chem-dyne

500 FORD BLVD

The ten-acre Chem-Dyne site operated as an industrial chemical waste transfer, disposal, and storage facility located in the city of Hamilton. Hamilton has a population of approximately 87,000. A residential area is located less than 1,000 feet from the site. Other adjacent land uses include a recreational park and industrial facilities. Chemical wastes may have been trucked to the site beginning in 1974. In 1975, Spray-Dyne produced anti-freeze from recycled chemical wastes. The operation was expanded in 1976, and the Chem-Dyne Corporation was formed. Wastes that were unsuitable for recycling were stored in drums and tanks on the site or shipped to other disposal sites. More than 30,000 drums of waste and 300,000 gallons of bulk waste materials were left on site when operations ended in 1980. During its operation, a number of environmental incidents were reported at the site. From 1976 to 1979, at least five fish kills in the Great Miami River were attributable to the Chem-Dyne facility; one fish kill stretched for thirty-seven miles. Fires occurred at the site in 1976 and 1979. A storm sewer drained the site into the Ford Canal, which flows into the Great Miami River. The Ford Canal is used only for drainage and hydroelectric power generation. The Great Miami River is used for recreation. Water supplies in the area rely on groundwater as their source.