CSC Federal grants sought for cleanup

Dec. 4 marks the deadline for the grant applications.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- Trustees in two townships hope federal money will help revamp Trumbull County's largest brownfield property.
"It was a huge revenue loss for the townships and the economic impact throughout the Valley was just severe," said Nancy Shafer, Champion Township trustee, referring to the former CSC Ltd. facility, which is in Champion and Warren townships.
CSC Ltd., which employed about 1,375 workers, shut down in April 2001.
Warren Steel LLC, a group of Ukrainian investors, bought the mill's continuous caster and melt shop in October 2001 shortly before the rest of it was sold at auction.
"We want to provide any support that we can to this joint effort," said Warren Mayor Hank Angelo. "This area was hit very hard with the closing of CSC."
Months of meetings
City, township, county, state and federal officials have been meeting for months to try to decide how to deal with the site.
Although the property isn't in the city, "These things have no political boundaries," Angelo said.
The townships are applying for environmental site assessment grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine the site's condition and a cost estimate to clean it up.
"No matching funds are required for this grant," Shafer said. "It's so very important to our community that this site be reclaimed and revitalized."
The deadline for the grant application is Dec. 4. Trumbull County Planning Commission is preparing the application.
Probable pollution
Trish Nuskievicz, planning commission environmental specialist, said the property is likely polluted with heavy metals, PCBs and other elements.
Each of the townships is hoping for a $350,000 grant. Both entities would likely apply for more federal funds to do the cleanup work.
The project coincides with the Mahoning River dredging project. Part of the roughly 400-acre CSC property is bordered by the river.
Ohio EPA has about $4.3 million in escrow from the company's bankruptcy proceedings to clean a portion of the site. Estimated cleanup is about $8 million and includes filling sludge lagoons and covering the affected area with clean soil.
The Ohio EPA says about 70,000 cubic yards of material is needed to fill the site, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dredging project could provide some of the required fill material.
That possibility is being explored by both agencies.
Taxes due
Shafer said Warren Steel has made arrangements to pay real estate property taxes, but the township is trying to determine if there's a way to keep the company from removing items from the plant until personal property taxes are paid.
"Right now, we're getting no income from the property," she said.
Comments on the grant applications are due Nov. 28 and may be directed to Shafer at (330) 847-2922 or Cheryl Zaben, Warren Township trustee, at (330) 898-2101.