000 They are operated by the US Coast Guard, 183 00:16:33,140 --> 00:16:35,300 while they do not deploy responders. 184 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,920 Their role is to notify and emergency 185 00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:47,680 dispatch of all correct federal, state, and local agencies. 186 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,840 I thought that is important to know this well. 187 00:16:51,620 --> 00:16:53,560 So when we got there by nine o'clock, 188 00:16:54,140 --> 00:17:00,280 we have deployed two more teams to perform air monitoring 189 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,940 around the area in the neighborhood 190 00:17:03,540 --> 00:17:04,960 or with the surrounding neighborhood. 191 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:10,160 And after starting this, we contacted Lucas County 192 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,460 local emergency planning committee, which I'm sure 193 00:17:13,460 --> 00:17:21,460 certificate for to have LEPC and their role is they are the designated local county board 194 00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:29,980 responsible for managing chemical inventory and the surrounding Toledo area in the Luke's County 195 00:17:29,980 --> 00:17:38,680 and collect tier two hazard reports. And what they do they maintain a comprehensive hazardous 196 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:46,660 inventory of facilities that are supposed to report to them, and also they help in modeling 197 00:17:46,660 --> 00:17:53,620 based on the known materials that are there, where our efforts need to be, and that was about 198 00:17:53,620 --> 00:18:01,140 in mind around the industries. And that's where we deploy our teams to make sure that they 199 00:18:01,140 --> 00:18:10,460 get the readings, hair monitoring, and that area. We did not have any readings on the devices 200 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:20,100 that we have on the meters. And it's good to note here that these meters that we use give 201 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:26,540 a broad spectrum what could be in the air. We refer to them as CGM sort of common. 202 00:18:28,940 --> 00:18:29,900 And they 203 00:18:29,900 --> 00:18:35,920 designed to tell the person carrying the meter if there is an immediate danger where they are 204 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:42,320 out aiming this around here. That's why we use them when we survey the area and visit the 205 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:49,440 neighborhood. But the only reading we got that morning was 5.3 ppm parts from a real 206 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:58,860 seas directly next to the fence line of the property. But when our staff moved away from 207 00:18:58,860 --> 00:19:04,360 friends flying to South Avenue to the street, the entrance, it was zero. 208 00:19:05,980 --> 00:19:12,860 And those were also the readings of zero throughout the neighborhood and the locations that we 209 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:15,300 revisited. 210 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:24,860 At approximately 10 a.m., U.S. EPA arrived from the scene, and by 10-30, they began 211 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,040 but even though they had their own air monitoring, 212 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:35,960 our staff continued to monitor the air in the neighborhood 213 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,130 within that mild radius. 214 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,660 And specifically, we visited each and every 215 00:19:42,660 --> 00:19:48,440 what decided or recommended by LAPC as sensitive areas 216 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,860 or sensitive locations. 217 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:54,840 It could be a school, it could be a day-to-day, 218 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,960 it could be a nursing home of the identify these, so we make sure that we visit it. 219 00:20:00,430 --> 00:20:10,570 And every location. So even though U.S. EPA contractor began monitoring, we continued to monitors throughout the neighborhood. 220 00:20:11,190 --> 00:20:21,330 And to this day and for the foreseeable future, we are continuing to have environmental services to monitor the air daily. 221 00:20:21,330 --> 00:20:30,690 And so far, we have no readings indicating its right to help based on the equipment that we have. 222 00:20:31,430 --> 00:20:33,270 Based on the regular back to the incident, 223 00:20:33,570 --> 00:20:36,370 based on the available information at that time, 224 00:20:36,890 --> 00:20:41,230 U.S. EPA on the scene coordinator mobilized their contractors 225 00:20:41,230 --> 00:20:47,950 to conduct 24-hour community air monitoring in the affected neighborhood. 226 00:20:49,230 --> 00:21:00,090 The contractor monitor for VOC's of all global organic compounds, PM-10 in micrometers and PM-2.5, 227 00:21:00,190 --> 00:21:09,290 these are the size of particles, and they did not have any alarming meetings, there were 228 00:21:09,290 --> 00:21:14,870 three days that indicate any threat from these sort of elements. 229 00:21:15,910 --> 00:21:24,090 According to the data, they collected the SEPA indicated that they detected no readings of a concern to the public. 230 00:21:27,970 --> 00:21:38,210 Also, the SEPA contacted the agency for toxic substances in disease registry, who referred to as ATSDR, 231 00:21:38,210 --> 00:21:44,550 which is a federal public health agency in the United States that works to protect people from 232 00:21:44,550 --> 00:21:51,130 harmful exposure of hazardous substances of long modeling, so they do the full modeling. 233 00:21:51,890 --> 00:21:59,910 According to that agency and their modeling, assuming the worst case scenario of 40,000 gallons 234 00:21:59,910 --> 00:22:09,390 of kerosene because we did not know that point in what was in those tanks but also take 235 00:22:09,390 --> 00:22:15,550 the worst case scenario according to U.S. EPA, the SDDR, considered worst case scenario 236 00:22:15,550 --> 00:22:22,970 would be 40,000 gallons of kerosene. The full modeling showed that the hazard was isolated 237 00:22:22,970 --> 00:22:29,190 to the area immediately surrounding the four tanks located at the property. 238 00:22:29,350 --> 00:22:33,990 That's the report we got back from a STDR and USP. 239 00:22:37,140 --> 00:22:44,620 As I mentioned though, TES continued, environmental service continued to monitor and remain 240 00:22:44,620 --> 00:22:50,700 on the scene in a supportive role in taking the lead and making sure that we do our due 241 00:22:50,700 --> 00:23:00,050 and collecting data that would help us give some advice or act in a certain way. 242 00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:09,420 Turning now to the water quality, the Huston Ditch is immediately to the north of the property 243 00:23:09,420 --> 00:23:13,820 and flows as tributary into the Ottawa River. 244 00:23:13,820 --> 00:23:22,560 During the height of the fire, solvent and oil mixed with firefighting one-off began flowing into the ditch. 245 00:23:23,420 --> 00:23:28,260 So to protect our waterways, contaminant booms were placed. 246 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,680 Environmental services staff identified the ditch behind the facility. 247 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,680 Identified the locations where the booms need to be put. 248 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,580 should be placed and confirmed their proper deployment. 249 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:49,860 The U.S. EPA contractor are the ones that deployed the containment 250 00:23:49,860 --> 00:23:56,260 drones at the three strategic locations that we determine and we 251 00:23:56,260 --> 00:24:02,310 mentioned that the U.S. EPA and that was right where the ditch passes under the 252 00:24:02,310 --> 00:24:04,510 I don't get familiar with the area. 253 00:24:05,230 --> 00:24:07,890 There's a rail road service road. 254 00:24:08,090 --> 00:24:12,930 That's what we installed at North East of the facility. 255 00:24:14,130 --> 00:24:18,070 One at the dead end of Westwood Avenue and near Scott Park. 256 00:24:22,770 --> 00:24:25,650 Now, there are two types of wounds deployed. 257 00:24:26,650 --> 00:24:27,990 Absorbent wounds. 258 00:24:28,410 --> 00:24:31,330 That absorbed, obviously from the name, 259 00:24:31,330 --> 00:24:43,250 and capture any material, and there are hard dunes which both were deployed, and hard dunes prevent the passing through of the material. 260 00:24:44,350 --> 00:24:50,550 So any product or origin visible would be absorbed or contained for future collection. 261 00:24:51,250 --> 00:24:59,590 Keeping in mind at the depth point we were functioning under emergency response and containing what we are. 262 00:25:01,140 --> 00:25:11,020 Additionally, once the U.S. EPA contract to receive approval to access the site from APF and the DFRD and Unified Command, 263 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:24,720 and the person burned to contain the firewater runoff was placed directly behind the building as a temporary measure to prevent firewater runoff from continuing to enter into the hot stream ditch. 264 00:25:26,220 --> 00:25:34,560 We did perform water quality sampling in Hudson ditch downstream from the location at the first boom location 265 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:41,520 We sampled for cyanide, total petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease, 266 00:25:44,220 --> 00:25:53,500 metals, total toxic organics, BTX, which we refer to as benzene, tollene, ethyl benzene and silene. 267 00:25:58,260 --> 00:26:19,520 The only thing we detected was mercury that was detected in the sample, which is, in most cases, is normal to a fire that's being extinguished, because it could be from fluorescent light bulbs to be from other things within the facility. 268 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:32,140 It's also important to note that this area is an industrial, historical industrial area. 269 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,500 So we do not have it based on that area. 270 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:39,740 Therefore, it's likely the code. 271 00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:46,700 So it's sampling, we would expect possibly finding things, metals, maybe in there. 272 00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:52,800 I just want to make sure I mention that because of the location of the area. 273 00:26:53,500 --> 00:27:00,740 The current status, the multi-agency response has transitioned now from emergency response to 274 00:27:00,740 --> 00:27:08,740 containment and mitigation until long-term remediation of the area. 275 00:27:08,740 --> 00:27:18,000 U.S. EPA formally transitioned the lead role to Ohio EPA, and that is the Ohio EPA 276 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:24,440 Northwest District Office, and that happened on August 28th, so Ohio EPA will continue 277 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:30,460 to oversee the long-term soil waste and structural cleanup of this site. 278 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:37,660 So again, OEPA is now overseeing the work done by the cleanup contractor, along with our support. 279 00:27:37,660 --> 00:27:51,380 We make sure that when work is taking place, that we visit the site, regularly to make sure that we are informed and we are in support of all of the cleanup efforts. 280 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:57,720 The cleanup contractor has been performing air monitoring three times a day, so far. 281 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:21,940 It's my understanding for I came here that might stop today, but that by the contract, but that would not stop us as environmental services continuing to do air monitoring daily and also checking on the rooms to make sure they need to be replaced, removed and the status of the water in the Hudson Bridge. 282 00:28:21,940 --> 00:28:30,460 The earthen berms and trenches remain in place and last we saw they are still in good condition. 283 00:28:31,580 --> 00:28:37,820 Product removal and tank purging are actively underway that tanks are being replaced. 284 00:28:38,740 --> 00:28:41,640 I'm sorry, cleaned and emptied for removal. 285 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,520 And that effort is also taking place today. 286 00:28:45,520 --> 00:29:02,540 My understanding, the last four before I came here that two of them have been cleaned up before and two, they are in the process of cleaning and emptying and so far they recovered 200 gallons from those tanks. 287 00:29:05,350 --> 00:29:17,410 Also additional birth and birth has been placed around the tanks to ensure that while they're removing them nothing gets into the ditch as well. 288 00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:33,750 In closing, the development of environmental services continues and when I'm precise that continues daily air monitoring, reading at the home locations, and so far all of our readings have been no readings. 289 00:29:34,650 --> 00:29:46,770 We have not recorded anything. We will continue to check that. We're doing it and not just during very days. We do that on weekends and also we have in place. 290 00:29:46,770 --> 00:29:54,330 If we get a rainy event, we will send a responder, even if it isn't at night after hours, 291 00:29:54,810 --> 00:29:59,470 to make sure that they check the bulls and the air. 292 00:30:02,290 --> 00:30:13,390 We will continue to do this. We will provide our services to you to take care of how after you hear reading, roll, monitoring, including. 293 00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:22,650 That concludes our presentation. So happy to take any questions. 294 00:30:23,350 --> 00:30:24,370 Thank you so much. 295 00:30:28,730 --> 00:30:36,390 You might just want to mention that Brent industries, I just want to make sure those 296 00:30:36,390 --> 00:30:44,430 manufacturers, because they are operation, you do visit them for care, to make sure 297 00:30:44,430 --> 00:30:49,710 they are compliance with the air division and air pollution control regulation. 298 00:30:50,510 --> 00:30:56,110 And that's why we're looking at the number of August 7, and we find you a violation. 299 00:30:57,130 --> 00:30:58,810 They also, because of the operation, 300 00:31:01,050 --> 00:31:04,730 we are part of a free treatment, for basically they can have 301 00:31:04,730 --> 00:31:11,970 with anything or source system without testing it 302 00:31:11,970 --> 00:31:17,390 and sometimes we go out because they have to send you records to us 303 00:31:17,390 --> 00:31:22,010 and we do a really good unfortunately this year 304 00:31:22,670 --> 00:31:26,650 with a schedule to one but now we can't have the last one we did 305 00:31:26,650 --> 00:31:29,050 to like one fourth time and five 306 00:31:29,050 --> 00:31:43,830 And you mentioned that there's a tier 2 report as well, and they were compliant with turning 307 00:31:43,830 --> 00:31:49,630 in there, tier 2 report, and listed all of the chemicals that they had on site. 308 00:31:49,630 --> 00:31:55,470 That's why that's what we got back from how you can see when they did try to force. 309 00:31:55,910 --> 00:31:59,990 I don't really know that I didn't look at the entire report. 310 00:32:00,330 --> 00:32:02,910 What people are interested in is the list of these chemicals. 311 00:32:03,630 --> 00:32:08,570 Because we have to provide that for, you know, by demand of the U.S. EPA. 312 00:32:11,590 --> 00:32:28,570 But basically, the tier 2, what it indicated in the tier 2 of the tier 2 report, and that is self-work assets, which is contained in 313 00:32:28,570 --> 00:32:30,490 problems, conflicts, patterns. 314 00:32:32,290 --> 00:32:33,390 And, started solving. 315 00:32:33,770 --> 00:32:36,530 Sorry, it's solving the right piece. 316 00:32:37,930 --> 00:32:43,790 I guess, again, it's disciplines derived, clean and liquid, similar to mental 317 00:32:43,790 --> 00:32:46,890 experience that is commonly used in pace in her recovery. 318 00:32:51,990 --> 00:32:54,050 Just also the clarifying. 319 00:32:54,050 --> 00:33:00,710 One, you still don't have a full list of roster of the people in there, but may have a presence from there, and the truth. 320 00:33:01,290 --> 00:33:10,490 I do not, and they haven't arrived. I've seen them on our several times, and said he was going to get it to us, gave me a minute now, and I saw him receive it. 321 00:33:10,750 --> 00:33:13,670 I can't account for all the people that may have that inside. 322 00:33:14,210 --> 00:33:23,730 At this point, not a hundred percent. I mean, we haven't had any calls coming in for missing loved ones, but unfortunately, they have not provided the information. 323 00:33:24,050 --> 00:33:26,930 Thank you, very concerned that they're having fun with that. 324 00:33:30,290 --> 00:33:31,850 We were going to have a couple of regards. 325 00:33:33,710 --> 00:33:34,190 Thank you. 326 00:33:34,290 --> 00:33:36,290 And thank you for your presentation. 327 00:33:37,230 --> 00:33:40,250 Deputy Chief, thank you for your staff that came. 328 00:33:40,970 --> 00:33:42,790 And we're able to help. 329 00:33:43,210 --> 00:33:44,870 I can only imagine what that was like. 330 00:33:45,250 --> 00:33:46,910 I heard for many of the neighbors, 331 00:33:47,270 --> 00:33:49,330 but it was like, but I kind of imagined what. 332 00:33:50,530 --> 00:33:54,390 Our fire staff had seen and experienced in their heroes. 333 00:33:54,390 --> 00:33:58,650 for going in and helping and thank you for environmental services. 334 00:34:01,110 --> 00:34:05,390 As a district council, I see a very different perspective from you guys. 335 00:34:06,270 --> 00:34:10,750 And I think that I appreciate everything you've done this step in. 336 00:34:10,990 --> 00:34:12,510 And this has been a great report. 337 00:34:13,130 --> 00:34:15,590 But unfortunately, this is the most important thing that I've gotten. 338 00:34:16,130 --> 00:34:21,630 And that's really alarming to me when I have people calling and reaching out 339 00:34:21,630 --> 00:34:23,210 I'm trying to get answers. 340 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,060 I think that there was a communication breakdown. 341 00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:30,780 I think you guys have all the answers, 342 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,380 but the residents don't realize this. 343 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,840 And I've been out five times now since the accident. 344 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:42,360 And the residents just don't have all the answers. 345 00:34:42,380 --> 00:34:44,220 They've got in cards from the EPA saying, 346 00:34:44,220 --> 00:34:45,420 call if you have any questions. 347 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,520 But I really think that it's our duty as a city 348 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,240 and especially with the use of social media 349 00:34:51,240 --> 00:34:59,960 to put out a little report every day, like this is, I mean, this was so helpful that we are in. 350 00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:27,620 And we went from emergency to the contamination and mitigation. Next step is remediation. That would be so helpful so that people know what to do last night. They were cleaning and there was smells and there was smoke. And people, that stuff scares them because they don't all have this thing answers. There are so many amazing people in the community that have formed phone trees. 351 00:35:27,620 --> 00:35:34,320 And I have, I mean, we've walked and fired people, like you have people that are willing 352 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:39,980 to stop up and support you, but you guys have to build that engine for us to support 353 00:35:39,980 --> 00:35:40,760 you. 354 00:35:41,380 --> 00:35:46,340 I fear can take over, right? 355 00:35:46,500 --> 00:35:52,560 And when you're a woken, so early in the morning by two explosions back to back, people 356 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:57,720 are told me they ran out of their house, the sky is orange, like that's terrifying. 357 00:35:58,780 --> 00:36:02,940 And then, you know, there's an influx of people fighting the fire, being there. 358 00:36:03,180 --> 00:36:05,240 The police were great protecting things. 359 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,400 The EPA was out there, but then it stopped. 360 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:10,220 But there's still questions. 361 00:36:10,460 --> 00:36:15,640 And I really think it's our job as a city to step up and make sure that, you know, 362 00:36:16,060 --> 00:36:22,340 they know that we're testing one today, seven days a week, and after every rain event. 363 00:36:22,340 --> 00:36:30,880 That the the booms in the ditch are doing this and you're going to see this like I just 364 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:36,460 As an educator it's so important for us to say this is what we've learned. This is where we are 365 00:36:36,460 --> 00:36:41,540 This is what we've learned. This is what you're going to see those three things. What's happened? 366 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:49,140 What's currently happening and what's happening in the future. That means so much to people and if you can get that out to 367 00:36:49,140 --> 00:36:56,520 Me, to social media. There are so many people and they're in the audience and I see them. They will help us get that message out into the neighborhood 368 00:36:57,680 --> 00:36:58,160 but 369 00:36:58,160 --> 00:36:59,980 to have these horrible 370 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:03,060 incidents happen and they don't they don't happen often 371 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:08,100 That has to be part of our plan. That has to be part of our plan. We didn't forward 372 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:10,380 Regardless of if it's 373 00:37:10,380 --> 00:37:13,820 Solfer burning in East Toledo, which happened on the same day, 374 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:15,660 thank God it didn't get into the neighborhood, 375 00:37:16,140 --> 00:37:18,500 or an explosion in that bread industry. 376 00:37:18,860 --> 00:37:20,620 There needs to be a communication plan. 377 00:37:21,660 --> 00:37:26,800 And it would really be nice for the districts that are either touching it, 378 00:37:26,980 --> 00:37:30,020 or in it, for us to get the same reports daily, 379 00:37:30,060 --> 00:37:32,940 because I am more than willing to go above and beyond 380 00:37:32,940 --> 00:37:34,460 to get that information out for you, 381 00:37:34,700 --> 00:37:36,880 but I need to have that information first. 382 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:43,120 So, with that, I really appreciate your report, but I will yield my time for other council members. 383 00:37:43,180 --> 00:37:44,320 Thank you. 384 00:37:44,540 --> 00:37:45,320 Thanks so much. 385 00:37:45,580 --> 00:37:51,160 And I feel like perhaps a comment about what I'm doing in communications from this point forward. 386 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:54,860 I'll look like and what the residents can expect from the city. 387 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:56,800 Yes. 388 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:57,100 Thank you. 389 00:37:57,220 --> 00:37:58,120 I'll take that. 390 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:03,280 I think we are exploring, you know, sort of, 391 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,160 I think we can promise going forward to have 392 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:14,460 that more regular update communication I can promise that I think we're we are trying to ask 393 00:38:14,460 --> 00:38:19,720 that the cleanup contractor be responsible in some way for that communication we think that 394 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:24,760 rent industry should be responsible in some way for that. I don't know that we're going to be 395 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:29,760 successful in that just yet but but we can commit to if they are not able to do it or can't come 396 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:31,820 through on that we can commit to that. 397 00:38:39,970 --> 00:38:43,810 Thank you and later the current commitments to us I think 398 00:38:43,810 --> 00:38:52,130 shown that they might not be the most communicative reliable. Thank you. So I think it's important 399 00:38:52,130 --> 00:38:57,510 that we do. I do know that EPA has created a website with updates that are going forward 400 00:38:57,510 --> 00:39:02,030 and that wonder if there's a component where we can provide communication updates through there 401 00:39:02,030 --> 00:39:05,250 or something similar. Yes, and we have the link to that that we can share. 402 00:39:09,550 --> 00:39:10,970 I believe from the 403 00:39:12,090 --> 00:39:15,410 Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you so much for this presentation. 404 00:39:16,130 --> 00:39:17,170 I really appreciate it. 405 00:39:17,330 --> 00:39:25,290 And for all you did that day, I can't imagine going into a burning building and I always appreciate 406 00:39:25,290 --> 00:39:27,670 our men and women who do that. 407 00:39:28,250 --> 00:39:31,230 I did want to ask about Brent Industries. 408 00:39:31,910 --> 00:39:33,510 Have they been cooperative at all? 409 00:39:33,610 --> 00:39:36,990 I know we've kind of talked about they haven't been the best neighbor. 410 00:39:38,230 --> 00:39:39,870 Have they cooperated in the investigation? 411 00:39:39,870 --> 00:39:42,630 are they cooperating with the cleanup, how's that working? 412 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:47,320 Yeah, I can speak about the cleanup. 413 00:39:48,900 --> 00:39:50,120 They have been very cooperative. 414 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,900 The contractor has been on point. 415 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:55,320 They're doing a really good job. 416 00:39:55,500 --> 00:39:57,640 They give us daily updates. 417 00:39:58,100 --> 00:39:59,060 Hopefully they do. 418 00:39:59,360 --> 00:39:59,980 In addition to us. 419 00:40:00,140 --> 00:40:16,920 Being there, observing, and especially when Ohio EPA is there, because they are responsible for the site in the cleanup. But as far as it, we can tell at this point, they hired a good company to do the cleanup and they are cooperating. 420 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,480 Okay. I just can't speak on that, sir. 421 00:40:20,220 --> 00:40:24,900 Okay. Thank you. Also, I've seen a list of the chemicals that were in the building. 422 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:31,460 do we have a cause, a definitive cause if we don't, when will we have that? 423 00:40:36,870 --> 00:40:39,490 Good afternoon, members of Council and the public. 424 00:40:39,930 --> 00:40:44,410 Assistant Chief John Kaminski, after checking in with the Arson Investigative Team today, 425 00:40:45,110 --> 00:40:50,810 they have told me that working in conjunction with the ATF in this investigation, 426 00:40:51,590 --> 00:40:56,470 that they'll continue to go through what they described as copious volumes of evidence, 427 00:40:56,470 --> 00:41:03,030 that there are 15 through still, that includes video, electronic, and of course, interviews. 428 00:41:04,070 --> 00:41:07,210 There is no timeline when they're going to have the final results in the investigation. 429 00:41:07,790 --> 00:41:11,310 Obviously, I think it would service all of the investigation to be thorough and correct. 430 00:41:12,050 --> 00:41:17,590 It has not been told to me that Brad industry has been uncooperative with that investigation. 431 00:41:18,470 --> 00:41:22,050 But we do not have a timeline when they'll have a definitive answer as to the cause. 432 00:41:22,670 --> 00:41:23,590 Okay. Thank you. 433 00:41:23,590 --> 00:41:25,510 Yeah, appreciate it. 434 00:41:25,510 --> 00:41:26,250 That's all I have. 435 00:41:26,450 --> 00:41:27,710 Thank you. 436 00:41:27,930 --> 00:41:28,150 Absolutely. 437 00:41:29,070 --> 00:41:30,190 Consumant surrounds you. 438 00:41:30,590 --> 00:41:31,470 Thank you, Mr. Chair. 439 00:41:32,590 --> 00:41:38,610 First of all, I'd like to express my deep appreciation to our first responders, including 440 00:41:38,610 --> 00:41:42,790 all of our city employees that responded in the state and federal people. 441 00:41:43,150 --> 00:41:46,710 Because it was a truly a tragedy that happened. 442 00:41:47,590 --> 00:41:54,690 And obviously we were very touched by the loss of life and injuries that may have occurred 443 00:41:54,690 --> 00:41:55,770 very tragic. 444 00:41:56,510 --> 00:42:04,090 My question is was the call made about 445 in the morning or was that before to the fire 445 00:42:04,890 --> 00:42:06,470 at 4.50, okay? 446 00:42:07,450 --> 00:42:13,550 And then do you have a deputy chief, do you have any idea what time the deceased, the two deceased 447 00:42:13,550 --> 00:42:14,730 persons were discovered? 448 00:42:14,730 --> 00:42:15,810 And 449 00:42:27,490 --> 00:42:33,210 I guess I'm just wondering if a contractor commissioner has been hired and is working 450 00:42:34,110 --> 00:42:39,310 that, aren't they going to interfere with the investigation in terms of being able to look 451 00:42:39,310 --> 00:42:42,990 at various materials at the site if they're cleaning up everything? 452 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:53,540 The investigation is ongoing, but I mean we also have a contractor that's they're cleaning 453 00:42:53,540 --> 00:42:54,480 up the site. 454 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:59,480 So I guess I'm wondering if there's going to be a very difficult 455 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:03,380 to get further evidence if it's missing. 456 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:08,120 I don't know, can fire speak to, or maybe, 457 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:11,440 if this is a chief commensky, to what I require. 458 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:14,120 Yep, I guess good evening as I was in correct 459 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:14,960 earlier, sir, good afternoon. 460 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,860 Good evening again, John commensky, assistant chief. 461 00:43:18,420 --> 00:43:19,640 From where we are with the investigation, 462 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,180 as they completed their onsite investigation, sir, 463 00:43:22,180 --> 00:43:27,080 is that they believe that both RFIU and the HIF have completed their onsite 464 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:31,040 investigation and collected every evidence that they need to, for their 465 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:34,100 investigation. Okay. So they turned it over to the property owner. And when they 466 00:43:34,100 --> 00:43:37,720 do that, that means they have gathered everything that they think to make the 467 00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:41,060 determination if that answers your question. You understand my concern. Of course, 468 00:43:41,540 --> 00:43:46,600 probably our contractors are cleaning up and if there was any reason that they 469 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:50,040 would still think that they needed to gather things, we would not have turned it back 470 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:52,180 over to the property owner, we'd still be on sites here. 471 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:54,920 Okay, and OSHA also has been involved in my correct. 472 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:55,960 That is to my understanding. 473 00:43:56,540 --> 00:43:57,860 Okay, thank you, thank you all. 474 00:43:58,180 --> 00:44:00,420 Thank you, Mr. Chair, absolutely. 475 00:44:01,380 --> 00:44:02,300 Councilwoman McPherson. 476 00:44:04,020 --> 00:44:04,600 Thank you, 477 00:44:07,730 --> 00:44:10,870 thank you for the work that you have done thus far 478 00:44:10,870 --> 00:44:12,450 in this tragedy. 479 00:44:13,070 --> 00:44:16,810 Thank you to lead a fire in police and everyone 480 00:44:16,810 --> 00:44:20,990 that has worked so diligently in this. 481 00:44:20,990 --> 00:44:32,850 My concern to along with Council Member Gattis is the dissemination of information to the citizens. 482 00:44:34,790 --> 00:44:41,050 That has to be our concern because we serve the citizens of Toledo. 483 00:44:42,030 --> 00:44:51,910 And speaking with the few that I spoke with and at our press conference is the not knowing and living in that area. 484 00:44:51,910 --> 00:44:59,950 And then it was right there close to school starting and all of that and I I always say 485 00:45:01,710 --> 00:45:12,950 One of our weakest links is communicating to the citizens of Toledo. What's really going on? And when fear is involved, 486 00:45:15,150 --> 00:45:25,070 it doubles. Because they don't know. They're concerned on whether or not they should continue living there. 487 00:45:25,070 --> 00:45:33,090 their health issues, their children's safety, there were some that had swimming pools and 488 00:45:33,090 --> 00:45:43,910 the yards, all of this could have been, I think, a little easier to deal with a administration 489 00:45:43,910 --> 00:45:57,280 been forthcoming with conversations to that community, to say, Ohio EPA is doing this. 490 00:45:57,940 --> 00:46:06,540 We have done this, we are continuing to do this, just what you just told us, every step 491 00:46:06,540 --> 00:46:09,780 of the way, after that explosion, 492 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:14,980 I would have made the lives of those people that are living 493 00:46:14,980 --> 00:46:17,640 in that community a whole lot easier. 494 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:19,980 When we went to, we had depressed conference. 495 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:25,200 No, we didn't have answers, but we were there saying, 496 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:28,340 we support you, and we want to get the answers. 497 00:46:28,700 --> 00:46:29,700 What are the questions? 498 00:46:30,460 --> 00:46:32,260 And we are here for you. 499 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:35,460 And that's the missing piece when it comes 500 00:46:36,860 --> 00:46:39,940 to connecting the dots with the administration. 501 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:42,720 That's my biggest problem. 502 00:46:42,720 --> 00:46:53,300 And that's a concern for the citizens, because we should know so that we can share it with them. 503 00:46:55,430 --> 00:46:58,190 Or administration could have went on and talked to the citizens. 504 00:47:00,380 --> 00:47:01,020 Several times. 505 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:08,240 Or we could have had a community meeting over in that area at Burrell School to say, 506 00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:15,880 This is where we are. This is what's happening. This is what we're doing. We want to make sure that you are safe. 507 00:47:16,420 --> 00:47:22,440 We are concerned and we're going to keep you abreast. We've got to do better. 508 00:47:24,300 --> 00:47:26,140 And this is laid in the game. 509 00:47:26,140 --> 00:47:31,260 As far as I'm concerned, I appreciate you having the meeting, 510 00:47:31,780 --> 00:47:32,660 Councilmen, co-mise. 511 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:35,560 This is late in the game for our citizens, 512 00:47:37,100 --> 00:47:41,280 because they've been dealing with this every single day since that explosion. 513 00:47:42,940 --> 00:47:46,740 Wondering, do I stay, do I leave? 514 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:48,960 How are my children doing? 515 00:47:49,700 --> 00:47:53,120 The kids over there at Burl School, is the air safe? 516 00:47:53,820 --> 00:48:01,880 When we were at the press conference of a constituency, they were doing something with the water. 517 00:48:02,740 --> 00:48:05,580 Do you all know what they were doing? Is the water safe? 518 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:09,520 These are answers that we should have been able to give them, 519 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:12,280 because administration should have given it to us, 520 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,040 and we should have been communicating with our citizens. 521 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,460 We had two employees to lose their life, 522 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:24,440 And we're not talking about this to our citizens. 523 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:28,060 Are we keeping it on the download? 524 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:29,000 No. 525 00:48:31,530 --> 00:48:36,910 When we have a tragedy in our city, everybody is affected by it. 526 00:48:37,170 --> 00:48:41,750 Not just those in that neighborhood, but every citizen in the city or Toledo. 527 00:48:42,470 --> 00:48:44,490 Because it could happen in another place. 528 00:48:45,150 --> 00:48:46,610 What are we doing to be proactive? 529 00:48:46,610 --> 00:48:51,170 What is the game plan and we need to tell our citizens? 530 00:48:52,990 --> 00:48:54,610 We've got to do better. 531 00:48:55,650 --> 00:48:56,390 I'm done. 532 00:48:56,470 --> 00:48:58,910 Thank you so very much. 533 00:48:59,090 --> 00:48:59,530 Fire department. 534 00:48:59,670 --> 00:49:01,130 Thank you for your report. 535 00:49:01,910 --> 00:49:05,310 Thank you for what you do for us each and every day. 536 00:49:05,530 --> 00:49:08,990 And thank you for coming and sharing with us on today. 537 00:49:09,870 --> 00:49:12,430 I want you to know I do appreciate that. 538 00:49:12,450 --> 00:49:13,230 I really do. 539 00:49:13,230 --> 00:49:20,850 But I'm just feeling it for my constituents because we're just now having a conversation about 540 00:49:20,850 --> 00:49:25,550 an explosion that has happened what two weeks ago, three weeks ago, 541 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:28,640 and we're just having 542 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:36,540 a conversation about it to let the citizens of Toledo know what we're doing, that's unacceptable. 543 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:41,640 Mr. Chair, may I respond? 544 00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:44,560 Thank you, Councilwoman. 545 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:47,500 I hear what you're saying. 546 00:49:47,980 --> 00:49:50,880 I think that the ongoing communication needs to be better. 547 00:49:51,300 --> 00:49:53,960 We did communicate pretty extensively in the beginning. 548 00:49:55,660 --> 00:49:59,280 So, I agree that the ongoing communication needs to be better and we'll fix that. 549 00:49:59,360 --> 00:49:59,960 But I just want to make- 550 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:09,840 We did do a lot of communication in the early aftermath of the incident. So I just wanted to mention that. We'll do better going forward. 551 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:13,760 Okay, thank you. That's woman Jones. 552 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:26,520 Thank you chair. First just echoing the remarks from my colleagues as far as just the hard work, the response just taking care of this situation. 553 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:34,060 And however it had happened because also we have to think about there were other incidences, 554 00:50:34,340 --> 00:50:36,540 like the Army source fire, the tanker on the east side. 555 00:50:36,700 --> 00:50:42,520 So there was a lot of stuff going on at that time, which prompts my question as far as our 556 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:50,820 disaster response when it comes to residents who are dealing with the after effects. 557 00:50:51,240 --> 00:50:55,280 So considering what the environmental services has done as far as air monitoring, water, 558 00:50:55,280 --> 00:51:02,980 monitoring. Is there a system in place to where residents can call and report in any health concerns? 559 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:08,580 I'm actually, we should probably look into the health department, you know, just to see how their response 560 00:51:08,580 --> 00:51:15,880 or how they would fit in this because symptoms may be immediate, immediate, but later on developing, 561 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:21,840 especially as things are being cleaned up, they could arise again. So is there some sort of 562 00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:30,000 call-in number or reporting, tracking that we're doing for residents around these disaster areas, 563 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:34,620 particularly since we're talking about brain industries, what are we doing with those residents there? 564 00:51:36,900 --> 00:51:41,620 Thank you. I would say, you know, we always have engaged to lead out to take in information. 565 00:51:41,820 --> 00:51:47,180 I don't know that we necessarily have a formal category for something like this. 566 00:51:47,180 --> 00:51:58,100 I would love for either assistant chief or deputy chief to address, like, sort of our, our disaster planning and efforts that we go through to be prepared for these types of situations. 567 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:00,100 I think that was kind of an a question to know. 568 00:52:03,910 --> 00:52:08,810 So these are probably I once in a career type incident. 569 00:52:11,230 --> 00:52:17,490 The one thing that we do as a department along with a lot of the agencies that were actually involved in this scene, 570 00:52:17,490 --> 00:52:22,570 We do tabletop exercises with both skill exercises and we get prepared. 571 00:52:24,550 --> 00:52:28,310 So they always tell you you get a prepare for the preparation for eight hours on your own. 572 00:52:28,550 --> 00:52:32,250 We're able to actually get a lot of the stuff done within four hours half of that. 573 00:52:32,410 --> 00:52:37,010 And still maintain and still provide for the citizens, along with having a hundred firefighters 574 00:52:37,010 --> 00:52:39,090 and backfilling with other departments. 575 00:52:40,150 --> 00:52:44,850 And then on top of that we also had an additional hazmat scene over on the inside. 576 00:52:44,850 --> 00:52:52,210 So, we had two has magazines going out one time, it shows the might of their team, but it 577 00:52:52,210 --> 00:52:57,250 also shows that our resources are stretched, but we do have other access or other agencies 578 00:52:57,250 --> 00:53:01,850 that we can call in, and we have mutual aid agreements with that if we need to pull in 579 00:53:01,850 --> 00:53:02,570 those we can. 580 00:53:02,950 --> 00:53:11,170 We were running short, unmembers, they were, let alone they had that fire, they had the hazmat 581 00:53:11,170 --> 00:53:15,570 run, there's a fire on Palmer, and then there's another fire at St. 582 00:53:15,910 --> 00:53:20,170 Anthony's, the same day, and there was a lot of the same crew, so they put it out there 583 00:53:20,170 --> 00:53:20,690 that day. 584 00:53:21,190 --> 00:53:23,490 They worked extremely hard all of them in the women. 585 00:53:25,890 --> 00:53:35,890 So that's why we emphasized the attending these exercises, all these parties come together, that's 586 00:53:35,890 --> 00:53:41,150 a practice, and then it was a real world, so a lot of us had seen where familiar faces, 587 00:53:44,070 --> 00:53:47,110 As we're saying, I'm already calling on the phone. 588 00:53:47,130 --> 00:53:51,070 I'm calling Ohio EPA, US EPA, on the phone can we have that personal contact. 589 00:53:51,350 --> 00:53:57,130 Tell them what exactly we need to help us out because our resources are strapped. 590 00:53:57,290 --> 00:54:01,210 There's no way we can possibly do the air monitoring, what a little quite the fire, 591 00:54:01,410 --> 00:54:04,010 and most importantly locate missing civilians. 592 00:54:05,450 --> 00:54:09,450 That's what we do preparation-wise, and we'll continue to practice, 593 00:54:09,450 --> 00:54:12,930 and stay involved in those community events? 594 00:54:14,130 --> 00:54:22,290 So on the day that this happened, when it came to those who may have been affected by the 595 00:54:22,290 --> 00:54:27,550 smoke chemicals and things of that nature, do you keep a list of those who were going to 596 00:54:27,550 --> 00:54:35,050 the hospitals if there were hospitalizations or the surrounding residences around that property? 597 00:54:35,050 --> 00:54:40,510 do we have contact information because basically what I'm trying to say is when disasters like 598 00:54:40,510 --> 00:54:47,950 this happen and there's chemicals contamination symptoms don't show up immediate. So further 599 00:54:47,950 --> 00:54:52,850 down the line we may have some issues with asthma, may have some issues with just other health 600 00:54:52,850 --> 00:54:57,570 issues. So is there a way for people to reach out to either the city, the health department, 601 00:54:57,570 --> 00:54:59,770 fire department and environmental services. 602 00:55:00,020 --> 00:55:29,120 When it comes to their health, just the tracking aspect of it, because we want to make sure that if somebody does get sick, because of this, I don't know if there are some legalities to it or anything of that nature, but this is something that happens, it's just, we just don't see it immediately, but probably down the line. So kind of like how we did during the pandemic, if you got contact tracing. So in this same essence, do we have that for disasters such as this? 603 00:55:30,020 --> 00:55:35,560 The first little fire we do our own exposure forms for our members, that we keep track of who 604 00:55:35,560 --> 00:55:41,680 was involved to what degree, what they call personal protective equipment they were wearing, 605 00:55:42,340 --> 00:55:46,740 our biggest thing was to stay out of any of the water because we weren't 100% sure exactly. 606 00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:52,060 Even though we had the Tier 2's, what chemicals in there, those are reporting chemicals. 607 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:57,180 They could have other chemicals in there that are non-reportable. 608 00:55:57,180 --> 00:56:02,180 So that will be, that's why they're doing different sampling to find other things out. 609 00:56:03,700 --> 00:56:05,580 It's just like the overall trucks. 610 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:08,980 They'll have a sheet that will tell you exactly what chemicals they have. 611 00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:16,340 But they can have a bunch of them in a smaller quantity that will make something pretty dangerous. 612 00:56:17,120 --> 00:56:24,500 So that's why we always try and get all the data that we can from the owners and the property and the truck drivers are. 613 00:56:24,500 --> 00:56:30,620 And so like on Brent, they had their own safety plan, along we had our Tier 2s, they were 614 00:56:30,620 --> 00:56:31,180 not matching. 615 00:56:32,220 --> 00:56:38,580 So then we had, that's why I had all the environmental agencies they could handle that portion 616 00:56:38,580 --> 00:56:42,140 of it until they could figure out exactly what it was, and the Tier 2 was correct. 617 00:56:42,700 --> 00:56:48,180 It was just an old manual that didn't have the updates, but the Tier 2 that came from 618 00:56:48,180 --> 00:56:49,840 the LAPC was correct. 619 00:56:49,840 --> 00:56:58,600 And I believe U.S. EPA is not here, but they said there was a health breach. 620 00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:00,880 Somebody could reach out for a health good name. 621 00:57:01,280 --> 00:57:05,620 I couldn't remember what, but they have a link right now, don't they? 622 00:57:06,120 --> 00:57:10,680 For the people who want to go on to their website and report their cases. 623 00:57:11,160 --> 00:57:13,500 So residents are to go to the EPA website. 624 00:57:15,140 --> 00:57:22,700 It was a U.S. EPA, so it went to little environmental high, the U.S. EPA was running it. 625 00:57:22,700 --> 00:57:24,600 It went into the back down, Ohio has it right now. 626 00:57:24,820 --> 00:57:28,920 So, Ohio EPA is kind of the lead along with the little environmental level. 627 00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:32,740 Keep monitoring it and handling it and watching it clean up. 628 00:57:32,860 --> 00:57:38,880 We can confirm that to make certain that that's clear how that would happen. 629 00:57:38,880 --> 00:57:53,120 Because I think that's what's missing because I'm recalling what you say is no formalized process so people can't call in per se and describe their symptoms or anything like that. 630 00:57:53,520 --> 00:58:02,620 So I think that it's definitely important to as far as the city side is concerned to really understand that we need a kind of like a formalized process. 631 00:58:02,620 --> 00:58:04,600 I know the fire department has it and pretty sure 632 00:58:04,600 --> 00:58:06,740 police has that environmental services. 633 00:58:07,020 --> 00:58:10,160 You already have that, but as far as us as the city, 634 00:58:10,420 --> 00:58:12,240 we need to have some sort of disaster planning, 635 00:58:12,880 --> 00:58:14,220 checklist, something like that. 636 00:58:14,580 --> 00:58:16,280 Because it was unusual time. 637 00:58:16,380 --> 00:58:18,000 It was a lot of stuff happening environmentally. 638 00:58:19,620 --> 00:58:22,620 And I wouldn't say that it won't happen again, 639 00:58:23,040 --> 00:58:25,280 but at least we can be proactive when it comes to things 640 00:58:25,280 --> 00:58:28,800 like that, because again, it was within a neighborhood 641 00:58:29,600 --> 00:58:35,700 and what, you know, just what Councilwoman McPherson was saying, that is contaminating. 642 00:58:36,020 --> 00:58:39,820 Especially with the air, I know that you had the measurements, but things can travel. 643 00:58:39,960 --> 00:58:45,140 We just had rain, we had wind, and, you know, the stuff can happen later on. 644 00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:50,580 So I think that we have to have some sort of system or process to where residents can call in 645 00:58:50,580 --> 00:58:55,460 to talk about or just describe their symptoms, and then they can, 646 00:58:58,780 --> 00:58:58,780 you know, 647 00:58:58,780 --> 00:59:04,700 to certain hospitals because this will have to go into their medical record as a way to 648 00:59:04,700 --> 00:59:09,620 kind of document on our side as well as document just their history when it comes to their 649 00:59:09,620 --> 00:59:14,420 interaction with Brent Industries at this point because this was pretty big and considering the 650 00:59:14,420 --> 00:59:20,580 nature of the business this is something that we have to kind of get ahead of because I don't 651 00:59:20,580 --> 00:59:25,500 even know how many of these types of businesses we have in the city that will be something that 652 00:59:25,500 --> 00:59:32,500 need to look into and probably just similar industries because, again, we have agent infrastructure. 653 00:59:33,020 --> 00:59:37,140 I'm not sure how the maintenance is, I know environmental services are very good with keeping 654 00:59:37,140 --> 00:59:44,500 up and checking, just making sure they are in compliance, but as far as our sort of due diligence 655 00:59:45,000 --> 00:59:46,220 that should be set up. 656 00:59:46,520 --> 00:59:51,200 So I really want to see how the health department can play in all of this. 657 00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:59,380 Just as some sort of tracing, just to ensure that health around that those areas aren't getting worse, per se. 658 01:00:00,620 --> 01:00:07,540 We can follow up with Council on that particular item. We have a couple of conversations. Thank you. 659 01:00:07,800 --> 01:00:16,020 Thank you. Thank you. I just want to thank Councilman, Dr. Jones for that. 660 01:00:16,360 --> 01:00:24,220 And I know I've said this on the record, but there was a, because of the explosion that were pieces of the plant in people's yards. 661 01:00:24,220 --> 01:00:26,880 There was a layer of suffering, everything. 662 01:00:28,720 --> 01:00:35,660 When I spoke to residents, they complained about asthma attacks, respiratory issues, burning 663 01:00:35,660 --> 01:00:42,100 sinuses, headaches, swollen eyes, and you could taste the chemicals in the air. 664 01:00:42,280 --> 01:00:43,100 I was out there. 665 01:00:43,100 --> 01:00:46,960 It left a sweet taste in your mouth. 666 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:51,960 While it might be safe, there was definitely some kind of residue. 667 01:00:51,960 --> 01:01:01,880 and I appreciate Dr. Jones focus on the health department. By way of referral, I see 668 01:01:01,880 --> 01:01:11,680 that can we get sent the disaster planning that you guys do and then any and all communication 669 01:01:11,680 --> 01:01:15,340 records around this disaster to the community. 670 01:01:19,080 --> 01:01:21,640 And then I list of all the chemicals if we 671 01:01:21,640 --> 01:01:24,720 have that that would be really helpful for me. 672 01:01:24,760 --> 01:01:26,040 Thank you so much. 673 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:26,900 Thank you, Chair. 674 01:01:31,840 --> 01:01:33,520 Let's see no further questions from Councilmember. 675 01:01:33,540 --> 01:01:36,200 So I'm going to open it to public comment. 676 01:01:37,380 --> 01:01:40,280 I only have four signed up so far. 677 01:01:41,440 --> 01:01:44,100 There is still a sheet out if you are interested 678 01:01:44,100 --> 01:01:47,040 and would like to address the committee you may, 679 01:01:47,320 --> 01:01:47,760 please sign up. 680 01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:50,860 But we will start with Chris Ramstone. 681 01:02:00,180 --> 01:02:02,360 If you could just get one name and your address 682 01:02:02,360 --> 01:02:02,980 Oh, the record. 683 01:02:03,700 --> 01:02:10,380 Chris Ramso, 516, Shade Street, obviously Toledo, and I just want to add my name to the list 684 01:02:10,380 --> 01:02:13,900 of the condolences of the two people that perished. 685 01:02:14,700 --> 01:02:18,020 I think about them every night before I go to bed, it haunts me. 686 01:02:18,220 --> 01:02:23,960 I've not seen any pictures of Mr. Garcia peruz, but that picture of Ms. Marianne, I don't 687 01:02:23,960 --> 01:02:24,800 think I'll ever forget it. 688 01:02:24,960 --> 01:02:30,780 I cannot imagine any worse way to pass away, so I want to put that out there and I think 689 01:02:30,780 --> 01:02:34,140 also something needs to be said about the first responders. They didn't even question 690 01:02:34,140 --> 01:02:37,720 that they just went and it could have been a heck of a lot worse. 691 01:02:38,040 --> 01:02:38,480 Had they not 692 01:02:40,590 --> 01:02:44,650 do a lot of actions, they do diligence, but what they did. So as a resident, 693 01:02:44,790 --> 01:02:50,450 I'm forever grateful to all of you for doing that. So I guess one thing I would say is 694 01:02:50,450 --> 01:02:54,870 for industries does not sound like based on their past history on X. They're being 695 01:02:54,870 --> 01:02:59,430 100% transparent. If they're not paying their taxes and they're water bill, how can we rely 696 01:02:59,430 --> 01:03:06,850 on them to keep records of the chemicals that they had on site, you know, that I think there 697 01:03:06,850 --> 01:03:07,550 was two chemicals. 698 01:03:07,830 --> 01:03:12,830 I mean, I've got at least three or four in my laundry area in the basin and they only 699 01:03:12,830 --> 01:03:15,290 had two and they're processing toxic laundry. 700 01:03:15,590 --> 01:03:16,570 I find that hard to believe. 701 01:03:17,670 --> 01:03:21,510 So I also feel that the owner should be out in prison. 702 01:03:21,570 --> 01:03:24,330 He should be facing all of us, the community. 703 01:03:26,350 --> 01:03:33,150 So, I will tell you the other thing too is I don't think it's a coincidence that folks in the area are getting sick. 704 01:03:34,230 --> 01:03:43,030 I'm as healthy as can be. I'm very fortunate for excellent genes and I'll tell you I have not been feeling well since two weeks ago. 705 01:03:43,390 --> 01:03:46,430 That one says when I start having symptoms and I don't think it's a coincidence. 706 01:03:46,430 --> 01:03:51,250 And now while my symptoms are minor and I can proceed forth my day-to-day activities, 707 01:03:52,070 --> 01:03:53,430 it's a new sense. 708 01:03:53,770 --> 01:03:57,190 I know one family they had to leave their house last night because the fire reeknited. 709 01:03:58,210 --> 01:03:59,130 They can't stay there. 710 01:03:59,750 --> 01:04:02,830 My cousins who live two walks away, they're really sick. 711 01:04:04,310 --> 01:04:10,430 So I think it was Dr. Jones or Dr. Williams, brought up a really good point about 712 01:04:11,010 --> 01:04:18,030 involving the health and right thing that would be really beneficial, but again I want to thank 713 01:04:18,030 --> 01:04:24,110 you all for hosting this and for being so connected with us, Councilwoman Gattas and 714 01:04:24,110 --> 01:04:29,570 Colmerized for being really good conversations and Councilwoman McPherson, you brought up 715 01:04:29,570 --> 01:04:30,150 some excellent points. 716 01:04:30,150 --> 01:04:34,210 In fact, all the points that I had written down, each one of you, my check them all off 717 01:04:34,210 --> 01:04:38,850 my list, so I just want to reinforce my support of those, so thank you so much. 718 01:04:38,850 --> 01:04:41,370 So thank you so much for your testimony. 719 01:04:43,170 --> 01:04:45,330 Next I have Sherry Straub. 720 01:04:53,400 --> 01:04:56,060 I need my name is Sherry Straub. 721 01:04:56,520 --> 01:04:59,960 I resided 1825 Rainer Drive to Little High. 722 01:05:00,620 --> 01:05:08,000 I just wanted to thank you all for hosting this community conversation today and bringing everybody 723 01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:16,660 and making us aware. It was this had tragedy. And at the loss of life and everything else that is going on, 724 01:05:17,940 --> 01:05:28,700 the people of our community and human answers, we weren't getting them. And so, when you don't get them, you look from yourself, we hired independent 725 01:05:28,700 --> 01:05:36,720 testers because we don't think we're getting the truth. We want answers and we wanted them 726 01:05:36,720 --> 01:05:44,840 two weeks ago, not standing here today. I brought in the big dogs with me. I have a couple 727 01:05:44,840 --> 01:05:51,180 teenage kids because that's how concerned they were. These are the kids that play in this neighborhood. 728 01:05:51,940 --> 01:05:58,280 These are the kids that are going to be in your seat someday. So just remember that and I 729 01:05:58,280 --> 01:06:04,820 going, not to go on about myself, because this isn't about me. I don't live in that community. 730 01:06:05,460 --> 01:06:10,660 But I'm an organizer here with the people of that community, and I won't back down. 731 01:06:11,300 --> 01:06:17,140 But I do speak for Sarah Lacker, and I'd like to read what she had wrote, because these meetings 732 01:06:17,140 --> 01:06:21,400 are set up to where people can't come. 733 01:06:21,400 --> 01:06:30,180 Our community isn't able to be here, so with that said, if you could just give me a few moments. 734 01:06:31,580 --> 01:06:37,840 It says, my name is Sarah Locker, and unfortunately I could not physically be present today for this meeting. 735 01:06:38,340 --> 01:06:44,140 I come to you straight from my heart on behalf of my family and my fellow neighbors. 736 01:06:44,840 --> 01:06:48,380 August 18th was supposed to be a day like any other day. 737 01:06:48,380 --> 01:06:54,980 Wake up, have coffee with my husband on the front porch, and wave at the neighbors as they walk their dogs. 738 01:06:55,540 --> 01:06:59,600 What other plants, and greet our children, as we do every single morning. 739 01:07:00,260 --> 01:07:01,820 We are a family of routine. 740 01:07:02,380 --> 01:07:05,280 Little did we know that morning would be far from routine. 741 01:07:05,860 --> 01:07:08,680 I got home from work at 12.15 a.m. 742 01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:12,960 That morning, and like a lot of people, she couldn't go to bed right away. 743 01:07:13,440 --> 01:07:16,760 She laid in bed and watched some TV until she started to get and sleep. 744 01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:21,040 before the clock set up with 4.15 a.m. 745 01:07:21,580 --> 01:07:23,780 She reached for the remote, shut the TV off, 746 01:07:23,940 --> 01:07:26,600 and dosed off only to be a welcome 30 minutes later 747 01:07:26,600 --> 01:07:30,260 by what she thought was someone hitting a transformer. 748 01:07:31,420 --> 01:07:33,100 She started to go back to sleep, 749 01:07:33,540 --> 01:07:36,720 and then even a louder boom shook their entire home. 750 01:07:37,280 --> 01:07:40,620 Caused her husband to leap out of bed in a state of panic, 751 01:07:40,940 --> 01:07:43,360 running out the front door to investigate 752 01:07:43,360 --> 01:07:50,620 what the madness was, also terrified and ripped them from their sleep. 753 01:07:51,160 --> 01:07:53,340 I don't know if you guys seen the videos online, 754 01:07:53,820 --> 01:07:56,340 but it also scared the heck out of their cats. 755 01:07:59,040 --> 01:08:03,020 Following hours will forever be burned to under our memories, 756 01:08:03,600 --> 01:08:07,520 flames of smoke, barreling through the sky and the air. 757 01:08:07,920 --> 01:08:12,460 People running from all directions, fire trucks, ambulance, police. 758 01:08:12,460 --> 01:08:19,560 It was almost like a scene from a movie we had a lady pull into our driveway that was supposed 759 01:08:19,560 --> 01:08:26,540 to be reporting to work for her 5 a.m. shift at Bren industry. She was horrified. Family members 760 01:08:26,540 --> 01:08:31,640 of those inside scrambling everywhere. Neighbors and their pajamas flocking to see what 761 01:08:31,640 --> 01:08:37,620 was happening. Then the smells of chemicals burning the air. The smoke so thick there was 762 01:08:37,620 --> 01:08:41,020 little to know visibility at all, 763 01:08:41,280 --> 01:08:43,220 ass dropping from the sky like snow. 764 01:08:43,660 --> 01:08:46,100 As the days go on, we all start to ponder, 765 01:08:46,580 --> 01:08:48,020 what caused this to happen. 766 01:08:49,200 --> 01:08:51,940 The scent of chemicals burning in our noses, 767 01:08:52,280 --> 01:08:54,700 cause headaches among other symptoms, 768 01:08:55,180 --> 01:08:57,320 residents till this day, experience. 769 01:08:58,260 --> 01:08:59,960 Two people lost their lives that day, 770 01:09:00,420 --> 01:09:02,840 and the community that surrounds bread industries 771 01:09:02,840 --> 01:09:05,400 are suffering the loss as well. 772 01:09:05,400 --> 01:09:12,320 We, as regents live with the smell of what we've been told, isn't toxic, toxic, and the 773 01:09:12,320 --> 01:09:16,660 headaches, sore throats, stomach cramping, etc, continue. 774 01:09:17,880 --> 01:09:23,440 You can't tell me that a chemical plant explodes and there's no toxins in the air or the soil 775 01:09:23,440 --> 01:09:24,160 of the water. 776 01:09:24,780 --> 01:09:31,100 People that don't live there where we live are seeing what we saw can tell me or my neighbors 777 01:09:31,100 --> 01:09:32,340 that it's safe. 778 01:09:33,120 --> 01:09:35,540 Respectfully, I don't believe that one bit. 779 01:09:36,220 --> 01:09:38,560 I personally have experienced several symptoms 780 01:09:39,220 --> 01:09:41,680 that are the very same as my neighbors. 781 01:09:42,320 --> 01:09:43,580 I have spoke to. 782 01:09:43,820 --> 01:09:46,080 My kids are feeling them as well. 783 01:09:46,520 --> 01:09:48,560 September 1st, while at work, 784 01:09:48,700 --> 01:09:50,420 I got a text from my husband saying, 785 01:09:50,520 --> 01:09:53,180 there was smoke coming from the same stack 786 01:09:53,180 --> 01:09:54,760 at Brent Industries again. 787 01:09:55,260 --> 01:09:58,000 And the smell was much worse than yet before. 788 01:09:58,000 --> 01:09:59,960 yet again we're still being told. 789 01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:06,820 There's no dark sins. And again, I don't believe that. None of the people here today do. 790 01:10:11,310 --> 01:10:33,570 Today, my 16-year-old son, Evan and his friend Damian, are standing with me to represent their family, because her husband and she could not be here in person. They wanted to be present to show the council members that his generation truly cares about what's happening, five doors down from where they live. 791 01:10:33,570 --> 01:10:37,970 to show you all that he wants answers as well too. 792 01:10:40,180 --> 01:10:45,060 We want justice for those of us who continue to see ground zero sight. 793 01:10:45,320 --> 01:10:50,280 Small those chemicals and deal with the headaches, the sore throats, the stomach cramps. 794 01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:56,060 To show everyone that because of this we had to leave our safe place we call home. 795 01:10:56,220 --> 01:11:04,400 Just stay in a hotel for the night because we were worried about going home and having to deal with it over and over. 796 01:11:04,400 --> 01:11:12,740 We got no help so no answers just left in the dark shoved under a rug if you will. 797 01:11:13,340 --> 01:11:18,880 What it is that the city plans to do is the city going to relocate those of us close 798 01:11:18,880 --> 01:11:25,460 to Bren Industries temporarily until it's cleaned up to be honest I doubt it because 799 01:11:25,460 --> 01:11:32,980 like so many other issues the city faces we feel it will get forgotten after a while and 800 01:11:32,980 --> 01:11:39,160 residents will be forced to just deal with it. On behalf of my family, we continue to pray 801 01:11:39,160 --> 01:11:44,920 for the families who lost the loved ones and we continue to fight for what we feel is right 802 01:11:44,920 --> 01:11:51,100 and respectfully, this isn't right. She thanks you for taking the time to listen. 803 01:11:53,680 --> 01:12:00,460 But Dr. Jones, it made a point and I think what you're looking for is an ICD-10 form 804 01:12:00,460 --> 01:12:05,840 from the health department because they can document that at the hospital. 805 01:12:06,640 --> 01:12:12,720 I know that when I was working on the cyanobacteria, they didn't have that at the time. 806 01:12:13,060 --> 01:12:17,640 So it was something that we helped the health department implement and create. 807 01:12:18,460 --> 01:12:21,340 Keeping data of everybody that has been sick. 808 01:12:21,700 --> 01:12:28,020 It is important because what happens today, it may not be just today. 809 01:12:28,020 --> 01:12:33,840 like this gentleman from the EPA said, or the fire chief, you know, what is in the air? 810 01:12:33,880 --> 01:12:41,640 What was in that plume, just because it wasn't in your area, that plume went over your house. 811 01:12:42,380 --> 01:12:52,500 My nephew works for DOT and was standing on I280 in the turnpike and seen the plume go over 812 01:12:52,500 --> 01:13:00,720 of him. So you can't tell me that that stayed in that backyard. And that's all. You guys 813 01:13:00,720 --> 01:13:04,360 have a nice day. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. 814 01:13:04,900 --> 01:13:08,020 Thank you, I'm next I have Sue Terrell. 815 01:13:17,250 --> 01:13:24,390 My name is Sue Terrell. I live at 1844 Lindbrook, but I had a home at 5.5.1. That, a couple 816 01:13:24,390 --> 01:13:30,830 blocks away for several years, or my kids went to school in that area. I went to the press 817 01:13:30,830 --> 01:13:40,370 conference because I was very concerned about city council really meeting with its citizens in person and really knowing issues that their citizens are facing. 818 01:13:41,250 --> 01:13:51,250 So it was really important to me that as it's been, I think, exemplified by a previous speaker that this meeting should be held over in the area, 819 01:13:51,250 --> 01:13:58,350 school or whatever rather than here. The person that testified with the letter from, you know, 820 01:13:58,350 --> 01:14:03,970 someone who couldn't make it, how many other people couldn't make it. Or just think, 821 01:14:04,110 --> 01:14:09,830 when you say, make it, you know, driving here, you have to, you know, having access to 822 01:14:09,830 --> 01:14:14,910 getting to the building, paying for parking, coming down to city council before council members. 823 01:14:15,330 --> 01:14:20,690 I think there should have been some kind of emergency vehicle in the neighborhood parked in the 824 01:14:20,690 --> 01:14:25,830 questions from the neighbors, you know, for a period of time, just park there, so that people 825 01:14:25,830 --> 01:14:32,550 were getting information right away. And I've brought this subject up before, in many cases, 826 01:14:32,890 --> 01:14:38,270 before city council, I think there should be satellite offices, Cindy council in the districts. 827 01:14:38,770 --> 01:14:44,070 There has to be a closer relationship with city council with its members, not necessarily 828 01:14:44,070 --> 01:14:50,630 through some of these organizations that supposedly represent us. And I also want to point 829 01:14:50,630 --> 01:14:55,730 that I noticed that at what's the, who is the official contractor, the name was 830 01:14:55,730 --> 01:14:59,590 in state it? Anyway, I'll put that out there, the name was in state it. 831 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:29,860 In any event, I recognized too that they set out the measurement was done within a mile. My God, are we testing a plume or wherever, you know, how far did it actually go and have we tested the soil, the pools, the plants, the, you know, and the care of the animals. So, has that been tested? I don't know. I haven't heard that related. So, I think the idea of residue is a very important issue. 832 01:15:30,000 --> 01:15:34,480 and I don't know if it was explored, but I certainly think it should have been. 833 01:15:35,120 --> 01:15:40,520 And just so that you know, after I attended your press conference, I made signs for the 834 01:15:40,520 --> 01:15:46,220 neighborhood, I placed on Facebook, information about it, I announced it at the Universal 835 01:15:46,220 --> 01:15:54,240 Unitary at Church, so they could announce it over their media TV program, so you know, the 836 01:15:54,240 --> 01:15:54,960 work got out. 837 01:15:55,220 --> 01:15:59,240 But I'm very concerned how the word really does get out in this stage. 838 01:15:59,240 --> 01:16:02,820 There has to be a better way of communicating with the public. 839 01:16:03,100 --> 01:16:04,240 Thank you. 840 01:16:05,380 --> 01:16:05,720 Thank you. 841 01:16:05,720 --> 01:16:06,300 Thank you, too. 842 01:16:07,060 --> 01:16:07,140 Yes. 843 01:16:08,200 --> 01:16:10,260 The company is GHD. 844 01:16:10,800 --> 01:16:11,520 That is doing the cleanup. 845 01:16:12,100 --> 01:16:13,080 I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. 846 01:16:13,180 --> 01:16:16,220 The company doing the cleanup is GHD. 847 01:16:17,940 --> 01:16:19,120 What does that stand for? 848 01:16:19,420 --> 01:16:21,100 I think it's just the name of their company. 849 01:16:21,420 --> 01:16:22,480 Is it from Toledo? 850 01:16:22,740 --> 01:16:23,540 Is it a Toledo company? 851 01:16:26,660 --> 01:16:27,640 Do you know the answer to the question? 852 01:16:29,060 --> 01:16:32,700 There are listed address is Rosemont Illinois. 853 01:16:33,800 --> 01:16:37,960 I'm sorry I didn't hear him. Rosemont Illinois is their address, that's listed. 854 01:16:38,860 --> 01:16:43,960 And the company, Brent Industries, the company that hired this cleanup company. 855 01:16:44,300 --> 01:16:47,840 Okay, so there wasn't another, you didn't have your own. 856 01:16:48,160 --> 01:16:51,360 When you first got the company, it wasn't, it was always bread. 857 01:16:52,120 --> 01:16:55,160 The responsibility is on Brent to clean up their own mess, yes. 858 01:16:55,160 --> 01:16:55,400 Okay. 859 01:16:55,880 --> 01:16:57,540 And I thought that was included to me. 860 01:16:57,800 --> 01:16:57,860 Yep. 861 01:16:58,060 --> 01:17:00,740 And the Ohio EPA is overseeing that cleanup effort. 862 01:17:01,880 --> 01:17:04,800 They're the governmental agency that is going to be holding them accountable. 863 01:17:05,560 --> 01:17:11,380 See, all this information is already been, you know, as witnesses are telling you, how 864 01:17:11,380 --> 01:17:15,600 do people get this information, how they know where things stand is, you know, it's still 865 01:17:15,600 --> 01:17:16,240 being fearful. 866 01:17:16,700 --> 01:17:20,500 I mean, anytime being fearful that any loud noise or the smell is something burning. 867 01:17:21,420 --> 01:17:21,840 Thank you. 868 01:17:21,900 --> 01:17:22,340 Thank you. 869 01:17:22,340 --> 01:17:22,960 Thanks for your testimony. 870 01:17:25,760 --> 01:17:34,800 I have one more person on this list, and there is a sheet that's out, I think we might have another there too, but up next is Leonard Chandler. 871 01:17:38,420 --> 01:17:39,180 Good evening, everybody. 872 01:17:40,480 --> 01:17:44,680 I'm really at the list and this is my first council meeting coming to. 873 01:17:44,900 --> 01:17:48,960 And I'm kind of impressed because I didn't know this kind of stuff was happening in Toledo. 874 01:17:49,600 --> 01:17:51,880 I don't really want to address the problem. 875 01:17:51,880 --> 01:17:57,000 I came here because these people was going through some way more than what I came to talk about. 876 01:17:57,680 --> 01:18:02,060 So I got a letter here, my name, I lived in 1435 from my commercial street. 877 01:18:02,320 --> 01:18:03,320 My name is Leonard Chandler. 878 01:18:04,000 --> 01:18:10,160 My issue was trying to get my street paved for over 20 years, and I keep getting the run around 879 01:18:10,160 --> 01:18:11,300 about when it's going to get paved. 880 01:18:11,360 --> 01:18:16,360 It was posted, been on the list, two years ago, when I called, in case the leader of 881 01:18:16,360 --> 01:18:22,700 finally got to me through the website to see what has actually been done, where I went from 882 01:18:22,700 --> 01:18:26,820 my whole street being paved to just one block. So when I'm not going like I say I'm not 883 01:18:26,820 --> 01:18:30,920 going to go deeper to my cause this issue is just way more than what I got. I got letters 884 01:18:30,920 --> 01:18:38,220 from Hale's Crosse performance. There are on the end of Alabama and Matt Comber. I moved 885 01:18:38,220 --> 01:18:44,760 in my house in February 1989. I've been living there a whole older since then, paying taxes. 886 01:18:44,760 --> 01:18:50,080 And I've been trying to get this street paved back when Tyrone Roddy was around. 887 01:18:50,220 --> 01:18:51,860 I had the mayor come over there. 888 01:18:52,100 --> 01:18:52,860 I was a city council. 889 01:18:52,940 --> 01:18:55,540 I was the chairman for our call, Neighborhood Coalition, 890 01:18:56,080 --> 01:18:57,080 which we never got under. 891 01:18:57,680 --> 01:19:01,760 So once I've seen that you guys only did one block of my company 892 01:19:02,480 --> 01:19:06,560 between Upton and that first street and just left everybody else hanging, 893 01:19:07,000 --> 01:19:09,900 I got tired of calling and won't, they're not getting away. 894 01:19:09,980 --> 01:19:11,960 I want to come and speak to you guys in person. 895 01:19:11,960 --> 01:19:20,340 So the president of Hell's Corps letters for all of y'all, so I want to give maybe you can pass these out to them because I don't have my glasses to read it. 896 01:19:20,780 --> 01:19:29,140 But my issue is nowhere near what these people are going to, so I'm not going to waste you guys tired when they got bigger issues than I got. 897 01:19:29,940 --> 01:19:31,260 We're grateful that you came down. 898 01:19:31,980 --> 01:19:34,980 I have a number listed here that you put down. 899 01:19:35,240 --> 01:19:36,160 It's okay, we call you with you. 900 01:19:36,180 --> 01:19:37,340 Yes, I appreciate it. 901 01:19:37,560 --> 01:19:37,820 Yeah, of course. 902 01:19:37,820 --> 01:19:42,260 We will try to get your answers and communicate that to you. 903 01:19:42,660 --> 01:19:43,080 Thank you. 904 01:19:44,120 --> 01:19:44,460 Thank you. 905 01:19:46,400 --> 01:19:48,580 Up next, Cindy Krauser. 906 01:20:00,000 --> 01:20:04,780 Good evening. Thank you for the time this evening. I live at 5, 5, 4, 907 01:20:04,960 --> 01:20:08,840 Shay, which is at the opposite end of where Chris lives. 908 01:20:10,120 --> 01:20:17,040 When I first saw that Chris was saying he was having breathing issues, my husband and I both said, 909 01:20:17,200 --> 01:20:27,000 well, we don't notice anything down here. Last night, I went out for a walk and met Chris for the first 910 01:20:27,000 --> 01:20:30,840 So, tragedies do introduce you to your neighbors, 911 01:20:31,380 --> 01:20:33,060 unfortunately or unfortunately, 912 01:20:35,200 --> 01:20:37,400 the smell was horrendous last night. 913 01:20:37,620 --> 01:20:40,940 You could taste it, you could smell it. 914 01:20:41,060 --> 01:20:44,640 I had to turn around and finish my walk. 915 01:20:45,120 --> 01:20:46,320 But because of that walk, 916 01:20:46,620 --> 01:20:49,140 I got to know about what was happening tonight. 917 01:20:50,260 --> 01:20:53,980 So, my biggest point that I want to talk about 918 01:20:53,980 --> 01:20:55,300 is the communication. 919 01:20:55,300 --> 01:21:02,960 We've heard nothing from anybody, so the only way I knew about this was from meeting Chris. 920 01:21:03,660 --> 01:21:13,340 There's not been a door hanger, a piece of mail that came to tell us this is what we are doing. 921 01:21:14,500 --> 01:21:18,680 Should you experience seeing any of these issues, this is who you should call? 922 01:21:20,400 --> 01:21:22,040 Some people know all that. 923 01:21:22,040 --> 01:21:30,720 a lot of people don't, and so I just think that we need to be better about that. 924 01:21:31,340 --> 01:21:38,640 I think our little neighborhood there in South Toledo is we're experiencing ongoing issues 925 01:21:39,560 --> 01:21:43,520 now this, and I think we just need to be paid attention.