OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Sustainability & Beautification Committee Meeting on Brent Industries Explosion - September 2, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, September 2, 2026
BodyToledo, Ohio
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, September 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:21:43

Transcript — Verbatim
1:36

Good evening, everybody.

1:38

And welcome to the Sustainability Beautification Committee hearing on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 at 5 p.m.

1:47

Clerk, will you please call the role?

1:48

Come out.

1:50

Jones.

1:51

Here.

1:51

Driscoll?

1:52

Here.

1:53

Kramer.

1:54

Here.

1:54

Mick Fearson.

1:55

Here.

1:56

Five present, also present.

1:58

Gaddis and Sarantu.

2:00

Thank you so much.

2:01

Thanks everybody for being here.

2:03

And thanks to everybody that's here from the administration as well as the public.

2:07

We really are looking forward to hearing from all of you and what has been happening.

2:12

So a few housekeeping moments before we really get started.

2:17

There is a sign-up sheet that is on the podium.

2:19

It will move its way over to the side table over here.

2:23

If you intend to speak and make public comment, please sign up on that sheet so we can get to everybody in order.

2:30

We generally keep about a three minute per person rule so we can make sure we hear from everybody.

2:42

And uh we will first uh hear from the administration once we get rolling here.

2:48

Uh and then council will be able to ask questions that they would like to ask, and then we will open it to public comments.

2:54

So here we go.

2:57

Um I first want to begin by recognizing the people who responded uh to this emergency are firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, dispatchers, and other first responders, including our teams at the environmental services who were on site and providing air quality testing before the EPA even arrived.

3:16

Um all of these responders put themselves in harm's way to protect our residents and save lives, and we're I don't want to speak for all council, but I would imagine all deeply grateful for their courage, professionalism, and commitment.

3:28

I also want to thank the governmental agencies that responded, those responsible for emergency management, public health, environmental monitoring, and more.

3:36

Their coordinated efforts were essential as protecting residents during the immediate crisis in its aftermath.

3:41

But gratitude for the response cannot substitute for accountability about what happened, and I believe that we need answers.

3:48

Brent Industries is operating in a community where residents have a reasonable expectation that industrial facilities will operate safely and responsibly.

3:58

When there is a major explosion and fire, the public deserves to know what happened, what failed, whether all applicable safety requirements were being followed, and whether warning signs existed before this incident even occurred.

4:35

The public should not be left wondering whether financial difficulties, operational decisions, maintenance, compliance, or other factors played any role in the conditions at this facility.

4:44

And while we investigate those questions, we cannot lose sight of the people who live nearby.

4:49

I'm particularly concerned by residents who continue to tell us that they're experiencing symptoms through uh following the fire.

4:55

Those residents deserve more than assurances.

5:03

We need to know what was released during the exposure and fire, and we need to know what environmental testing has found, and we need to know what monitoring was conducted.

5:10

And I'm looking forward to hearing all of that today.

5:13

Um I think it will beg the question of whether additional testing is necessary.

5:19

Um, but I think that everybody will have a better understanding of what all has been done uh after today's presentation.

5:26

The people living in these neighborhoods should not have to become their own investigators to determine whether they're safe.

5:31

This hearing should therefore be about facts, transparency, and accountability accountability.

5:35

If front industries failed to meet its responsibilities, we need to know.

5:38

If regulations were not followed, we need to know.

5:41

If inspections permitting enforcement or communication broke down, we need to know these things.

5:45

Our obligation is not simply to respond when something goes wrong.

5:49

Our obligation is to do everything within our authorities to prevent these incidents to identify risks before they become emergencies and to make sure that companies operating in our community meet their responsibilities to the public.

6:00

So today I anticipate how hearing difficult questions.

6:04

Uh, not because this committee wants to prejudge the outcome of any investigation, but because the people we represent deserve real answers.

6:12

Um without that, or with that, or uh kick it over to the administration.

6:17

Uh so I understand we have Deputy Mayor Arnold with us.

6:20

Yes, good afternoon, Mr.

6:22

Chair, members of council, I'm Abby Arnold, Deputy Mayor.

6:25

Uh, I'm joined today by Deputy Chief Pasodney of Toledo Fire and Rescue and Abid Simon, Commissioner of Environmental Services.

6:32

On August 18th, we suffered a tragedy when a second alarm fire claimed the lives of two members of our community.

6:40

On behalf of Mayor Capsicavage and the City of Toledo, we offer our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and co-workers of the victims.

6:48

Deputy Chief Pasodney served as incident commander during the response, and environmental services was the first environmental agency on scene working alongside Toledo Fire and Rescue to help ensure the health and safety of the surrounding neighborhood.

7:01

This was a significant and complex response involving six fire and rescue bureaus, more than a hundred Toledo firefighters, employees representing six city departments, and 15 local, state, and federal agencies and partner organizations.

7:17

That coordinated response has continued beyond the immediate immediate emergency as work at the site has progressed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████33%
Environmental Protection████████████████████████████████32%
Public Engagement████████████████████████24%
Public Health█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Procedural██2%
Water And Wastewater Management█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Sustainability & Beautification Committee Meeting on Brent Industries Explosion

The Sustainability & Beautification Committee held a hearing on September 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM to discuss the Brent Industries explosion on August 18, 2026. The meeting included presentations from Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold, Toledo Fire Deputy Chief Pasodney, and Environmental Services Commissioner Abid Simon, followed by council member questions and public testimony. The discussion focused on emergency response, environmental monitoring, health concerns, and the need for better communication with affected residents.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Chris Ramsdale (516 Shay Street) expressed condolences for the two victims and gratitude for first responders. He reported health symptoms (headaches, respiratory issues) since the explosion and skepticism about Brent Industries' transparency, noting the company has not provided a roster of employees or full chemical inventory. He supported involving the health department for health tracking.
  • Sherry Straub (1825 Rainer Drive) read a statement from resident Sarah Locker, describing the terror of the explosions, ongoing symptoms (headaches, sore throats, stomach cramps), and distrust of safety assurances. The statement questioned the city's plans for temporary relocation and called for justice. Straub also noted residents hired independent testers due to lack of information.
  • Sue Terrell (1844 Lindbrook) criticized the meeting location (downtown Council Chambers) and advocated for satellite offices and better communication. She questioned the scope of testing (air, soil, pools, plants) and noted the plume spread beyond the one-mile radius. She also asked for the name of the cleanup contractor (later identified as GHD, based in Rosemont, Illinois, hired by Brent Industries).
  • Leonard Chandler (1435 Macumber Street) raised a separate issue about street paving but deferred to the Brent Industries concerns, stating his issue was minor compared to the community's needs.
  • Cindy Krauser (554 Shea Street) reported a strong chemical smell the night before and criticized the lack of communication from the city, noting she learned about the meeting only from a neighbor.

Discussion Items

  • Opening Remarks: Committee Chair recognized first responders and agencies. Stated the hearing was about facts, transparency, and accountability, and expressed concern about residents' health symptoms and the need for environmental testing results.
  • Administration Presentations:
    • Deputy Mayor Arnold offered condolences and outlined the coordinated response: over 100 Toledo firefighters, six city departments, and 15 local, state, and federal agencies.
    • Deputy Chief Pasodney detailed the fire response: alarm at 4:50 AM, multiple explosions, 42,000 sq. ft. building heavily damaged, 12 people initially missing, two deceased employees recovered. The building had 40,000 gallons of Stoddard solvent. Air monitoring by environmental services and US EPA showed no immediate threat to health. Brent Industries has not provided a roster of employees.
    • Commissioner Simon described environmental response: arrival at 6:45 AM, facility 85% destroyed. Air monitoring conducted within one-mile radius, readings at zero in neighborhoods. US EPA and ATSDR plume modeling indicated hazard limited to area immediately around four tanks. Water quality sampling detected mercury (common in fire runoff). Cleanup contractor (GHD) is performing daily air monitoring and tank removal (two of four tanks cleaned, 200 gallons recovered). Ohio EPA oversees long-term cleanup.
    • Commissioner Simon also noted that Brent Industries' last Tier II report listed only two chemicals: sulfuric acid and Stoddard solvent. The company's previous air compliance visit (August 7, 2026) found no violations, and the last pretreatment visit (July 24, 2025) also found no violations.
  • Council Member Questions:
    • Councilmember Gaddis emphasized communication gaps: residents received little information, despite city having answers. She called for daily updates via social media and community meetings. She reported symptoms from residents (asthma, burning sinuses, headaches, soot residue) and requested a communication plan going forward.
    • Councilmember Kramer asked about Brent Industries' cooperation. Commissioner Simon stated they have been cooperative with cleanup (hired a good contractor). Deputy Chief Pasodney noted they have not provided a roster of employees. Assistant Chief Kaminsky said the fire investigation (with ATF) is ongoing, no timeline for cause determination; Brent has not been uncooperative.
    • Councilmember Sarantu asked about the timeline of fire and victim discovery (several hours later). He also expressed concern about cleanup interfering with investigation; Assistant Chief Kaminsky confirmed on-site investigation is complete and all evidence collected.
    • Councilmember McPherson echoed communication failures, stating residents have been in the dark for weeks. She highlighted fear, swimming pool contamination, and school safety. She called for community meetings in the affected area.
    • Councilmember Jones asked about health tracking for residents. Deputy Chief Pasodney noted fire department has internal exposure tracking, but no formal city-wide system for residents. He referenced the US EPA website where residents can report health concerns. Councilmember Jones stressed the need for a formalized process involving the health department.
  • Deputy Mayor Response: Acknowledged communication shortcomings and committed to improving ongoing updates. Noted that EPA has a website with updates, and the city can provide links. Agreed to follow up with council on health tracking.

Key Outcomes

  • The committee directed the administration to improve ongoing communication with residents, including regular updates on cleanup progress, air and water monitoring results, and a plan for community meetings.
  • Councilmembers requested a formal health tracking system involving the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department for residents to report symptoms.
  • Councilmember Gaddis requested any disaster planning records and communication records from the incident be provided to council.
  • The administration committed to exploring avenues for better communication, though noted that ultimate responsibility for cleanup communication lies with Brent Industries and Ohio EPA.
  • No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and directive in nature.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everybody. And welcome to the Sustainability Beautification Committee hearing on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 at 5 p.m. Clerk, will you please call the role? Come out. Jones. Here. Driscoll? Here. Kramer. Here. Mick Fearson. Here. Five present, also present. Gaddis and Sarantu. Thank you so much. Thanks everybody for being here. And thanks to everybody that's here from the administration as well as the public. We really are looking forward to hearing from all of you and what has been happening. So a few housekeeping moments before we really get started. There is a sign-up sheet that is on the podium. It will move its way over to the side table over here. If you intend to speak and make public comment, please sign up on that sheet so we can get to everybody in order. We generally keep about a three minute per person rule so we can make sure we hear from everybody. And uh we will first uh hear from the administration once we get rolling here. Uh and then council will be able to ask questions that they would like to ask, and then we will open it to public comments. So here we go. Um I first want to begin by recognizing the people who responded uh to this emergency are firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, dispatchers, and other first responders, including our teams at the environmental services who were on site and providing air quality testing before the EPA even arrived. Um all of these responders put themselves in harm's way to protect our residents and save lives, and we're I don't want to speak for all council, but I would imagine all deeply grateful for their courage, professionalism, and commitment. I also want to thank the governmental agencies that responded, those responsible for emergency management, public health, environmental monitoring, and more. Their coordinated efforts were essential as protecting residents during the immediate crisis in its aftermath. But gratitude for the response cannot substitute for accountability about what happened, and I believe that we need answers. Brent Industries is operating in a community where residents have a reasonable expectation that industrial facilities will operate safely and responsibly. When there is a major explosion and fire, the public deserves to know what happened, what failed, whether all applicable safety requirements were being followed, and whether warning signs existed before this incident even occurred. The public should not be left wondering whether financial difficulties, operational decisions, maintenance, compliance, or other factors played any role in the conditions at this facility. And while we investigate those questions, we cannot lose sight of the people who live nearby. I'm particularly concerned by residents who continue to tell us that they're experiencing symptoms through uh following the fire. Those residents deserve more than assurances. We need to know what was released during the exposure and fire, and we need to know what environmental testing has found, and we need to know what monitoring was conducted. And I'm looking forward to hearing all of that today. Um I think it will beg the question of whether additional testing is necessary. Um, but I think that everybody will have a better understanding of what all has been done uh after today's presentation. The people living in these neighborhoods should not have to become their own investigators to determine whether they're safe. This hearing should therefore be about facts, transparency, and accountability accountability. If front industries failed to meet its responsibilities, we need to know. If regulations were not followed, we need to know. If inspections permitting enforcement or communication broke down, we need to know these things. Our obligation is not simply to respond when something goes wrong. Our obligation is to do everything within our authorities to prevent these incidents to identify risks before they become emergencies and to make sure that companies operating in our community meet their responsibilities to the public. So today I anticipate how hearing difficult questions. Uh, not because this committee wants to prejudge the outcome of any investigation, but because the people we represent deserve real answers.

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