North Jackson landowner responds to concerns

North Jackson landowner responds to concerns
EDITOR:
We are the proud owners of the 67-acre site in North Jackson that Mr. Harkleroad is concerned about. Mr. Harkleroad is worried about land application of treated septic sewage. I wonder if he has done his homework. I don't think so.
Mr. Harkleroad has not informed or even spoke of the dumping of septic waste on two locations just a few miles from our property, one of which has been doing so for over four years.
Mr. Harkleroad stated the concerns he has about septic tanks' being in good working order. Has he followed up with Mahoning County Health Department to check and inspect all septic tank systems of the residents in the North Jackson area for the proper updated systems to prevent the contamination of their own wells and/or feeder creeks that run the same course to our water supply?
Mr. Harkleroad stated that "raw sewage is what you flush down the toilet." He asked, "Would you put this on your yard?" The answer is, if you have a septic tank system and a leach bed on your property, yes; you are dumping septic waste into your soils.
It is approximated that a family of four flushes their toilets four to six times per day. Then add four showers at 22.5 gallons per shower. The total approximate gallons for this septic waste are over 36,000 per year. This doesn't even include laundry and garbage disposal waste.
It was also mentioned by Mr. Harkleroad of Congressmen Ryan's and Strickland's concerns as well as our local trustees. Then, the question to them would be: Why haven't they initiated mandatory yearly inspections at the cost of all homeowners in the North Jackson area to make sure that they are within the guidelines of the septic rules and regulations of run-off of leach beds?
Mr. Harkleroad discussed the flooding on Lipkey Road and the eroding driveways due to heavy rains last spring. This road runs along Meander Reservoir. Has he investigated this to make sure our water supply wasn't in danger? There are a lot of outdated septic tank systems in that area.
Finally, Mr. Harkleroad talks about the wildlife coming in contact with such raw waste. Deer and other animals will not dig through soil to eat manure or other fertilizers that farmers till into the earth. If that is still his concern, then he should investigate further to see who the area land- owners are, who just recently had land applications of septic sewage by another company applied to their own personal properties. I wonder why Mr. Harkleroad has not mentioned this.
Call your local representatives to let them know that there have not been any inspections of the many outdated systems in the North Jackson area that can cause dangerous health concerns to our water supply. After all, we must follow all guidelines, and yes, as Mr. Harkleroad explained, we were approved by the Mahoning County Health Department as well as North Jackson Zoning.
RICK GLASS
Girard
Why not let 'we the people'decide fate of Valley airport?
EDITOR:
One of the major concerns for citizens of the Mahoning Valley is the fact that too many times in the past, well-meaning government, business and civic leaders have never been held accountable for their actions. A case in point is the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
One solution in finding voters' true opinions in both Trumbull and Mahoning counties would be for both sets of county commissioners to put a nonbinding referendum on the ballot next November.
"We the people" and our elected officials would then know the actual percentages for and against public funding of the Vienna airport.
Most voters feel that the majority should rule in such big spending situations because we are a democracy, but the United States is actually a republic, which means we elect officials who then make spending decisions for us. The only way to clear up these clouded issues when commissioners vote against the majority is to find someone who actually believes in the term "we the people" and make them our voices at the polls.
What we have now are city, townships, county and state commissions in perpetual conflict trying to govern and tax the same people, while each group plays by different rules. The above mentioned governments would do well to remember that they have no existence at all, except by the grace and consent of "we the people."
DAVID METZLER
North Jackson