SHARONVILLE, Ohio – Construction on Sharon Lake is scheduled to resume Wednesday, Great Parks announced.

Construction at Sharonville Park was halted in early August after lime dust from the work blew onto neighboring properties and covered their properties. The lime mix, which is being used to make the soil more workable for the project, will resume on Wednesday.

Ron Peake, a homeowner who lives less than 100 feet from the construction site, told us it looked like it was “snowing” around his property.

“Not just dust, but real flakes, like a snowflake,” he said.

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On Tuesday, Great Parks said it is working with the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency (SWOAQA) and project contractor Prus Construction to revise the work plan to further reduce the creation of “fugitive dust,” or airborne dust escaping from the construction site.

Going forward, the contractor will use a dust control machine that will spray water on the site when needed. SWOAGA is also installing two air monitors, one at the site and the other in the nearby Golden Hill Drive neighborhood. There will also be regular visual monitoring of both the effectiveness of dust control and compliance with dust management practices, according to Great Parks.

Another way to reduce lime dust is to use lime in pellet form, which is heavier. Great Parks said this should reduce dust levels in the air during the lime mixing process.

Finally, Prus Construction also filed an insurance claim and the company was instructed to contact neighbors in the area.

Despite all the additional measures, Great Parks says there is still a potential for lime dust to escape from the project because large amounts of soil (46,000 cubic meters) will be moved during construction. Great Parks said it will continue to communicate with the contractor to prevent as much lime dust as possible.

Another side effect of Great Parks’ new plan is that the pellet version of the lime may be slower-acting than the lime previously used. Great Parks said it will monitor this and any potential impacts on the project’s timeline, which runs through the end of 2025.