IN SESSION — The Jefferson County Board of Health held its monthly meeting for November on Tuesday. Among the topics were concerns from Salem Township residents about an existing compressor station and plans to potentially build a booster station in the area. -- Andrew Grimm

STEUBENVILLE — Salem Township residents again have brought concerns to the Jefferson County Board of Health.

However, it does not seem there is much the board can do to alleviate the issues.

Health Commissioner Andrew Henry Tuesday shared with the board a letter the health department received from a resident of the area, pleading with members to stop the construction of a booster station in the area of a compressor station that the board has already discussed and held committee meetings on.

“We cannot let another (station) be built,” the letter said. “I’m pleading with you all to help us with this injustice. We feel like we are dying a slow death the longer we live here.”

At the board’s October meeting, a public meeting was held with residents to discuss their concerns about what they say are effects on their health from the Williams Compressor Station in the township.

Among the claims noted at that time were odor issues and residents tasting metals, causing symptoms such as headaches.

Encino Energy, it was stated, is in the process of purchasing land off of township Road 221 for a booster station in the township, which the letter from the resident urged the board to stop from happening.

However, doing so, it seems, it outside of the board’s authority.

“I’m not seeing an option for us to interject here,” Henry said. “We need better information in regards to confirming the compressor station is truly causing some of these adverse health effects.”

He called being able to confirm the connection between the station and the health issues of residents “a big road block.”

Environmental Director Marc Maragos also said he received a voice message from another resident with similar concerns.

“He said we have to stop them from building the compressor station,” Maragos told the board. “He said with the compressor station out there now, it is impossible to sell their houses, so how can they sell them now if there is an additional compressor station?”

While it was noted the alleged health effects from the station and concerns about a new station adding to them are concerning to the department, it would be hard to prove a connection between the station and the symptoms, and the board cannot act unless the station is out of compliance.

Board member Terry Bell said the Encino purchase of land for the booster station is an “ongoing negotiation” and the land has not yet been transferred at the courthouse.

“What can we do legally?” Bell asked.

Bell noted the proposed booster station is much smaller than the current compressor station.

“They have different functions,” board President Dr. Patrick Macedonia said.

He concurred that the board’s options are limited.

“If they’re meeting EPA standards, right or wrong, there is not much we can really do,” he said. “We don’t set the standards.”

Board member J.P. Rigaud said he has been in contact with a professor from Franciscan University of Steubenville about the possibility of the school doing a study on the effects.

A suggestion also was made to get an opinion from legal counsel about what the board can and cannot do about the situation.

Sticking with the environmental department, Maragos informed the board that a sanitarian in training has resigned effective Friday, which will leave his department with just three employees.

While he is hopeful the department will be able to find a qualified applicant, he noted when the position was open a year and a-half ago, only one person applied and the number of qualified individuals is small.

He said other health departments pay better and there has been an increase in qualified individuals going to the private sector rather than working for public entities such as the health department.

When an application is received, Maragos said, it will be sent to a state review board to determine if an individual meets the qualifications.

In the meantime, Maragos said some things the department did on a weekly basis will have to be bi-weekly, but that will still keep the department in compliance with the state.

During his report, Dr. Mark Kissinger, in addition to the usual COVID update, highlighted health screenings offered in the area by Trinity Health System and Weirton Medical Center.

“We talk about screening, getting in to see a doctor, all of these things, but a lot of people don’t have access or don’t have knowledge of access to them,” he said. “Both Trinity and Weirton Medical Center offer access to community testing that is actually quite affordable.”

Kissinger said Trinity offers lab work for about $40 at four different locations, weekly. WMC, he said, also offers a similar service “almost daily” in Jefferson, Brooke and Hancock counties and C.H.A.N.G.E Inc. has a clinic in Toronto once a month.

“There is access to getting some of these screening labs done,” he said. “I hope to highlight access to care that many in the community may not be aware of over the next several months.”

He also talked about treatments for the virus, pointing to monoclonal antibodies, which he said are used at Trinity.

“That is the treatment of choice,” he said. “If we give it within 10 days of symptom onset, there is a significant drop in the risk of hospitalization and death.”

Kissinger also discussed potential treatments that are coming in the near future, citing a pill from Merck that is pending approval and one from Pfizer that is in development.

He said studies have shown the pills are effective and raised concerns about the amount of time it takes for the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process.

“If we can drop the risk of hospitalization and death (with a pill), that is a massive win,” he said. “One of the big issues, similar to when we had the approval for the vaccines, is the FDA is not meeting until Nov. 30. The data for the Merck drug was submitted last month.

“If anyone has a reason they want to call and complain to their congressperson, this is one of those things where we waited almost eight weeks for the vaccine to be approved and there wasn’t any change in data. We’re waiting another five or six weeks for these drugs.

“It’s frustrating because these are things that can make a difference in people’s lives now. They’re not looking at more data during these next couple of weeks, it’s data that was submitted already. It’s not like we’re waiting for more information.”

Speaking about the demand on hospitals, Macedonia said that more people getting vaccinated would help, but, “If COVID went away, our hospital problem doesn’t go away,” citing staffing issues.

He also said he’s concerned about the effect the upcoming holiday season will have on COVID cases.

The board’s next meeting is set for Dec. 21.