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Drinking-water, sewer projects getting share of $1.1 billion in stimulus money
By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Friday, Apr 24, 2009
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released plans to use nearly $1.1 billion in federal stimulus funds and low-interest state loans for drinking-water and sewer projects.
Two of the 69 drinking-water projects in 52 Ohio communities are in Stark County.
The state's priority plan also covers 255 sewage projects in 164 communities. The list includes 26 projects in Summit, Stark, Medina, Portage and Wayne counties.
The biggest winners of federal/state funds for sewers are: Barberton, $4 million; West Salem, $2.1 million; Marshallville, $2.1 million; Cuyahoga Falls, $1.8 million; Richfield, $1.3 million; Wadsworth, $1.2 million; and Wayne County, $1.2 million.
Other winning communities include North Canton, Canal Fulton, Twinsburg, Aurora, Massillon and Creston.
''Wow! That's great news,'' said a surprised Barberton Mayor Bob Genet. Getting outside funds for the sewer plant work will help Barberton keep its sewer rates low, he said.
The plans, dubbed Intended Use Plans, were unveiled by Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski and will be the subject of a May 7 public hearing in Columbus.
The U.S. EPA must approve the state plans before the funds will be released.
''This additional federal funding will provide jobs while also improving Ohio's worn water infrastructure,'' Korleski said. ''Stimulus money will be combined with the state's existing assistance funds to spread economic recovery and improvements to as many Ohio communities as possible. . . . These funds will help protect public health and improve water quality.''
Ohio intends to mix stimulus funds with state loans to boost the number of communities receiving money, Korleski said.
The EPA intends to distribute the money as part of a loan package that communities will not have to repay. That is being done to minimize red tape, said Korleski. The state, he said, prefers to call the money subsidies, not grants.
Ohio is proposing to allocate 50 percent of stimulus funds to projects that are ready to proceed with construction by June.
The remaining funds will be allocated in priority order to projects that will be ready to build by Sept. 30.
Barberton will use its $4 million in federal/state funds to make improvements to its sewage treatment.
Cuyahoga Falls will use $1.8 million for storm sewer work on Purdue Street, plus sanitary sewer replacements at 10th Street-Phelps Avenue and 12th Street-Chestnut Boulevard.
The May 7 EPA information session and public hearing will begin at 2 p.m. at the Riffe Government Center, Room 1948, 77 S. High St., Columbus.
The agency will accept public comment through May 8. Comments on the drinking water list should be sent to: Stacy Barna, Ohio EPA, Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216, ore-mailed to stacy.barna@epa.state.oh.us. Comments on the sewage projects should be directed to: Becky Hegyi, Ohio EPA, Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance. P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216, or e-mailed to becky.hegyi@epa.state.oh.us.
A full list of Ohio's recommended projects is available at two sites: (drinking water) http://www.epa.state.oh.us/ddagw/dwaf_economic_stimulus.htm and (sewage) http://www.epa.state.oh.us/defa/stimulus.html.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released plans to use nearly $1.1 billion in federal stimulus funds and low-interest state loans for drinking-water and sewer projects.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 07:44 AM, 04/24/2009
Giving the EPA Nazi's money isn't a good thing what so ever. They want your barbeque grills, fireplaces, lawnmowers, weedeaters and etc. Not to mention raising gas prices, fuel oil prices, septic taxes and on and on.
I don't think it'll happen in this administration, but I'd like to see our money going towards groups that help people not harass people.
barberton, oh
Posted 10:31 AM, 04/24/2009
Maybe they'll take some of that 4 mill for Barbertucky and do something about the smell coming from the portable stink house on S. Van Buren, I wouldn't want to walk on the Metro parks path when it's 80 degrees. The Sh*t House is what they call it. The Port-O-Johns on the path don't even smell that bad. Wish the wind blew south instead of blowing it across the city. If it was a business the EPA would have closed it. Ew-Ew that smell.
