CHAMPION Townships want grants for cleaning up CSC site

Each township could receive a $350,000 grant for a site assessment.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- Champion and Warren townships will apply for federal grants as the first step to clean up the former CSC property to make it marketable.
"The property has been actively marketed for the better part of the last year with no buyers," said Nancy Shafer, a Champion trustee.
The property is in both townships.
Each township plans to apply for a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an environmental site assessment. The assessment will document site conditions and determine the cost of a cleanup. Each township could receive up to $350,000. Applications are due Dec. 4.
First step
It's a first step to make the property more competitive to potential buyers, Shafer said.
Shafer said both townships are seeking comments from the public on a cleanup, which will be included in the grant application. People who want to comment may contact Shafer at (330) 847-2922 or Cheryl Zaben, Warren Township trustee, at (330) 898-5710 by Nov. 28.
The environmental conditions of the property are an obstacle to future development and to potential buyers, Shafer said.
CSC Ltd., which employed about 1,375 workers, filed for federal bankruptcy protection in January 2001.
Warren Steel LLC, a group of foreign investors based in Delaware, bought the mill's continuous caster and melt shop in October 2001 shortly before the rest of it was sold at auction. Trustees from both townships and representatives from the city of Warren, Trumbull County Planning Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (which is dredging the Mahoning River) and Ohio and U.S. EPAs have been meeting for the last few months.
Shafer said the company that owns the property has given permission for the assessments.
The steel plant's closing not only caused the loss of more than 1,000 jobs, but caused a loss of tax revenue, Shafer said.
"We can't let it sit there and fall into further decay," she said.