River cleanup draws officials' support

'If your river isn't happy, you're not happy,' a n official of the U.S. EPA said.
& lt;a href=mailto:milliken@vindy.com & gt;By PETER MILLIKEN & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Public officials at all levels of government have expressed support for cleaning up the Mahoning River, whose bottom sediment is heavily contaminated with industrial pollutants.
"I will do everything I can. I have never seen so many people so interested in one project and so committed to one project," said State Sen. Robert Hagan, D-33rd, of Youngstown.
Hagan was one of many speakers at a forum on a proposed cleanup of the Mahoning River, which was held Monday at Youngstown State University as part of a series of local events this week in observance of Earth Day, which is Thursday.
Under discussion before an audience of about 100 people was a proposed $100 million, 10-year cleanup to be coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which would involve removal of dams, which are no longer needed to impound water for industry, and dredging of contaminated bottom sediment between Warren and the Pennyslvania line.
Funding the project
Sixty-five percent of the project cost would be paid for by the federal government, and the remaining 35 percent would have to come from nonfederal sources, according to Carmen Rozzi, project manager for the corps Pittsburgh office.
"If your river isn't happy, you're not happy. It's your life source. It's very important to the people in this community," said Lyn Luttner, chief of the U.S. EPA's Cleveland office. The federal EPA has been a partner for several years with the Mahoning River Consortium, a local advocacy group concerned with the river's environmental quality.
"We have a large amount of water. That's our advantage. I see that as something we need to protect as we look at the coming decade and we try to bring jobs back into the Mahoning Valley," said Keith E. Riley, assistant northeast Ohio district chief for the Ohio EPA. "We need to get people back on the river and take advantage of its economic advantages," he added.
"This Army Corps project is so critical. It would be very foolish for citizens in this valley to pass by $65 million from the federal government," said Robert Davic, an Ohio EPA biologist, who takes monthly river water samples for water quality testing. The water quality is improving, but the sediment remains badly contaminated, he said. "As good as the water chemistry is today, that's how bad the sediment is," he said.
'So much potential'
"There's so much potential there," said David Ludt, Mahoning County commissioner, adding that he envisions condominiums along a cleaned-up Mahoning River.
Jim Stoddard, Weathersfield Township trustee, said township officials there are trying to identify sources of pollution that flow toward the river. "If we can control where it's coming from, we can surely control where it goes, and that is our goal for the coming year," he said.
"What an asset this river would be if it was functioning, if there was recreation, if there were homes along it. What a great opportunity for our community," said Kathy Miller, a real-estate agent and Boardman trustee.
"The commissioners realize the importance of this program, and I'm sure that they will commit everything that they possibly can to support the project," said Robert Villars, who was representing the Trumbull County Commissioners. Villars is director of the Trumbull-Geauga Solid Waste District.