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By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:00 p.m. EST, Nov 07, 2009
The clock is running on a key report that will help determine the extent and cost of Akron's remedy for its sewer problems.
The city has until Aug. 15 to complete a report that must look at the level of control Akron might take to minimize overflows from its 32 combined sewers, Akron Service Director Rick Merolla said. The project carries a price tag in excess of $500 million.
That report will help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determine how and to what degree Akron's sewer overflows must be reduced to make the Cuyahoga and Little Cuyahoga rivers and the Ohio & Erie Canal swimmable under the federal Clean Water Act.
''It's a major issue,'' Merolla said of determining the final level of control.
Work on the report has begun, said Michael McGlinchy, director of Akron's Public Utilities Bureau, but ''it's too early to know what the final remedy will be.''
Akron spokesman Patrick Gsellman said a 10-month deadline for the report began Oct. 15.
The city and the U.S. Justice Department have not approved their settlement.
City Council is to vote Monday on the proposed consent decree that calls for Akron to curtail sewer overflows within 19 years, expand the city's sewage plant, pay a $500,000 penalty and provide $900,000 to improve the Cuyahoga River by removing a dam near state Route 82 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The consent degree also must be approved by the Justice Department on behalf of the federal EPA and by the Ohio attorney general on behalf of the state EPA. There will be a 60-day public comment period in U.S. District Court before Judge John Adams finalizes the consent decree.
Eliminating sewer overflows caused by heavy rains and melting snow is all but impossible and extremely costly. That's why the level-of-control issue is so critical, Merolla said.
Cities like Akron cannot afford to build sewer overflow systems to handle so-called 100-year storms. Such systems are extremely costly and rarely needed. That means Akron's final remedy probably will sharply cut but not eliminate such overflows, McGlinchy said.
The city and the federal EPA have not agreed on how many overflows or what volume might be permitted, Gsellman said.
The city must look at what would have to be done to eliminate all overflows at each sewer outlet and the costs, Merolla said.
The city then also must assess the needed steps and costs with one, two, three or four overflows at each outlet, he said.
The city must fully analyze those options and submit its proposed remedy to the EPA, Merolla said.
It will be up to the federal agency through the Justice Department to determine how fully Akron must curtail its sewer overflows.
Merolla said Akron wants to negotiate further before the EPA decides the full scope of the city's remedy.
Akron is unsure how much sewer rates will climb to pay for the improvements, but a steep hike is likely, Merolla said.
City Council probably will get preliminary estimates for higher sewer rates in December, he said.
That rate hike would get Akron through the first year of the agreement and raise needed funds while the city finalizes the overall plan and costs, he said. Additional hikes are likely.
Complicating the higher sewer rates is the fact that Akron got federal stimulus money to cover 50 percent of other sewer projects, Merolla said.
The city had to borrow to cover the remaining costs, and sewer customers also will be paying for those projects through higher bills, he said.
The consent decree also requires Akron to correct a sewer problem along Mud Run near the Akron-Barberton line.
Akron had made major improvements in that area under a 1995 consent order in federal court, but issues remain, McGlinchy said.
The city must determine the scope of the problem in the sewer system and at the Mud Run Pump Station and what needs to be done, he said.
The cost of the Mud Run improvements is unknown, Merolla said.
The agreement also mandates public notices whenever sewers overflow in Akron. It is not clear how the city will comply with that requirement.
City staffers are facing numerous compliance deadlines under the consent decree and it will not be easy to meet all the federal deadlines, Merolla said. ''We will get there,'' he said. ''We'll make it work.''
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
The clock is running on a key report that will help determine the extent and cost of Akron's remedy for its sewer problems.
The city has until Aug. 15 to complete a report that must look at the level of control Akron might take to minimize overflows from its 32 combined sewers, Akron Service Director Rick Merolla said. The project carries a price tag in excess of $500 million.
That report will help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determine how and to what degree Akron's sewer overflows must be reduced to make the Cuyahoga and Little Cuyahoga rivers and the Ohio & Erie Canal swimmable under the federal Clean Water Act.
''It's a major issue,'' Merolla said of determining the final level of control.
Work on the report has begun, said Michael McGlinchy, director of Akron's Public Utilities Bureau, but ''it's too early to know what the final remedy will be.''
Akron spokesman Patrick Gsellman said a 10-month deadline for the report began Oct. 15.
The city and the U.S. Justice Department have not approved their settlement.
City Council is to vote Monday on the proposed consent decree that calls for Akron to curtail sewer overflows within 19 years, expand the city's sewage plant, pay a $500,000 penalty and provide $900,000 to improve the Cuyahoga River by removing a dam near state Route 82 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The consent degree also must be approved by the Justice Department on behalf of the federal EPA and by the Ohio attorney general on behalf of the state EPA. There will be a 60-day public comment period in U.S. District Court before Judge John Adams finalizes the consent decree.
Eliminating sewer overflows caused by heavy rains and melting snow is all but impossible and extremely costly. That's why the level-of-control issue is so critical, Merolla said.
Cities like Akron cannot afford to build sewer overflow systems to handle so-called 100-year storms. Such systems are extremely costly and rarely needed. That means Akron's final remedy probably will sharply cut but not eliminate such overflows, McGlinchy said.
The city and the federal EPA have not agreed on how many overflows or what volume might be permitted, Gsellman said.
The city must look at what would have to be done to eliminate all overflows at each sewer outlet and the costs, Merolla said.
The city then also must assess the needed steps and costs with one, two, three or four overflows at each outlet, he said.
The city must fully analyze those options and submit its proposed remedy to the EPA, Merolla said.
It will be up to the federal agency through the Justice Department to determine how fully Akron must curtail its sewer overflows.
Merolla said Akron wants to negotiate further before the EPA decides the full scope of the city's remedy.
Akron is unsure how much sewer rates will climb to pay for the improvements, but a steep hike is likely, Merolla said.
City Council probably will get preliminary estimates for higher sewer rates in December, he said.
That rate hike would get Akron through the first year of the agreement and raise needed funds while the city finalizes the overall plan and costs, he said. Additional hikes are likely.
Complicating the higher sewer rates is the fact that Akron got federal stimulus money to cover 50 percent of other sewer projects, Merolla said.
The city had to borrow to cover the remaining costs, and sewer customers also will be paying for those projects through higher bills, he said.
The consent decree also requires Akron to correct a sewer problem along Mud Run near the Akron-Barberton line.
Akron had made major improvements in that area under a 1995 consent order in federal court, but issues remain, McGlinchy said.
The city must determine the scope of the problem in the sewer system and at the Mud Run Pump Station and what needs to be done, he said.
The cost of the Mud Run improvements is unknown, Merolla said.
The agreement also mandates public notices whenever sewers overflow in Akron. It is not clear how the city will comply with that requirement.
City staffers are facing numerous compliance deadlines under the consent decree and it will not be easy to meet all the federal deadlines, Merolla said. ''We will get there,'' he said. ''We'll make it work.''
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Posted 08:24 PM, 11/07/2009
The canal will never be "swimmable" near summit lake.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:23 AM, 11/08/2009
Does all of the storm water that enters the storm water inlets (catch basins) throughout the city flow into the sewage disposal plant?
Posted 08:12 AM, 11/08/2009
no
Posted 08:19 AM, 11/08/2009
(what i don't get is...) how does the government spend all those millions of dollars on things outside of our borders, yet they don't have funds to help with infrastructure projects inside? this project is needed, absolutely, why not give our money back to us in a necessary funded project?
all the money our government spends is tax money that you and i pay. i'm not anti-tax, i'm not a renegade claiming that i shouldn't pay my fair share,,,,, but these "unfunded mandates" are crazy.
akron, oh
Posted 08:19 AM, 11/08/2009
Sadly, all I got from this article, was that the city will increase fees to cover the max costs, then negotiate a lesser costly deal and use the excess money for some new numbskull project down the road.
Posted 02:09 PM, 11/08/2009
I worked for an engineering firm that did a two year study on what Akron needed to update the sewer system.They did absolutely nothing. That was 30 yrs.ago.
Orrville, Oh
Posted 04:26 PM, 11/08/2009
Reality demands: every corporation, farmer, business, outsourcer sweatshop, and nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization and Church; markets the cost; in the wholesale and retail price of his or her product and service; of paying; Representatives; wages, pension, and healthcare; to appoint; EPA Bureaucrats; to mandate, enforce, prosecute, and fine; we, the Government; of this Representative Republic.
EPA Bureaucrats; support; scamming; Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and Americas grandchildren’s children; to pay Bureaucrats wages, pension, healthcare; and fund all stimulus packages, property tax abatement, tax incentives, tax credit, tax refunds, tax exemptions. And pay for the more stock dividends (money). Hillarys, Chinese, Foreign and Domestic Investors and Stockholders (money marketers) market quarterly; in the wholesale and retail price; of EVERY product and service Human Beings use for life. And Government needs to build, maintain, and operate schools; infrastructure; and provide government services; and national security. That gets only product or service. With money derived from wages or independent business profit.
Mother Nature; needs this process; to cleanse the air; and wash waste into soil; to feed microorganisms in the soil; needed; to grow food and fiber; Human Beings need for life.
EPA supports; Foreign and Domestic Investors and Stockholders (money marketers); benefiting from moving; American businesses; on to Wayne County farmland; and cementing, blacktopping, and roofing; farmland; so rainwater; cannot percolate through soil into aquifer. This is needed; to measure and maintain; the strength and growth; of this UNAFFORDABLE economy; distribute wealth; into Foreign and Domestic Investors and Stockholders portfolios; and honor American soldiers; on Normandy Beach.
akron, oh
Posted 06:55 PM, 11/08/2009
Now that Mayor Don has squanders hundreds of millions in tax payer dollars on his pet projects in the name of "economic development", and has run up our debt to $790 million, we are being forced to do something that we should have been doing all along, all he can think of is socking it to the rate payer. I wonder why all this mis-management didn't come out before June 23rd.?
Posted 12:57 AM, 11/09/2009
There where no ballots available for hours at polling stations around summit county.
Having no ballots available for elections is a gross infringement on our civil rights.
Ohio needs a re-vote Ohio needs a investigation of why people where being turned away from voting in direct result of the Board of Elections actions.
The Board of Elections made voting more difficult if not impossible by failing to supply numberous voting locations with enough ballots for voters.
The Board of Elections did not respond to these issues in a timely manner further complicating the voting procedure and increasing the number of voters being barred from their right to vote by the actions the Board of Elections.
Am I the only one that see's this?
