TOLEDO, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said recent reports from a local newspaper led it to test water in Luckey and Pemberville, which officials say is safe to drink.
What You Need To Know
- The Toledo Blade brought attention to possible contamination of water in Luckey, Ohio, near Toledo
- Ohio EPA, which regulates public water systems, collected nine drinking water samples — none had high levels of radioactive materials
- Next step is for the Ohio Department of Health, which regulates private water systems, to gather samples from well owners in the area
The reports came from The Toledo Blade, which stated it was believed that the water had been contaminated with radioactive material as the former beryllium production facility in Luckey undergoes remediation.
This led the Ohio EPA to complete an independent analysis. It collected nine drinking water samples from areas in and around Luckey, including locations tested by The Toledo Blade. The samples conducted by GEL Laboratories in Charleston, S.C., performed an analysis searching for 32 contaminants. Overall, the samples showed no high levels of radioactive materials or other contamination, the Ohio EPA said.
The Ohio EPA said there were naturally occurring radioactive materials that did appear at levels far less than what was is considered unsafe. There were no findings of bismuth-214, cobalt-60 or beryllium in the water samples, Ohio EPA said…