Less than 700 feet from Millvale’s Ethel M. Taylor Academy, a Cincinnati public elementary school, bombs have been going off for years and a building is often on fire.
Don’t call emergency responders. They already know.
For years, the Cincinnati Fire Department has been setting cars and a specially-designed $3 million building alight to train fire recruits at 1898 Mill Creek Road. CFD also performs bomb training and explosives disposal in a special facility there.
Lately, some residents of Millvale and nearby communities — especially those with children at Taylor — have complained about the noise, smoke and potential health and environmental impacts associated with the site. In addition to the elementary school, a Cincinnati Recreation Center and a daycare are nearby.
Residents' worries are just the latest in a long line of concerns with pollution and air quality in the low-income, predominantly African American communities nestled next to the one-time industrial corridor along Beekman Street and the Mill Creek.
CFD says it is listening and working to mitigate problems — but a complete fix may take a long-term effort.