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VIA FAX: 216/487-0769 <br />Ohio Environmental Protection Agency <br />Div. of Hazardous Waste Management <br />2110 East. Aurora Rd. <br />Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 , <br />ATTN: Mr. Harry Courtright, Group Leader <br />RE: Sherwin-Williams "Chemical Swamp" <br />Andrew A. Sokol <br />4909 Porter Rd. <br />North Olmsted, Ohio 44070 <br />216/777-1286 <br />July 27, 1993 <br />Dear Mr. Courtright: <br />This letter is per your request during our phone conversation today. <br />Between 1968 and as late as the early 1980's, I witnessed the Sherwin-Williams plant, formerly located at <br />27254 Lorain Road, dumping chemical waste under the factory's perimeter fence, via a discharge pipe, into <br />the wooded lot located immediately to the west of the plant. This discharge created a"chemical swamp" which <br />was too large to jump an had to be walked around (today I estimate this to be about 15 yards in diameter and <br />at times as much as 30 yards in diameter depending on rain and rate of discharge). The discharge was obviously <br />known to the Sherwin-Williams employees as it was located within 20 feet of a back door where, during the <br />summers, I observed employees on "break" sitting outside on a bench near the door. Often the employees <br />would try to chase or warn us away from the "swamp". <br />The wooded lot still stands today, and is located between the former Sherwin-williams plant and the Loomis <br />property on Mill Road. <br />I observed both water and non-water miscible chemicals discharged, including oil films, pigments and what <br />looked like black tar. Attimes the odor was a pleasant "gasoline" smell while at other times the swamp smelled <br />so bad you could not bear to come near it. Again, I reiterate that the "chemical swamp" was located outside <br />of the plant perimeter fence and indeed was outside of the Sherwin-Williams plant site. I am including a map <br />of the site with this letter. <br />I will be willing to talk in detail about what I saw, and am available to personally escort your personnel to the <br />site for your sampling and investigation. Additionally, I can direct you to other childhood friends which <br />observed the same things I did. Please feel free to contact me at the address above at your convenience. <br />Sincerely, <br />Andrew A. Sokol <br />CC: Mr. Rod Beals, Ohio E.P.A. Unit Supervisor, Emergency and Remedial Response. <br />Ed Boyle, Mayor, City of North Olmsted <br />North Olmsted City Council <br />File