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By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:52 p.m. EDT, Apr 22, 2009
Akron and its overflowing sewers could be a major beneficiary of a proposal Ohio's two U.S. senators advanced Wednesday.
Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, have teamed to introduce federal legislation designed to aid 86 financially strapped Ohio communities facing sewer mandates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
''It is clear that we are facing an environmental and public health crisis in this country,'' Voinovich said. ''We cannot expect cities to spend millions of dollars for water infrastructure upgrades without help from the federal government.''
Added Brown, ''Too many communities are struggling to afford costly but necessary upgrades to sewer systems.''
An infusion of federal funds would help solve the sewer problems and boost Ohio's economic development, he said.
Their proposal, dubbed the Clean Water Affordability Act of 2009, would give the EPA more flexibility in dealing with communities like Akron with ''combined sewer overflow'' problems, the senators said in a joint teleconference. It also would create a $1.8 billion program over five years to provide federal grants up to 75 percent of a sewer project's cost.
The goal is not to halt needed sewer cleanups but to provide more flexibility so communities and their sewer customers won't suffer, the senators said.
How it would help Akron
Akron found the news ''very encouraging ... and that could be a big help,'' said Brian Gresser, administrator of the city's sewage treatment plant.
Akron has been at odds for years with the EPA on how long it will take to implement the city's $370 million plan to eliminate the overflows that foul the Cuyahoga and Little Cuyahoga rivers and the Ohio & Erie Canal after heavy rains.
Akron has been pushing for a 30-year timetable so that the project would be more affordable. The Ohio EPA supports that plan.
The U.S. EPA, however, has said the plan must be implemented in 20 years.
Akron customers' sewer rates would triple if the city is forced to comply within 20 years, said spokesman Michael McGlinchy.
The U.S. EPA has sued Akron over the dispute. That suit is pending in federal court, and negotiations are continuing.
Such inflexibility is hurting Akron and other Ohio communities, especially as economic struggles continue, Voinovich said. He said the strict EPA action is creating ''an unfunded mandate.''
Financial effects
Voinovich said communities including Defiance, Fostoria, Fremont and Hillsboro are facing costly EPA sewer edicts. In Defiance, a community of 17,000 and where 950 autoworkers have lost their jobs, the city would have to double sewer rates to comply with EPA orders, he said.
Eliminating combined sewer problems in 86 Ohio communities would cost an estimated $6.3 billion, Voinovich said.
Voinovich and Brown said the EPA should revise the way it determines whether communities can afford such sewer projects because of the severe financial effects that will result if current methods are followed.
Akron has 35 remaining combined sewers that overflow and dump diluted raw sewage and storm water into the waterways. That raises bacteria levels in the waterways for up to 72 hours after storms. It creates a health threat that limits recreational use along the streams and creates unpleasant odors.
Akron has completed the $18 million Rack 40 project off Cuyahoga Street along the Little Cuyahoga River. The facility can store up to 91/2 million gallons of sewage-filled runoff, which later is shipped to the city sewage plant for treatment.
Voinovich and Brown introduced similar legislation in 2008 that failed to win approval.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron and its overflowing sewers could be a major beneficiary of a proposal Ohio's two U.S. senators advanced Wednesday.
Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, have teamed to introduce federal legislation designed to aid 86 financially strapped Ohio communities facing sewer mandates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
''It is clear that we are facing an environmental and public health crisis in this country,'' Voinovich said. ''We cannot expect cities to spend millions of dollars for water infrastructure upgrades without help from the federal government.''
Added Brown, ''Too many communities are struggling to afford costly but necessary upgrades to sewer systems.''
An infusion of federal funds would help solve the sewer problems and boost Ohio's economic development, he said.
Their proposal, dubbed the Clean Water Affordability Act of 2009, would give the EPA more flexibility in dealing with communities like Akron with ''combined sewer overflow'' problems, the senators said in a joint teleconference. It also would create a $1.8 billion program over five years to provide federal grants up to 75 percent of a sewer project's cost.
The goal is not to halt needed sewer cleanups but to provide more flexibility so communities and their sewer customers won't suffer, the senators said.
How it would help Akron
Akron found the news ''very encouraging ... and that could be a big help,'' said Brian Gresser, administrator of the city's sewage treatment plant.
Akron has been at odds for years with the EPA on how long it will take to implement the city's $370 million plan to eliminate the overflows that foul the Cuyahoga and Little Cuyahoga rivers and the Ohio & Erie Canal after heavy rains.
Akron has been pushing for a 30-year timetable so that the project would be more affordable. The Ohio EPA supports that plan.
The U.S. EPA, however, has said the plan must be implemented in 20 years.
Akron customers' sewer rates would triple if the city is forced to comply within 20 years, said spokesman Michael McGlinchy.
The U.S. EPA has sued Akron over the dispute. That suit is pending in federal court, and negotiations are continuing.
Such inflexibility is hurting Akron and other Ohio communities, especially as economic struggles continue, Voinovich said. He said the strict EPA action is creating ''an unfunded mandate.''
Financial effects
Voinovich said communities including Defiance, Fostoria, Fremont and Hillsboro are facing costly EPA sewer edicts. In Defiance, a community of 17,000 and where 950 autoworkers have lost their jobs, the city would have to double sewer rates to comply with EPA orders, he said.
Eliminating combined sewer problems in 86 Ohio communities would cost an estimated $6.3 billion, Voinovich said.
Voinovich and Brown said the EPA should revise the way it determines whether communities can afford such sewer projects because of the severe financial effects that will result if current methods are followed.
Akron has 35 remaining combined sewers that overflow and dump diluted raw sewage and storm water into the waterways. That raises bacteria levels in the waterways for up to 72 hours after storms. It creates a health threat that limits recreational use along the streams and creates unpleasant odors.
Akron has completed the $18 million Rack 40 project off Cuyahoga Street along the Little Cuyahoga River. The facility can store up to 91/2 million gallons of sewage-filled runoff, which later is shipped to the city sewage plant for treatment.
Voinovich and Brown introduced similar legislation in 2008 that failed to win approval.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 08:06 PM, 04/22/2009
Of course the "Billion Dollar Question" that no one is asking is why Don Plusquellic's 'BUDDY' Barrack Obama didn't have this included in the Stimulus Plan?
Wasn't that program supposed to be all about repairing infrastructure and putting people to work?
I'm sure this was a shovel-ready project and would be far better spending of our taxpayer dollars than a catch-net...err...fence on the Y-Bridge.
akron, oh
Posted 10:14 PM, 04/22/2009
I had hoped that all of the stimulus money would have been earmarked for fixing this problem. If given a choice most polititions would rather spend it on projects that the voters can see so they can point to it at re-election time and say to the voter; "See here what I did for You."
Posted 10:36 PM, 04/22/2009
Voinovich said the strict EPA action is creating ''an unfunded mandate.''
Come on Voinovich, the portions of the sewers were funded within the past twelve years and the funds were mispent, laundered and Summit County execs and consultants spent time over that. You were involved in handing that money to them as Governor. I dont beleive giving Akron a chance from 1997 to now to come up with a plan and funds is strict. They are not being sued over just overflows they are being sued for not monitoring and giving OEPA the monthly reports. They legally signed that they would monitor. By the way, why won't Akron test for Beta in the drinking water? I do not think OEPA supports the thirty years as you always try to argue. Your day of being over that agency ended when you were no longer Governor. U.S. EPA is controlling this issue and you might as well start being more workable with Region 5 or local issues may arise. This is your last chance to try and get the problems you helped create fixed before you retire. Do not expect sympathy from me and my family. Maybe you guys should have thought how much YOU GUYS were going to cost the taxpayers in the future because of the sewer problems not being remediated properly while the money was there. Quit blaming U.S. EPA for all of the local downfalls. They were in Chicago, you guys created this problem locally.
CAN YOU SAY PANDORA'S BOX?
CAN YOU SAY MARY GRIMMETT-TRENT?
akron, oh
Posted 02:33 AM, 04/23/2009
well i am annoyed because i just recieved my award letter for financial aid and i lost 1500 too pay nfor school. yeah we may of got a 500 increase in the pell grant but they took 1500 in state aid. there is no more oig grant. so why "help" if you are just going ti take it anyways. the government didnt help the poor students. but they sure did line there on pockets. lets waste it down the drain
