Soil Samples Do Not Indicate Actionable Lead Levels after Controlled Burn
Soil samples taken from properties where debris was most heavily dispersed after the November 5th controlled burn by the Bloomington Fire Department do not contain levels of lead exceeding Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) limits for residential or direct contact exposure, and are in keeping with IDEM’s survey of background lead concentrations in Indiana soil. Samples were collected by VET Environmental Engineering (VET) and tested at an independent laboratory. None of the samples exceeded 200 parts per million (ppm) for lead. IDEM requires action to be taken if lead levels exceed 400 ppm. Once all of the test results have been received, the City of Bloomington plans on releasing a comprehensive written report to include the test results for review.
The environmental remediation consultants advise that residents in the affected area may rake leaves to the edge of their property for vacuum collection by the City. The City expects results this week from samples taken from leaf piles around the area to ensure the leaves are within normal parameters for disposal at a landfill. In an abundance of caution, the City of Bloomington will not compost these leaves as per usual practice. Households in the affected area participating in the 1,000 Households Who Mulch initiative (whose homes are designated with a “Proud Pilot Participant” sign) may rake leaves to the curb for collection as well. If any visible paint flakes are found, they may be disposed of in the normal household trash.
Blood samples collected from firefighters who were operating at the controlled burn were tested for elevated lead levels. Results will be shared with the public when available and testing extended to community members. BFD firefighters are being trained to offer this testing through a continued partnership with the Monroe County Health Department. VET and Environmental Assurance Company, Inc. (EACI) worked with the City to evaluate and/or remediate a total of 111 properties.
The controlled burn at 1213 South High Street was undertaken as a training exercise for the BFD after being approved by IDEM. This exercise resulted in 94 Bloomington firefighters, many of them hired over the past few years, gaining invaluable experience. Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore has been in communication with the director of the Indiana Fire & Public Safety Academy and IDEM officials to ensure that lessons learned from this controlled burn are openly discussed in an effort to inform future approval processes or guidance to the state’s fire departments.
More information about the City’s actions to respond to the effects of the controlled burn is available at bloomington.in.gov/bfdburninfo or by contacting Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore at FireChief@bloomington.in.gov.
IU Bloomington senior one of 32 U.S. students named a Rhodes Scholar
Indiana University senior Elvin N. Irihamye, who has played a key role in published brain research and demonstrated a passion for helping others through nonprofit work and student government roles, is one of 32 U.S. students chosen as a Rhodes Scholar. In October, he will go to the United Kingdom on the renowned scholarship to study at the University of Oxford.
A Herman B Wells Scholar and a neuroscience major, Irihamye is the 19th student in IU history to be named a Rhodes Scholar. He plans to pursue a Master of Science in translational health sciences and a Master of Science in evidence-based social intervention at Oxford.
Born in North Carolina and a resident of Sammamish, Washington, Irihamye has a love of natural science and a desire to translate the scientific method into applied purposes. He is a co-author of three scientific papers in peer-reviewed publications relating to cancer chemotherapy treatments. Research on potential therapeutics for auditory-related chemotherapy side effects was published in Neurotoxicity Research. His research also has been published in the journals Nature and Cells.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and most renowned award for international study, created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, a British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer. A Rhodes Scholarship provides all expenses for at least two years of study at Oxford. The total value of the scholarship is about $75,000 per year. This year, more than 2,300 students began the application process, and 826 were endorsed by 247 different colleges and universities. 32 US Students were accepted this year.
Upcoming activities at Monroe Lake
Second Annual Monroe Lake Holiday Hiking Challenge, November 25-28th
Monroe Lake challenges you to forget about shopping and holiday stress… spend your time outside instead, exploring the beauty of the outdoors along our trails! The Holiday Hiking Challenge consists of hiking ALL of Monroe Lake’s trails and completing the challenge activities! Each of our trails will have at least one challenge station where you will need to complete the posted activity and take a photo to document it. Everyone who completes the challenge and submits their photo set by the deadline will be entered into the prize drawing!
The Monroe Lake Holiday Hiking Challenge Guide, which includes special marked trail maps and the website to submit your photo set, will be posted on the Facebook Event page (no FB account needed to view!) in the evening on Wednesday, Nov. 24: bit.ly/2021-monroe-hike-challenge
9th Annual First Day Trail Run and Walk, January 1, 2022 at 3:30pm (Fairfax SRA)
This is an untimed, non-competitive run/walk through the forests and fields at Fairfax SRA! Runners and walkers can choose from a 3.7 mile, 2.9 mile, or 1.3 mile course. Proceeds support events, exhibits, and interpretation at Monroe Lake!
- Registration/Check-In at Fairfax SRA’s Bay View Shelter: 2:15 to 3:15pm
- Run/Walk Start Time: 3:30pm
Advance Registration is $15 – Deadline is December 30th
- Advance registration is ONLINE only at bit.ly/firstdayrun2022
- All advance registrants receive a grab-n-go box meal (turkey or veggie) and an entry for the prize drawing.
- The FIRST 300 advance registrants also receive an embroidered collectible event patch and a $15 gift certificate for the restaurants at the Fourwinds Lakeside Inn.
Same-day registration is $15 (cash/check only)
- All same-day registrants receive a grab-n-go box meal (turkey or veggie) and an entry for the prize drawing.
Upcoming Virtual Programs
- LIVE PRESENTATION! Tuesday, November 30th at 11:30am, Canada Geese, An Avian Family. If your life revolves around your spouse and children, then the Canada goose is your kind of bird. In the world view of Canada geese, family is everything – and their families certainly seem to be everywhere! Jill Vance, interpretive naturalist, will discuss the life cycle and behavior of this common species – and you’ll learn why Canada geese weren’t always as omnipresent as they are today. This live stream will be hosted on this Facebook Event page. (For those unable to watch live, a video recording will be available on the Monroe Lake Facebook Videos tab, as soon as the live stream concludes.)
- VIDEO PREMIERE Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., Gone but Not Forgotten: Gravesite Series. The Salt Creek Valley, now home to Monroe Lake, was once full of small communities, commerce, and family farms. Many of these former residents now lie in rest in one of the over 300 cemeteries that dot the area. In this video series, we visit the gravesites of some of these people and explore their stories. Videos premiere on the Monroe Lake Facebook page at facebook.com/monroelake. Premiere date is tentative… please follow facebook.com/events/203320868569399 for updates on video production!
- LIVE PRESENTATION! Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 11:30 a.m., The Science of Snow. Snow is a beautiful, yet complex, creation. Jill Vance, Monroe Lake’s Interpretive Naturalist will explore the science behind snow at every scale, from the small to the large. The live stream will be hosted on this Facebook Event page. (For those unable to watch live, a video recording will be available on the Monroe Lake Facebook Videos tab, as soon as the live stream concludes.)
Virtual Program Collection: View on demand! Click here to view recordings of ALL previous live broadcasts!
Monroe Lake Website: on.IN.gov/monroelake
Monroe Lake Program & Event Calendar: bit.ly/monroelakecalendar
Monroe Lake on Facebook: facebook.com/monroelake
This Week in Hoosier History
1928 – Anne Cornell, a professor of Greek and Latin at Franklin College, completed her first solo air flight at the Hoosier Airfield. One of the first women in Indiana to take flying lessons, she was reported to be “fearless with excellent judgment in flying.” A local newspaper reporter said that her achievement gave new meaning to “higher education.”
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here!