Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said this week he has been unable to persuade the White House to take a direct interest in addressing findings of off-site radiological contamination near the Department of Energy’s Portsmouth cleanup project in his state.
“I’ve begged the Department of Energy and I tried to get the president of the United States to have any interest in this and we’ve gotten no interest from the president and some interest from the Department of Energy,” Brown told Columbus, Ohio, NBC affiliate WCMH on Monday.
In a statement Tuesday, Brown emphasized the need for a neutral third-party to conduct sampling in the area, which DOE has already agreed to fund. “I am working to make sure it’s done right. DOE has a responsibility to show that ongoing work at the site doesn’t present a public health risk to the community or the workforce on site,” Brown said.
In a similar message, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he has worked with DOE and Ohio health and environmental agencies to understand the data collected to date “and to ensure the safety and health of the residents, families, and workers of the Piketon community.”
There was also no comment from the Energy Department and White House on Tuesday.
Local officials in May closed the Zahn’s Corner Middle School prior to the end of the academic year, and will keep it closed for the 2019-2020 year, after DOE and Northern Arizona University reported finding at least trace levels of neptunium-237 and americium-241 on and near the site. The Energy Department has said the levels are well below posing a threat to human health.
The federal agency conducted further sampling over the Memorial Day weekend. Details on selection of the third-party sampling contractor were not available at deadline Wednesday.
