Adena Brook » Safety http://www.adenabrook.org Working together for a safe, sustainable community Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:53:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Volunteer Services – Mercury contamination http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/04/volunteer-services-mercury-contamination/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/04/volunteer-services-mercury-contamination/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:04:36 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=859 COLUMBUS PUBLIC HEALTH – MEDIA UPDATE FOR APRIL 2, 2009

Contact: Susan Geier (614) 402-2328 segeier@columbus.gov

Mercury Contamination–Columbus Public Heaalth Investigating Possible Threat

Anyone Who Visited Store on April 1 Asked to Discard Shoes

WHAT: Columbus Public Health (CPH), in collaboration with Ohio EPA officials, have been monitoring a mercury contamination that took place on Wednesday, April 1, at the Volunteers of America on Indianola Ave. To date, we have monitored the testing of 9 individuals and 2 employees̢۪ vehicles. Currently, three employees tested showed low levels of mercury, and three others revealed higher levels so their shoes were collected.

As part of the investigation, health officials are asking everyone who visited the store on Wednesday, April 1 to bag and discard the shoes they were wearing. These shoes should be bagged, placed outside your home and subsequently in the trash. Should a patron have questions or additional concerns, please call 311 (645-3111) to get more information.

Columbus Public Health is taking this precautionary measure to protect the health and safety of our community. At this time, CPH believes the visiting public was at minimal risk of exposure.

WHO: Columbus Public Health, Ohio EPA and Volunteers of America

WHERE: Volunteers of America, 3620 Indianola Avenue

DETAILS: CPH learned Wednesday of a potential mercury contamination. The facility is closed and will remain closed until it has been cleaned and inspected.

Mercury is a hazardous element that can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested. Although mercury metal is a liquid at room temperature, it turns into a vapor in the air. Symptoms of acute mercury poisoning are headache, nausea and vomiting and difficulty breathing, including coughing up blood. No one has reported any symptoms of this nature and again, CPH believes the risk is low and we do not anticipate this exposure would cause these symptoms. If you still have questions, please contact 311 or 645-3111.

Additional information on mercury is available at the Columbus Public Health Web site at www.publichealth.columbus.gov .

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/04/volunteer-services-mercury-contamination/feed/ 0 Driving Slow to See Wildlife in Adena Brook ravine http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/01/driving-slow-to-see-wildlife-in-adena-brook-ravine/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/01/driving-slow-to-see-wildlife-in-adena-brook-ravine/#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:19:27 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=665 It is a beautiful morning with the snow covering (January 10, 2009)
I drove my son to school this morning and went thru the ravine on my way home as I usually do as a treat to myself. I go about five miles an hour thru the ravine always hoping to catch a glimpse of wildlife. As I turned on Yaronia and headed up the hill I saw an animal walking across the road ahead of me. As I looked closer it was a fox. I thought I would be excited to see the fox but instead I felt sorry for it. Here I am driving my car thru it’s home. Do they have a chance to eat well and survive around here?
 
Peace~  Cindy Westbrook
]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2009/01/driving-slow-to-see-wildlife-in-adena-brook-ravine/feed/ 0 Are You Looking for a Security System? http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/11/are-you-looking-for-a-security-system/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/11/are-you-looking-for-a-security-system/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:49:53 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=590 If you’re looking for a security system, call:

Corey Taylor, Sales Consultant 

Brinks Home Security

2323 Westbrooke Drive

Columbus, OH 43228

Office: 614-921-2086, ext 55221

Cell: 614-946-2743

Email: corey.taylor@brinks.com

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/11/are-you-looking-for-a-security-system/feed/ 0 IKE – PCBs in Old Transformers http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/09/ike-pcbs-in-old-transformers/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/09/ike-pcbs-in-old-transformers/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:55:46 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=350 Jenny Peery writes:

Who knows if you have power for internet to receive this.

[UPDATE: Power went out Sunday, September 14. Most neighbors received power on Friday, September 19 and cable on Sunday, September 21.]

Just an FYI

Ike battered around a large tree in the soil conservancy –Deaf/Blind School area.

The tree fell over the power lines into our property (477 E Kanawha Ave), breaking a pole with a transformer on it.

The transformer landed in our terraced beds along the drive way into the lilac bushes we have there (thank heavens they cushioned the fall).

Today I talked with a  man by the name of Wes from the Ohio EPA.  My concern is with PCB’s known to be in older transformers.  As I write, I don’t know the status of the one landed in our property.

Wes told me that the transformers built after 1972 were built without the PCB.

The older ones that have been retrofitted, have a green sticker on them.

Wes was calling my husband, Craig to see if he could tell him more about what we have on the property to see if they could determine the status without making a trip to view it.  We’ll see what happens next.

Just thought you may want this information since we are so close to the Bill Moose ravine.

I hope this message finds you safe, sound, with power and water.

Thanks for your service Susan,

Jenny

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/09/ike-pcbs-in-old-transformers/feed/ 0 No Spraying in Clintonville Today http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/no-spraying-in-clintonville-today/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/no-spraying-in-clintonville-today/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:43:59 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=212

New test results on mosquito pools were received by Columbus Public Health from the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory this morning which identifies four new pools positive for West Nile Virus. Accordingly, the priority list for mosquito adulticiding (fogging) has been changed to reflect this new information. District 10 (Clintonville) originally scheduled for mosquito adulticiding tomorrow morning, Tuesday, August 26th, has been reprioritized and next week’s mosquito adulticiding locations will be posted on August 29th on the CPH web site at:< /span>

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115581560833322729686.00044f8d4490543d085a3&ll=39.99343,-82.976303&spn=0.375073,0.598755&z=11

Although the relative risk of contracting West Nile Virus is less than in previous years, Columbus Public Health urges all residents of Columbus and Worthington to avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and long pants, using insect repellants containing DEET, and staying indoors at times of peak mosquito activity – dawn and dusk.

Regards,

Keith L. Krinn, RS, MA, DAAS, CPHA

Environmental Health Administrator

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/no-spraying-in-clintonville-today/feed/ 0 ROAD WORK http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/road-work/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/road-work/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:34:21 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=209 CIP 749 is underway. It’s a time for patience and careful driving as the work 
proceeds. 

Kip Patterson writes: 

We have a lot of road work this week: 

The Canyon/Glenmont storm water improvement project is working on Canyon at the top of the hill above Overbrook.  Expect Canyon to be impassable from Overbrook up to Glenmont place and South Canyon east towards Sharon.  The contractor works four, ten-hour days from Monday through Thursday, and leaves all the roads open at night,  As they get into more challenging areas there may be some overnight closures. 

Crews will be paving Karl Road starting Tuesday (8/26) between Morse Road and 
S.R 161. There will be various lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily 
until mid-September, weather permitting. (City of Columbus) 

Westbound Cooke Road will close on Tuesday (8/26) just west of Maize Road. This 
is a 24-hour-a-day closure that will be in effect until mid-September, weather 
permitting. Traffic will be detoured using Maize Road, Morse Road and I-71. 
Crews will be working on utilities. (Fishel Co.)

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/road-work/feed/ 0 Columbus Health Commissioner Meeting Notes http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/columbus-health-commissioner-meeting-notes/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/columbus-health-commissioner-meeting-notes/#comments Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:41:55 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=199 Clintonville neighbor Jeff Fronz organized and reports on an August 20, 2008 meeting about mosquito spraying. Neighbors attending the meeting: CAC Commissioner Clare Balombin, neighbors Dianne Blankenbaker, Robin Chenoweth. 

City representatives attending:

- Dr. Teresa Long (Columbus Health Commissioner)

- Steve Soble (neighborhood liaison),

- Roger Cloern (Assistant Helath Commissioner, Administration),
- Andia Sangale, JD (Environmental Policy Advisor),
- Susan Ashbrook (Environmental Steward and Clintonville resident),
- Keith Krinn (Public Health Administrator, Environmental Health Division),
- Dale Harmon (Section Chief, Enviornmental Health)– Dale is the vector control administrator

The goal in meeting with the city was to understand their policy and position but also to establish a path to effect improvements to mosquito control policy, improvements to that policy’s execution, and improvements to communication. To that end, the meeting provided at least a preliminary understanding of the policy and the opportunity to voice concerns. However, additional work will be required to achieve the improvements befitting a world-class mosquito control program.

The main concerns voiced in the meeting came down to three things:

  • mosquito-control policy,
  • execution of that policy, and
  • communication regarding (and as part of) policy execution.

A synopsis of specific concerns:

  • the city’s mosquito control plan (their “integrated pest management plan for mosquito control”) hasn’t been updated since 1999 despite advances in understanding of West Nile Virus,
  • the city fogged this season (and will continue to fog) with a pesticide toxic to cats (despite having told residents that they would use a less toxic pesticide),
  • the city fogged pedestrians and bicyclists who were caught unaware, and
  • the city fogged at least one Clintonville home that had requested (and received) an exemption from fogging.

On the policy concern: it’s not clear that there actually is a concrete policy in Columbus for mosquito control.

  • During the meeting, the vector control administrator (Dale Harmon) indicated that it is more of “an art” to making the decision on when and where to fog.
  • When asked about other cities’ policies of having very explicit thresholds and well-defined goals for escalating efforts at mosquito control, the administrator indicated that such policies were unfounded and ill-conceived.
  • When asked to review the city’s policy as part of the meeting’s agenda, the city provided with what turned out to be a synopsis of the policy–a synopsis found to be incorrect (see below).
  • When residents received confirmation of opt-out status from the city, the letters indicated that the city would be using malathion in their fogging efforts. In addition, the policy synopsis indicated that they would be using equipment configured for malathion. Even the city’s web pages indicate that malathion will be used. However, the administrator admitted in the meeting that they actually used a permethrin-based insecticide. He said that an outdated letter had been mailed to folks. He said that the city had run out of malathion and decided to use the permethrin-based insecticide instead. The concern here is that permethrin is highly toxic to cats; had residents been alerted to the fact that the city was using permethrin, cat owners would have wanted to take precautions to protect their animals (especially their outdoor cats).
  • The vector control administrator indicated that the city’s mosquito control policy (specifically their integrated pest management plan to control mosquitoes) had not been updated since 1999, this despite new and ongoing discoveries about West Nile Virus as well as new and ongoing studies about the effectiveness of associated public policy.

On the policy execution concern: it’s clear that the city is not even executing on their nebulous policy.

  • The administrator indicated in the meeting that the policy is for the fogging to be discontinued when the driver sees people outside near the area to be fogged (drivers are “asked” to turn off fog when pedestrians or bicyclists are observed). Yet, the driver who fogged bicyclists on the Olentangy Bicycle Trail continued fogging even after being passed by several bicyclists and joggers.
  • Fogging has occurred after sunrise (after 6:30am on July 29th in the case of the bike path fogging); it’s not clear here what the policy is–in some cases, there are indications that the policy is to continue “shortly after sunrise”; in the meeting, the administrator said that typically they’re finished fogging by 6:30AM; the CPH website indicates that they will fog between 4 and 6:00am.
  • At least one house was fogged despite a letter from the city assuring that the house would not be fogged. The administrator showed maps of the fogging areas where no-fog requests were represented by high-lighter dots on the map. In this particular case, the home that requested an exemption from fogging was NOT indicated on the map.
    It’s clear that there is a need for a quality control process in handling the no-fog requests.

On the communication concern: better job at communicating their policy and intent to execute their policy.

  • There is no pro-active attempt to notify local community groups (e.g., area commissions or registered neighborhood groups) that fogging will occur in the groups’ interest areas.
  • There is no communication on what risk factors have appeared in a particular area to be fogged. There is a google map of the areas planned to be fogged, which is a great first step. However, it doesn’t provide information about what residents should be concerned about.
  • The only attempts at education (one of the primary and most effective parts of an integrated pest management program according to a variety of experts–see nospraycolumbus.com for links) by the city appear to be press releases and (inconsistent) web pages.

As a result of the meeting, the city promised that:

  • future Clintonville spraying will be proceeded by the city notifying Steve Soble (the city’s neighborhood liaison for Clintonville) who will notify the Clintonville Area Commission and other neighborhood associations.
  • the city’s vector control administrator will provide a copy of the city’s actual integrated pest management plan for mosquito control.
  • comments on the plan were welcome after the current mosquito season ends—probably sometime in September.
]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/08/columbus-health-commissioner-meeting-notes/feed/ 0 "Tell the neighbors to slow down" http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/05/tell-the-neighbors-to-slow-down/ http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/05/tell-the-neighbors-to-slow-down/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 21:09:11 +0000 smb http://adenabrook.org/index.php/?p=103 I think the bees buzzing about might be energizing us! Or we have too many things to do in too little time. Whatever it is, we’re driving fast. I’ve received several emails reporting speedy drivers in the Adena Brook neighborhood. I’m taking it to heart and slowing down. The police noticed too. I saw Columbus Police on motorcycles with their radar guns on Cooke Road between High and Indianola Avenue today. Other related news: several neighbors said they called the Columbus Call Center (www.311columbus.gov) to request a “wildlife crossing” sign with hopes drivers will slow for wildlife, if not for their own safely. In the last months, neighbors report squirrel, opossum, a fox, bluejay, and raccoon kills by cars. 

]]> http://www.adenabrook.org/2008/05/tell-the-neighbors-to-slow-down/feed/ 0