photo by: Shelley Hanson (file)

Tonya Shuler, center, a former Paden City resident who started the group “Paden City Water Crisis,” speaks during a past Paden City Council meeting.

PADEN CITY — A University of Kentucky professor is seeking Paden City residents’ participation in a health study because of the city’s past issues with PCE in its drinking water.

Titled the “Paden City Health Study,” the main page for the endeavor is located on the UK website and asks, “Has the water quality in Paden City affected your health?”

Some residents believe it may have and have made their concerns public in the past.

The city has been dealing with PCE, aka tetrachloroethylene, for several years because the chemical is in the city’s underground aquifer, which is its source for water. The city had to install an air stripper to remove the chemical from the water before it enters the system of pipes that feeds people’s homes and businesses.

The air stripper was doing its job and removing the PCE. However, this past summer a power outage caused the air stripper to shut down. And then a valve was opened to allow the city to still have water to fight fires, if necessary. However, when it was time to close that valve, unbeknownst to city officials, it did not shut and allowed the tainted water to enter the system.

Testing of the water later revealed that too high levels of PCE were in the water system, leading to the West Virginia DHHR to issue a do not use/drink order for the city.

For about three weeks after, residents had to use bottled water for drinking and cooking and bathing as the city worked to flush the bad water out of the system.

After continuous testing by the EPA and city officials, the water continues to test under the allowable limits for the chemical and has been deemed safe to use and consume.

The source of the contamination led back to an old dry cleaner building, Band Box cleaners, located about 100 yards or so from Paden City High School. The “hot spot” was identified in the northern portion of the building, about 40 feet below grade near the water table, which is about 50 feet below grade, according to the EPA.

The EPA also said that vapor intrusion levels were detected below the maximum allowable levels at Paden City Schools and other locations.

The EPA plans to expand its study area to include more private homes in January. A plan for soil remediation is not expected to happen until sometime in 2025.

Meanwhile, the UK research team is seeking people to participate in their study. The study can be found at https://cph.uky.edu/research/projects/paden-city-health-study.

Professor Erin Haynes is listed as the principal investigator for the UK study. Haynes is chairwoman of the UK Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health and professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health. She is also director of the UK Center for the Environment and deputy director of the UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences.

Haynes said she learned about Paden City’s water issues from former Paden City resident Tonya Shuler and her Paden City Water Crisis group.

“Tonya Shuler had conducted a community survey which raised questions about health outcomes of the residents,” Haynes said. “We wanted to conduct a survey that allowed each resident 18 years and over to report their health outcomes and their water use behaviors.

“Our first step is the community survey,” she added. “We hope to have as many residents as possible. We will then invite 20 of the survey participants for a more in-depth exploration of their water usage, conduct some household measurements and collect a blood sample for analyses of TCE/PCE.”

Haynes said she has conducted similar studies in the past.

“I have worked with several other communities to explore their exposure to chemicals in their environment,” she said.”I’m working with residents of East Palestine to understand their exposure to chemicals associated with the train derailment; Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia, related to the landfill; and for nearly two decades with residents of Marietta, Ohio, and their concerns about manganese exposure.

“This manganese research expanded into East Liverpool, Ohio, and most recently southeast side, Chicago.”

Haynes said she hopes to have several hundred Paden City residents take the survey.

“This is one step in helping the community understand their exposure and provide them an opportunity to voice their concerns and experienced health issues.”

PCE is a known kidney toxin, liver toxin and neurotoxin and a likely carcinogen, according to EPA.

Haynes holds a master of Science in Toxicology from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in Public Health in Environmental Health Science from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The Paden City Health Study includes a survey of questions that takes about 10 minutes to complete.

“You may not benefit personally from being in this study, but you will help us understand the water in your town,” according to the study’s consent page.

Participants must live in Paden City.

Shuler said she was happy to finally see the study beginning.

“The ultimate goal of doing the survey in town is to prove the EPA science is outdated because (this chemical) is still killing people,” Shuler said, adding she believes the allowable level should be zero to protect people’s health.

Shuler said in addition to PCE she believes there are likely other chemicals leftover from old glass making factories that people are being exposed to also.

For example, in 2021 the Paden City Development Authority was awarded a $500,000 EPA Brownfields grant to clean up the Paden City Industrial Park. The park, about 8.6 acres, was the site of Corning Glass Works for 40 years and Paden City Pottery.

“We’re hoping to get enough information to prove we need bigger grants to test all the homes,” she added. “I’m very excited that it’s finally happening. People in the community are probably tired of hearing me say the University of Kentucky is going to help.

“Paden City doesn’t realize what a big deal this is. For some people it takes a person getting sick in their family to believe.”

Paden City Mayor Steve Kastigar could not be reached for comment regarding the study.