EDITORS’ NOTE – While Pixelle Mill is mentioned in this report due to their having an indirect solution to the WearEver chemical plume, they are not at all a cause of this plume. Quite the opposite, Pixelle has been holding this plume at bay for many years with water usage from the plant. Pixelle is not responsible for the chemicals leaked into the ground by the WearEver plant; they were simply a temporary solution for around 30 years. Now that they are closing the city, the EPA is looking for a solution. No one requested me to put this note in this story.
CHILLICOTHE, OH — Mayor Luke Feeney addressed Chillicothe City Council Monday evening, offering detailed public clarification about growing environmental concerns surrounding a toxic chemical plume located near the former WearEver Aluminum site—now operated by Howmet Aerospace Inc.—on the city’s southeast side.
The concern stems from the upcoming closure of the Pixelle Specialty Solutions paper mill, scheduled for August 10. While Pixelle is not responsible for the contamination, its water pumping operations have played a critical indirect role in containing a decades-old plume of industrial chemicals buried beneath the former cookware facility.
In his address, Mayor Feeney acknowledged recent media attention and public anxiety over the situation, emphasizing that while the issue is serious, it is being actively monitored and managed in coordination with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA).
“We are safe. Our drinking water is safe. And the city is taking this seriously,” Feeney said during the meeting. “The site is more than two miles from our water source in Yoctangee Park, and current data shows no threat to public health.”
What’s the Concern?
At the heart of the issue is a plume of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (cVOCs)—specifically trichloroethylene (TCE) and vinyl chloride, both known carcinogens—remaining in the soil and groundwater beneath the old WearEver plant, which closed in the 1990s. These substances were used decades ago in industrial processes including metal degreasing and solvent production.
Pixelle’s production wells—namely Wells 17 and 18—have unintentionally maintained a hydraulic balance in the groundwater system that helps keep the plume from migrating. The Ohio EPA warned that if these wells are shut down as part of Pixelle’s closure, the natural groundwater flow could shift, potentially pushing the contaminants toward new areas and exposing residents to health risks.
The EPA’s July 7 letter to Howmet Aerospace made clear that any such migration would violate existing environmental orders dating back to the 1990s, which hold Howmet responsible for maintaining hydraulic control of the contamination.
EPA Steps In
The Ohio EPA has already required Howmet to submit a new remedial action plan and install additional groundwater monitoring wells to track any changes. A similar shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic led to spikes in toxic concentrations—some well samples tested as high as 15 times the safe limit for TCE and 100 times the limit for vinyl chloride.
Mayor Feeney stressed that Howmet must “be held accountable” and comply with EPA demands, adding that the city fully supports increased monitoring and public transparency.
“We are in daily communication with the EPA on multiple levels,” said Feeney. “They’ve asked Howmet to model the effects of pump shutdown and develop a new remediation strategy. We’re making sure they follow through.”
Public Safety Reassured
Feeney assured residents that the contaminated area is industrial and not densely residential. However, he emphasized that city officials are prioritizing safety for anyone living or working nearby.
As for the wastewater treatment plant, which is closer to the affected area, the mayor clarified that there is no current threat. “This is soil contamination, not pipe contamination,” he said. “Even if it got closer, it wouldn’t enter the system. Treated water goes into the river—not back into our homes.”
He also pointed to the city’s annual water quality report and long-standing environmental safeguards, such as ongoing monitoring of a former city landfill, as proof of Chillicothe’s proactive environmental management.
Context and Next Steps
The WearEver site has been under EPA supervision for decades, with contamination first detected in the 1980s. While the chemicals originated from WearEver, Pixelle’s operations had an unintended benefit of containing their spread. With Pixelle shutting down, that containment may no longer hold.
Independent reporting from outlets such as Ohio Atomic Press and journalist Jason Salley has highlighted this risk in recent months, prompting greater public scrutiny.
Mayor Feeney promised to keep the public informed as the situation develops and further data becomes available from both the EPA and Howmet.
“We’ve been planning for this for years,” said Feeney. “We’re staying vigilant, and our number one priority is the health and safety of Chillicothe residents.”
While the Mayor did say the EPA has addressed the issue of the Pixelle plant shutdown there are currently no final solutions in place.
