On the morning of April 21, 2016, the Ohio EPA was notified by the Stark County Sheriff’s office of a suspected illegal release of an unknown white liquid near 6173 Kieffer Avenue SW south of Canton, Stark County, Ohio that had entered the adjoining Bear Run. Bear Run is a secondary tributary to the Tuscarawas River. Ohio EPA's remedial contractor initiated cleanup activities.
Ohio EPA requested assistance on April 21, 2016 from the U.S. EPA to assist with assessment of the unlawful release and to collect samples of the released material and water samples along Bear Run, Big Sandy Creek and the Tuscarawas River. U.S. EPA is also investigating a similar unlawful release that occurred in the Beach City Wildlife Area near Beach City, Tuscarawas County, Ohio on April 18, 2016 and a third release site near 9559 Towpath Road, in Bolivar, Tuscarawas County, Ohio on April 23, 2016. U.S. EPA's criminal investigation division (CID) is collaborating with the Ohio EPA's CID in the collection of information relating to the unlawful release.
