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By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:14 p.m. EDT, May 09, 2009
The once-dead and still-symbolic Cuyahoga River might be removed from an international list of polluted Great Lakes hot spots.
In what would be a first along the Cuyahoga River, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) want the river's status upgraded to eliminate four cited impairments or problems.
In a joint 15-page request, they are asking the U.S. EPA to partially remove the Cuyahoga River from the International Joint Commission's list of polluted areas on the Great Lakes for degraded fish and aquatic insect populations, the loss of fish habitats and fish deformities.
In addition, the Ohio EPA and the Cuyahoga River RAP, a government/business/environmental effort to clean the Cuyahoga River from Akron to Cleveland, also asked the federal EPA to rescind three additional Cuyahoga River impairments: tainted fish-wildlife flavors, degradation of wildlife populations and animal-bird deformities/reproductive problems.
There is no evidence of those problems along the Cuyahoga River, said Kelvin Rogers of the Ohio EPA.
Delisting proposal
Getting the Cuyahoga River ''delisted'' — that's the term describing what might take place — is ''a big deal, a very big deal,'' he said. ''It's pretty exciting and we're pretty hopeful.''
Such an action would mark the first official change in the Cuyahoga River since 1985, when the river was named one of 43 polluted areas on the Great Lakes. The river was cited for nine problems or impairments, some of which remain and must still be addressed. A maximum of 17 impairments was possible.
Also named were three other Ohio streams: the Ashtabula, the Black and the Maumee.
Two spots in Canada and one in New York previously have been delisted; one spot in Canada and one in Pennsylavania are in recovery.
In 2003, the federal government eased its delisting process and made partial delisting an option for the first time. A section of the Black River in Lorain County — the first in Ohio — was delisted for aquatic insects in 2003-04.
On April 16, the delisting proposal was approved by the Cuyahoga River RAP coordinating committee. The proposal was moved and seconded by founding members who have been involved since 1992: James Cowden of Brecksville and Edith Chase of Franklin Township.
Cuyahoga River supporters are optimistic that the federal approval might arrive by June 22. That's when the 40th anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River fire in the industrial Flats area will be marked with a celebration and an environmental conference in Cleveland.
The fire sparked the environmental movement and led to the passage of the federal Clean Water Act that has resulted in cleaner lakes and streams.
The proposed delisting covers the Cuyahoga River from the Ohio Edison Co. dam between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls 40 miles north to Cleveland. It excludes the 5.6-mile Shipping Channel through the Flats area of Cleveland.
Among key Cuyahoga River tributaries, Yellow Creek meets fish-insect-habitat criteria; Furnace Run meets fish-habitat but not insects; Tinkers Creek fails on fish but passed on insects-habitat.
The proposed delisting got a boost last year when Ohio EPA testing showed major fish improvements on the Cuyahoga River.
Where no fish were found between Akron and Cleveland in the 1960s and 1970s, the Cuyahoga River and many of its tributaries now meet the goal of being ''fishable'' under the Clean Water Act.
For the first time, most of the Cuyahoga River from Akron to Cleveland meets Ohio EPA standards for fish and aquatic insects. The number of fish species has increased to the point where the river gets full attainment of what is called a ''warm water habitat'' designation. That has been the goal for decades.
The only section of the river not to meet the fish-insect standards is a 7.8-mile stretch from Boston Mills to a dam at state Route 82 on the Summit-Cuyahoga County line.
That dam and its pool have a negative impact on both fish and insects, Rogers said.
Water quality
The Ohio EPA uses a complicated formula based on the number of fish and insect species to gauge stream water quality. In general, the more species, the cleaner the water.
Certain fish species and insects can survive only in clean water; these fish and insects are more desirable than species that live in polluted areas. Insect populations generally recover more quickly than fish populations.
In 2000, when the EPA last tested fish, only 81/2 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Lake Rockwell north of Kent and Harvard Avenue in Cleveland were in full attainment.
The improvement in the Cuyahoga's water quality is the result of reduced industrial discharges and major sewer improvements in Akron and Cleveland, as well as additional work by many parties over the decades, said EPA staffer Steve Tuckerman.
Akron has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to improve its sewage treatment plant, which discharges to the river. Its combined sanitary and storm sewers remain a problem. Akron has put together a $370 million plan to eliminate 38 sewers that empty untreated human waste into the Cuyahoga River, the Little Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal after heavy rains.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
The once-dead and still-symbolic Cuyahoga River might be removed from an international list of polluted Great Lakes hot spots.
In what would be a first along the Cuyahoga River, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) want the river's status upgraded to eliminate four cited impairments or problems.
In a joint 15-page request, they are asking the U.S. EPA to partially remove the Cuyahoga River from the International Joint Commission's list of polluted areas on the Great Lakes for degraded fish and aquatic insect populations, the loss of fish habitats and fish deformities.
In addition, the Ohio EPA and the Cuyahoga River RAP, a government/business/environmental effort to clean the Cuyahoga River from Akron to Cleveland, also asked the federal EPA to rescind three additional Cuyahoga River impairments: tainted fish-wildlife flavors, degradation of wildlife populations and animal-bird deformities/reproductive problems.
There is no evidence of those problems along the Cuyahoga River, said Kelvin Rogers of the Ohio EPA.
Delisting proposal
Getting the Cuyahoga River ''delisted'' — that's the term describing what might take place — is ''a big deal, a very big deal,'' he said. ''It's pretty exciting and we're pretty hopeful.''
Such an action would mark the first official change in the Cuyahoga River since 1985, when the river was named one of 43 polluted areas on the Great Lakes. The river was cited for nine problems or impairments, some of which remain and must still be addressed. A maximum of 17 impairments was possible.
Also named were three other Ohio streams: the Ashtabula, the Black and the Maumee.
Two spots in Canada and one in New York previously have been delisted; one spot in Canada and one in Pennsylavania are in recovery.
In 2003, the federal government eased its delisting process and made partial delisting an option for the first time. A section of the Black River in Lorain County — the first in Ohio — was delisted for aquatic insects in 2003-04.
On April 16, the delisting proposal was approved by the Cuyahoga River RAP coordinating committee. The proposal was moved and seconded by founding members who have been involved since 1992: James Cowden of Brecksville and Edith Chase of Franklin Township.
Cuyahoga River supporters are optimistic that the federal approval might arrive by June 22. That's when the 40th anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River fire in the industrial Flats area will be marked with a celebration and an environmental conference in Cleveland.
The fire sparked the environmental movement and led to the passage of the federal Clean Water Act that has resulted in cleaner lakes and streams.
The proposed delisting covers the Cuyahoga River from the Ohio Edison Co. dam between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls 40 miles north to Cleveland. It excludes the 5.6-mile Shipping Channel through the Flats area of Cleveland.
Among key Cuyahoga River tributaries, Yellow Creek meets fish-insect-habitat criteria; Furnace Run meets fish-habitat but not insects; Tinkers Creek fails on fish but passed on insects-habitat.
The proposed delisting got a boost last year when Ohio EPA testing showed major fish improvements on the Cuyahoga River.
Where no fish were found between Akron and Cleveland in the 1960s and 1970s, the Cuyahoga River and many of its tributaries now meet the goal of being ''fishable'' under the Clean Water Act.
For the first time, most of the Cuyahoga River from Akron to Cleveland meets Ohio EPA standards for fish and aquatic insects. The number of fish species has increased to the point where the river gets full attainment of what is called a ''warm water habitat'' designation. That has been the goal for decades.
The only section of the river not to meet the fish-insect standards is a 7.8-mile stretch from Boston Mills to a dam at state Route 82 on the Summit-Cuyahoga County line.
That dam and its pool have a negative impact on both fish and insects, Rogers said.
Water quality
The Ohio EPA uses a complicated formula based on the number of fish and insect species to gauge stream water quality. In general, the more species, the cleaner the water.
Certain fish species and insects can survive only in clean water; these fish and insects are more desirable than species that live in polluted areas. Insect populations generally recover more quickly than fish populations.
In 2000, when the EPA last tested fish, only 81/2 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Lake Rockwell north of Kent and Harvard Avenue in Cleveland were in full attainment.
The improvement in the Cuyahoga's water quality is the result of reduced industrial discharges and major sewer improvements in Akron and Cleveland, as well as additional work by many parties over the decades, said EPA staffer Steve Tuckerman.
Akron has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to improve its sewage treatment plant, which discharges to the river. Its combined sanitary and storm sewers remain a problem. Akron has put together a $370 million plan to eliminate 38 sewers that empty untreated human waste into the Cuyahoga River, the Little Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal after heavy rains.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 07:26 AM, 05/10/2009
And Akron started chargin' their customers for that sewer plan long ago, yet the improvements were never done. Guess who we can thank for that.
Akron is the major contributor to the pollution of the Cuyahoga River. Until the improvements are made, the river will never make it all the way back to its prior state.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:28 AM, 05/10/2009
Many sewer improvements are in place and you can see the new catch basin construction from the tow path. Take a walk and check it out.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:58 AM, 05/10/2009
@westhill - And how many thousands of dollars a day is Akron bein' assessed by the EPA???
Sorry, but the catch basins are a stop gap measure and really don't address the problem. Even the city hall hero acknowledges that.
Orrville, Oh
Posted 04:48 PM, 05/10/2009
There is reason to believe Mother Nature can best regulate population of all insects and species.
Spreading human and animal waste on surface of land humans and animals occupy enables rainwater to wash waste on soil. This enables microorganisms in the soil to energize food growth and enables water to percolate through soil into aquifer.
Rainwater cleansing air and earth and sunshine controlling bacteria growth in watersheds, wetlands, and marches, is more effective than EPA bureaucrats eliminating gas derived from farts!
newyork, mn
Posted 01:12 AM, 06/04/2009
Hi,
We have just added your latest post "Groups working to get Cuyahoga River off pollution list" to our Directory of Environment . You can check the inclusion of the post here . We are delighted to invite you to submit all your future posts to the directory for getting a huge base of visitors to your website and gaining a valuable backlink to your site.
Warm Regards
greenatmos.com Team
http://www.greenatmos.com
