By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
In its most recent update on lead monitoring at the former Bunting Bearings property, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reported that a March storm event led to one reading above the regulatory limit.
According to the March 20 release, an air sample collected on March 15 was above the 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter limit.
“During much of the day, wind speeds were unusually high with sustained speeds over 20 mph and gusts up to 60 mph or more.
“For the majority of the day, winds were out of the south, blowing directly from the demolition area towards the monitor,” the release states. It also notes that two scheduled samples were not collected due to power outages.
“Ohio EPA has contacted the parties involved in the Director’s Final Findings and Orders issued on January 8, 2026, to require implementation of corrective measures,” it states.
Under the findings and orders, Bunting Bearings and the Fulton County land bank were ordered to submit a lead mitigation plan showing how the dust would be controlled, how waste would be handled, and how air quality would be monitored, hire an environmental contractor to create a site assessment plan to deal with lead releases and submit it to Ohio EPA for approval, name a community liaison, and create a plan for communicating with residents.
In the event of any future readings showing elevated lead levels, like the one earlier this month, they are also required to propose steps to reduce emissions.