Avon industrial site where accident caused evacuation has history of toxic waste issues, records show – Cleveland.com

Report on Environmental Safety and Sustainable Development at Reworld Tron Corp.

Executive Summary

A series of chemical incidents and environmental violations at the Reworld Tron Corp. waste management facility in Avon, Ohio, highlights significant challenges in achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An incident on October 16, involving an uncontrolled chemical reaction, necessitated community evacuations and is the latest in a documented pattern of safety lapses. These events, coupled with issues of legacy pollution and improper hazardous waste management, directly contravene the principles of several SDGs, including those related to health, safe communities, decent work, and responsible production.

Incident Analysis: October 16 Chemical Release

A critical safety event occurred at the facility, impacting both operational integrity and community well-being.

• Event: A worker accidentally combined several chemicals, causing a reaction that released a vapor cloud.
• Chemicals Involved: The release was reported to be primarily water vapor but may have contained toxic and corrosive compounds such as ethylenediamine and toluene.
• Community Impact: The incident prompted the evacuation of nearby businesses and the suspension of outdoor activities at local schools, underscoring the facility’s direct impact on community safety and health (SDG 3, SDG 11).
• Company Response: Reworld Tron Corp. attributed the accident to an improperly labeled chemical container received from another company.

Historical Pattern of Non-Compliance and Safety Lapses

Regulatory records indicate a recurring pattern of operational failures, pointing to systemic issues in the management of hazardous materials. This pattern undermines progress toward SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by failing to ensure a safe working environment and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) through inadequate chemical management.

1. 2022 Incident: An employee mixed 285 gallons of incompatible materials, resulting in a leak. This occurred two days after investigators noted mislabeled hazardous waste containers.
2. 2018 Incident: An employee suffered minor burns after improperly mixing ethanolamine and nitrocellulose, sparking a fire. An investigation cited unlabeled containers as a potential contributing factor.

Regulatory Findings and Legacy Pollution

State inspections have consistently identified operational deficiencies that conflict with responsible environmental stewardship.

Identified Violations

• Mislabeled containers of hazardous waste.
• Hazardous waste residue found on tools and equipment during inspections in 2022, 2024, and 2025.

Legacy Contamination Issues

• In May, the Ohio EPA issued a “notice of deficiency” to Reworld for understating the risk posed by legacy soil pollution to workers at an adjacent business.
• High levels of trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride on the property pose a risk of leaching from the soil into the air, threatening air quality and public health (SDG 3, SDG 6).
• The EPA noted that the company could not prove that air quality for neighboring workers met federal safety standards, highlighting a failure in corporate responsibility and institutional oversight (SDG 12, SDG 16).

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The operational history of the Reworld Tron Corp. facility demonstrates significant misalignment with several core SDGs.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The release of toxic chemicals and ongoing risks from legacy pollution pose a direct threat to the health of employees and the surrounding community.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Recurring accidents, including one that resulted in an employee injury, indicate a failure to provide a safe and secure working environment.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The facility’s operations have repeatedly compromised the safety of the local community, necessitating evacuations and disrupting public life.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The pattern of improper labeling, accidental mixing of chemicals, and inadequate management of hazardous waste demonstrates a systemic failure to achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: The cycle of violations and resolutions raises questions about the effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks and enforcement in ensuring long-term compliance and preventing harm.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article discusses multiple incidents involving the release of toxic and corrosive chemicals like ethylenediamine, toluene, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. These substances pose a direct threat to the health of plant workers and the surrounding community, as evidenced by evacuations, school recess cancellations, and a past incident where an employee suffered burns.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The recurring accidents, including a fire that burned an employee in 2018, highlight significant issues with workplace safety. The pattern of mistakes, such as improperly mixing chemicals and mislabeling hazardous waste, points to a failure in providing a safe and secure working environment.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The chemical mix-up directly impacted the local community, forcing the evacuation of nearby businesses and the shutdown of outdoor recess at schools. This demonstrates the adverse environmental and safety impact of industrial activities on urban and community life, affecting the safety and resilience of the settlement.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• The core issue of the article is the mismanagement of hazardous waste. The facility’s repeated failures in handling, labeling, and storing chemicals, leading to accidental releases, directly contravenes the principles of environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article details the role of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in regulating the facility. The EPA’s inspections, documentation of violations (mislabeled waste, toxic residue), and issuance of a “notice of deficiency” illustrate the function of a state institution attempting to enforce environmental laws and hold a corporation accountable.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

• The release of toxic chemicals and the “legacy pollution” from trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride leaching from the soil directly relate to this target. The potential for these substances to cause illness in workers and residents is a central concern raised in the article.

Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.

• The repeated incidents, such as the 2018 fire that burned an employee and the recurring accidental mixing of incompatible chemicals, are direct evidence of an unsafe working environment, making this target highly relevant.

Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

• The chemical release that forced community evacuations and the concern over volatile organic compounds potentially affecting the air quality of neighboring businesses align with the goal of reducing the adverse environmental impact of industrial waste management on a community.

Target 12.4: Achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle…and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

• This target is directly addressed by the article’s main theme. The facility’s “pattern of mislabeled hazardous waste, toxic residue left on equipment, and lingering pollution” demonstrates a failure to achieve environmentally sound management, resulting in the release of chemicals into the environment.

Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

• The article describes the regulatory actions of the Ohio EPA, including inspections, violation notices, and deficiency notices. This interaction between the state agency and the company reflects the ongoing process of institutional oversight and accountability, which is central to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Number of hazardous chemical release incidents

• The article explicitly mentions several incidents: the most recent on October 16, a “nearly identical incident last year,” and a fire in 2018. Tracking the frequency of such events serves as a direct indicator of failures in chemical and waste management (Targets 3.9, 12.4).

Number of workplace injuries

• The report of an employee suffering “minor burns” in the 2018 incident is a specific data point that can be used as an indicator for measuring workplace safety (Target 8.8).

Number of regulatory violations and notices

• The article references EPA findings of “mislabeled containers of hazardous waste,” “hazardous waste caked on tools,” and the issuance of a “notice of deficiency.” These documented violations are clear indicators of non-compliance and can be used to measure the effectiveness of both corporate policy and institutional oversight (Targets 12.4, 16.6).

Levels of specific pollutants in the environment

• The mention of high levels of “trichloroethylene, a solvent, and vinyl chloride, a gas” on the property that “could leach from the soil and into the air” is a quantifiable indicator of soil and potential air pollution, relevant for measuring progress towards reducing contamination (Targets 3.9, 11.6).

Number of community safety actions required

• The article states that the latest incident “forced evacuations, drew a hazardous materials team and shut down outdoor recess at nearby schools.” These actions serve as indicators of the severity of the plant’s impact on the local community’s health and safety (Target 11.6).

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: cleveland.com