Drinking water concerns in Clermont County may lead to federal lawsuit

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]DAISY KERSHAW WLWT NEWS FIVE.

[00:00:02]THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE THERE.

[00:00:05]IN OTHER NEWS, CONCERNS IN CLERMONT COUNTY TONIGHT, NEARLY 150,000 PEOPLE MAY NOT BE SAFE.

[00:00:12]SO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WARNING PROPERTY OWNERS OF A POSSIBLE FEDERAL LAWSUIT.

[00:00:17]THEY’RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TOXINS NEAR THE COUNTY’S DRINKING WATER SOURCE.

[00:00:21]IT ALL STEMS FROM THE FORMER BECKJORD COAL PLANT IN NEW RICHMOND.

[00:00:26]OUR SEAN MACKINNON LIVE TONIGHT WITH THE CONCERN FROM NEIGHBORS.

[00:00:29]HI, SHAWN.

[00:00:30]HEY, SHEREE.

[00:00:31]MIKE, IN THAT LAWSUIT, NOTICE THE CLERMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THE WATER COMING FROM THEIR TAP IS SAFE TO DRINK, BUT THEY ARE MONITORING HIGHER SULFATE LEVELS THAN NORMAL.

[00:00:43]RIGHT NOW, THEY SAY THERE’S ENOUGH CONCERN TO GO TO COURT IF NECESSARY.

[00:00:48]THE COUNTY SUING THEM.

[00:00:49]AND YOU SAID I WANT TO SUE THEM TOO.

[00:00:51]WHY NOT?

[00:00:52]SOME NEIGHBORS EVEN WANT TO LAWYER UP THEMSELVES.

[00:00:55]THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SAYS NEAR THE OLD BECKJORD POWER PLANT, COAL AND ASHES MIGHT BE SEEPING INTO THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.

[00:01:04]I MEAN, THAT’S TERRIBLE.

[00:01:06]THE IMPACTS MASSIVE.

[00:01:08]COMMISSIONERS SAY 145,000 PEOPLE IN CLERMONT COUNTY USE THAT WATER.

[00:01:13]IT SCARES ME BECAUSE THOSE GRANDKIDS ARE MY LIFE.

[00:01:16]SINCE THE COAL PLANT CLOSED IN 2014 AFTER A DIESEL FUEL SPILL, COMMISSIONERS SAY THERE’S NO BARRIER BETWEEN UNLINED ASH PONDS AND GROUNDWATER BENEATH IT.

[00:01:26]THEY’RE CONCERNED CHEMICALS LIKE LEAD, ARSENIC AND OTHER CARCINOGENS COULD DIRECTLY REACH THE WATER SOURCE.

[00:01:32]MANY IN NEW RICHMOND.

[00:01:33]STICK WITH FILTERED AND BOTTLED WATER.

[00:01:35]ALREADY WE DON’T TRUST THE WATER AROUND HERE.

[00:01:38]THE POSSIBLE LAWSUIT WOULD TARGET THE MAIN PROPERTY OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE CONCERNING AREA, ALONG WITH DUKE ENERGY, WHO USED TO OPERATE THE PLANT.

[00:01:47]COMMISSIONER DAVID PAINTER SAYS IF CONTAMINANTS SHOW UP IN THE WATER WELLS USED BY THE COUNTY, IT CAN BE SCRUBBED OUT, BUT AT A HEFTY COST, $30 MILLION OR MORE.

[00:01:58]AND SO THIS PARTICULAR ACTION IS TO ENSURE THAT THE GOOD CITIZENS OF CLERMONT COUNTY DON’T GET STUCK WITH HAVING TO REMEDIATE CONTAMINANTS FROM MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF COMBUSTION RESIDUES THAT THEY DID NOT CAUSE THE NOTICE OF.

[00:02:13]THE POTENTIAL LAWSUIT GIVES THE PROPERTY OWNERS 90 DAYS TO RESPOND.

[00:02:17]IN THE BATTLE TO PROTECT LIFE’S MOST BASIC RESOURCE, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO WORRY ABOUT IS OUR WATER.

[00:02:23]WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER CONCERNS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT.

[00:02:27]AND WE’VE REACHED OUT TO ALL THE AGENCIES LISTED IN THAT NOTICE FOR COMMENT.

[00:02:32]WE HEARD BACK FROM DUKE ENERGY WHO DISAGREES WITH THE COUNTY, SAYING DUKE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AT THE OLD PLANT.