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School among sites to monitor SunCoke emissions

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 8:49 AM Tuesday, April 6, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Two sites have been selected by Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services for the placement of the fleet of air monitors to check emissions near a proposed $360 million coke oven facility.

The agency said it will position monitors upwind at Amanda Elementary School, 1300 Oxford State Road, as well as downwind at Yankee Properties LLC, 3350 Yankee Road.

About 13 sites were considered for placement of the monitors to assess the impact of the SunCoke Energy coke plant, which is set to be built off of Yankee Road near AK Steel’s Middletown Works and the border of Monroe. Coke is a coal-based fuel that melts iron ore for steel mills.

The New Source Review air permit SunCoke received from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in February requires it to purchase of an extensive network of air monitors, including two particulate PM 10 monitors, four PM 2.5 monitors, one sulfur dioxide monitor and two Volatile Organic Compound monitors.

The monitors will be split between the two locations, with the sulfur dioxide monitor being placed at Amanda, said Dina Pierce, Ohio EPA spokeswoman.

Monitors will likely be placed on the roof of Amanda and fenced in on the ground at Yankee Properties. HCDOES wants to place the monitors by fall, but is required to have them sited six months before the plant is operational, said Anna Kelley of Hamilton County.

According to Middletown documents, plant construction is expected to begin Oct. 1. SunCoke projects it will take 15 to 18 months to build.

Middletown City Schools Business Manager Milt Thompson said the district has been working with HCDOES for the past 60 to 90 days to allow monitoring at Amanda.

“We have not granted a total ‘yes’, but I don’t believe the district will dislike the fact that we will be monitoring air quality,” he said.

Lisa Frye, spokeswoman for plant opposition group SunCoke Watch Inc., said she felt the monitoring was SunCoke doing no more than is necessary to operate.

“Obviously Amanda elementary is the No. 1 location since the affects these emissions can have on children and the elderly. I expected them to do that given the location and the concerns,” she said.

For more information, contact Kelley at (513) 946-7725 or e-mail anna.kelley@hamilton-co.org.

Staff Writer Marie Rossiter contributed to this report.

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