LEAVITTSBURG OEPA will have a hearing on LaBrae schools proposal

The meeting is at the American Legion Post on South Leavitt Road.
LEAVITTSBURG -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will have a public information session and hearing at 7 p.m. June 18 to accept comments on water-quality impact associated with LaBrae schools' building plans.
The district plans to build a new school, roads, parking lots and sports facilities at 1015 N. Leavitt Road near wetlands.
The proposed ball fields at the school would be on wetlands.
The meeting will be at the American Legion Post 699, 201 S. Leavitt Road. Representatives from the OEPA will answer questions about the project.
A hearing will follow an information session during which the public may comment about the school district's application.
Federal law
The federal Clean Water Act requires anyone discharging dredged or fill material into waters controlled by the state to obtain a water quality certification from the OEPA and a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The OEPA is reviewing the school district's application for certification to determine if the project will comply with the state's water quality standards.
Without OEPA certification, LaBrae School District cannot receive a permit from the Army Corps.
The discharge proposed by the applications won't exceed chemical-specific water quality standards that protect aquatic life and human health.
The additional discharge would, however, cause a change from the current water quality conditions of the wetlands and an unnamed tributary of Chocolate Run. That's why the OEPA is required to consider technical, economic, social and environmental aspects of the proposed project.
The OEPA will accept written comments on the application through June 25. Comments may be submitted in writing to the Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water, Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus 43216-1049.
The application and other materials are available for review at the OEPA's Division of Surface Water, 122 S. Front St., Columbus, or by calling (614) 644-2001. Applications also may be made available at the agency's northeast division office by calling the same number.