Mount Vernon News

FREDERICKTOWN — Weeks after an Ohio EPA investigator removed a barrel containing an unknown substance from Fredericktown, the agency said the exact contents of the drum may never be known.

“It is likely we may never know the exact contents,” spokeswoman Erin Strouse said. “We may never know exactly what that substance consisted of without spending thousands of dollars. Our goal in this is to be a good financial steward of the state’s resources.”

The 15-gallon drum filled with a clear sticky substance was found in the Kokosing River by a fisherman on the Fourth of July. The Fredericktown Fire Department was notified two days later by an Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife officer, and the barrel was removed and transported to the Fredericktown firehouse at the direction of the EPA.

On July 15, the drum was picked up by the investigator at the direction of EPA Orphan Drum Coordinator Jodi Billman-Kotsko. Strouse said the analysis of orphan drum contents typically takes 30 to 45 days, but that it does not always provide specific answers.

“What we are looking for is to characterize it appropriately, and those results are still pending,” Strouse said.

She explained that the substance would be tested to identify certain parameters such as whether or not it was acidic, and whether or not it contained oil. These parameters will determine how the substance will be disposed. Hazardous parameters such as whether the contents contain cadmium will also be tested.

Strouse said that according to Billman-Kotsko, the barrel was found to be sealed tightly, with no signs of leakage.

“Therefore, there are no concerns for the public,” Strouse said.