We are making progress with our research. Some samples had to be processed and analyzed sample-by-sample and this is finally completed. We look forward to sharing the results this spring! In the meantime, please mark your calendars with the date April 20th 10-12 AM at the 4-H Fairgrounds. We hope to see you there!
The Research Team
As president of Blackford County Concerned Citizens, I have been involved in the design of this research project from the very beginning. On Saturday, February 19th, we are asking for your involvement as residents of Blackford County to ensure that the health survey covers all of your concerns. There may be questions that you want to be included that are not yet on the survey. Saturday morning is your chance to give us your preferences. Please come to City Hall, meet some of the research team members, get to know of few of the Purdue Fort Wayne students who will be helping out, and tell us your concerns.
by Eric Evans
What a fine day we had last Saturday! The IPFW College of Arts and Sciences START program funded a record involvement of IPFW students to grow mini-gardens to give away at our events on Earth Day in Hartford City. Thank you, IPFW! Seven vans of IPFW students associated with Dr. Steiner in Sociology and Dr. LeBlanc in Communications joined us for a full morning of activities. Jabin Burnsworth also brought a carload of AP Science students from Manchester High School. Activities occurred throughout Hartford City.
Saturday was the best turn-out of citizens we have had at any event. The hub of activity was downtown at John Oxley’s barbecue. The food was quite an attraction, but Eric Evans, BCCC President, said that he personally talked with people non-stop throughout the event. Students gathered comment cards from residents and gave away mini-gardens to residents. The group made a great impression! Just look at the smiles.
IPFW students had posters of information about Hartford Iron and Metal at the Junior High School. They gave away mini-gardens to visitors, answered questions, and talked about future plans for additional moss testing. Dr. Frank from Hoosier Environmental Council talked with residents about the public health implications of heavy metal exposure. We are grateful to Blackford Junior High School for opening their doors and providing a place for students to present their posters. Thanks as well to Katie at Common Grounds for providing coffee and snacks.
IPFW students joined Hartford City residents in picking up trash to clean up city streets after this long dreary winter. There were almost as many student volunteers as there were volunteers from Hartford City! Everyone worked up an appetite for the lunch provided by John Oxley.
The library was celebrating its expansion. Unfortunately, the wind came up and made the area quite chilly. Students stayed and gave away mini-gardens, but everyone was happy to get downtown to join others at John’s to warm-up and eat.
Jabin Burnworth’s students from Manchester High School prepared trees for planting in recognition of Earth Day. They took the tree bundle to the park, separated trees, and bagged them to be given away at various locations for planting.Thank you, Jabin!
When we collaborated with IPFW to grow mini-gardens in the IPFW greenhouse, we also collaborated with organizations in Fort Wayne. This week, more than 100 mini-gardens were given to students and food insecure residents in Fort Wayne. Faculty translated plant care instructions into Spanish, Burmese, Arabic, French and Japanese.
Community Harvest was delighted to receive the mini-gardens. This project built a lot of good will between students, the university, residents of Fort Wayne, and Blackford County Concerned Citizens.
Dr. Sherrie Steiner in the Anthropology and Sociology Department and Dr. Jordan Marshall from Biology applied for a research grant to conduct another round of moss testing. If you live near Hartford Iron and Metal and are interested in hosting a moss station on your property, please contact Dr. Steiner at steiners[at]pfw[dot]edu. They are looking to identify nine locations by the end of June. Thank you!
Blackford County Concerned Citizens is giving away free growing vegetables and distributing information about relocating Hartford Iron and Metal. Dr. Indra Frank will be present to answer any questions about health risks associated with pollution. IPFW students will be presenting information about air and groundwater conditions.
Saturday, April 21st from 10 am – 12 pm
Blackford Junior High School
700 West Conger Street
Hartford City, IN 47938
IPFW vans will also be downtown distributing vegetables and IPFW students are helping pick up trash in the community neighborhoods.
Note: The location was recently changed from City Hall to the Junior High School.
Please continue paying attention to this important issue. Thank you for your involvement.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 765-730-4168 or email us at blackfordcoconcernedcitizens[at]gmail[dot]com.
In a packed City Hall on Saturday morning, students from Dr. Sherrie Steiner’s class at IPFW and BCCC board members presented information and evidence from their nearly 3 year-long search and investigation about the high incidence of cancer and neurological disease in Blackford County.
In addition to the concerned residents, students from Taylor University, Manchester University, and North Manchester High School were in attendance.
The presentation focused on the air surrounding and the groundwater underneath Hartford Iron & Metal (HI&M). The presentation urged the government to support relocating HI&M to another location such as the Industrial Park. IPFW students presented drawings showing the possible business benefits to HI&M associated with relocation. The students also created posters explaining evidence of fugitive dust contamination.
Evidence presented showed contamination of the groundwater with heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium, nickel, lead, and arsenic, and that the flow of the groundwater was in the direction of city wells. Evidence from recent testing also showed air around the site was contaminated with similar heavy metals, suggesting that the only solution to protect the health of citizens is relocation.
Comments from citizens expressing their concerns about the situation were read to the attentive Mayor and City Council Members for a half an hour. More than fifty comment cards had been submitted related to what it has been like living near Hartford Iron and Metal, concerns over groundwater contamination and explaining why they want HI&M to relocate.
Upon hearing the presentation and asking several good questions, the Mayor and Council suggested the Mayor appoint a group to further study relocation of the local business. Mayor Hodgin boldly suggested that he would personally ask a representative from Hartford Iron and Metal to participate in the group. “That’s my job,” Hodgin said to the audience!
In closing, BCCC President, Eric Evans, encouraged all to focus on the solution to this community issue with cooperation as their guiding thought.
Please continue paying attention to this important issue. Thank you for your involvement!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 765-730-4168 or email us at blackfordcoconcernedcitizens[at]gmail[dot]com.
| Relocation Logistics | New Location | Urban Farming |
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Government Officials Contact Information
Summary Of The Situation
Test Results From April 2017
We are collecting signatures and comments from the community to present to city officials in the meeting on Saturday, November 18th, 10 am at City Hall, 700 N. Walnut St., Hartford City, IN.
You are also invited to the meeting on November 18th.
Have your voice heard! Please complete the comment card if you would like to ask city officials to enforce the law, and work with Hartford Iron and Metal to relocate to the Industrial Park.
Also, please forward the comment card to friends and family.
Hartford Iron and Metal currently operates in a residential neighborhood. Contaminated fugitive dust is descending on residents in the neighborhood where children play. This is against the law and needs to be addressed.
These are the results from tests conducted in April of this year.
| Dust In The Wind | Metals In Moss | Health Implications |
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Map of the locations moss samples were taken.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 765-730-4168 or email us at blackfordcoconcernedcitizens[at]gmail[dot]com.
On Saturday, October 21st, a meeting took place at City Hall. Very few residents attended the informative presentation by IPFW students.
The Mayor and Council Persons witnessed the low turnout causing them to believe no one cares about Hartford Iron and Metal. Blackford County Concerned Citizens is working to persuade government officials to act concerning the problems at Hartford Iron and Metal, but it is nearly impossible without support of the community.
We realize it was Fall break week and a nice day, so we have created an electronic opportunity for you to respond. This is your opportunity to ask city government to relocate Hartford Iron and Metal to the Industrial Park.
Spread the news far and wide! Here is what you can do:
We Need You! The Time To Act Is Now! Don’t Be Ignored!
| Hartford City Mayor’s Office | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mayor Ben Hodgin | mayorhodgin@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-0412 |
| Arlene West, Administrative Assistant | aswest@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-0412 |
| Hartford City Mayor’s Office | ||
| Mayor Ben Hodgin | mayorhodgin@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-0412 |
| Arlene West, Administrative Assistant | aswest@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-0412 |
| Hartford City Council | ||
| Dennis Nottingham, District 1 | dwnottingham@sbcglobal.net | (765)348-5215 |
| Dustin George, District II | dustinmgeorge@gmail.com | (765)331-9232 |
| Jimmy Lytle, District III | jrlytle@mmm.com | (765)730-0655 |
| William Hess, District IV | bhess8@comcast.net | (765)348-0549 |
| Garry Monroe, At-Large | gmdoordr@yahoo.com | (765)348-6076 |
| Police | ||
| Scott D. Mealy, Chief | hcpdsmealy@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-4819 |
| Board Of Public Works And Safety | ||
| G. Andrew Glentzer | aglentzer@gmail.com | (765)348-5400 |
| Cindy Gross | cgross125@gmail.com | (765)348-4794 |
| Hartford City Water Works | ||
| Ronald Thomas, Superintendent | hartfordcitywater@yahoo.com | (765)348-2230 |
| Waste Water Treatment | ||
| Gregg Jones | gjones@hartfordcity.net | (765)348-3855 |
| Blackford County Economic Development | ||
| Colton Bickel, Exec. Dir. | colton@blackfordindiana.com | (765)348-4944 |
| Blackford County Health Department | ||
| John Lancaster, President | jlancaster@blackfordcounty.com | (765)348-1620 |
| Donald Hunsberger, Chairman, BC Board of Health | (765)348-4317 and (765)348-0300 | |
| Indiana Department of Environmental Management | ||
| Donald Snemis, General Counsel & Deputy Chief of Staff | dsnemis@idem.in.gov | |
| Paul Higginbotham, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (Water) | phigginb@idem.in.gov | |
| Nancy Johnston | njohnsto@idem.in.gov | |
| Office of Air Quality, Compliance & Enforcement Branch | (317)233-6865 | |
| David Zier, BC Air Compliance Inspector | dzier@idem.in.gov | (317)233-1136 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | ||
| Rafael Gonzalez | Gonzalez.rafaelp@epa.gov | (312)886-0269 |
Since 2006, Hartford Iron and Metal in Hartford City, Indiana, has been in violation for improper methods for containing harmful chemicals, including PCBs, from their industrial work.
In 2009 the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Hartford Iron and Metal agreed, in a Court Approved Consent Decree, to clean their site.
In 2011, and again in 2015, IDEM completed another inspection and found Hartford Iron and Metal was still in violation. Some methods of cleanup did occur, but none of them were substantial enough to actually make a difference.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has allowed Hartford Iron and Metal to continue business and to expand operations for eleven years after being originally cited for violations even though they are still not in compliance with the Court Order Decree of 2009.
It is time for real change for the citizens of Hartford City. Come join that change on November 18th at 10 a.m. The meeting will be located at City Hall, 700 N. Walnut St., Hartford City, IN.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 765-730-4168 or email us at blackfordcoconcernedcitizens[at]gmail[dot]com.
