EPAC Group to find way to protect water supply

EPAC may look a number of environmental issues to improve the area's quality of life.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- A comprehensive plan must be developed to protect the Mahoning Valley's drinking water supplies, say those involved in environmental issues.
Identifying water supplies and determining potential contamination sources is paramount, said Kathy Metropulos, an environmental specialist with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Metropulos was one of the speakers Thursday during a meeting of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments' Environmental Planning Advisory Committee, or EPAC, at the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District.
The newly formed EPAC is a collection of communities, resource agencies, regulatory agencies and organizations that is addressing quality drinking water and may take up such issues as stormwater flooding, landfills, brownfields, urban revitalization and open space preservation.
Identifying the sources
Metropulos said a plan to protect water sources depends on potential contamination sources, available resources and the community's vision for the future.
She urged the identifying of short- and long-term water sources, financial resources and future water needs.
She called attention to what can be done to protect the aquifer in case of chemical spills. Chemicals can't be allowed to soak into the ground. In case of a fire in a building containing chemicals, it might be best to let it burn down -- otherwise water will help the chemicals reach the aquifer.
In the case of hazardous material spills, they shouldn't be watered down to filter into the subsurface water supply.
One way to protect water sources is through zoning. For example, when a service station closes, it should not be allowed to reopen.
'Power and knowledge'
Rachel McCartney, an environmental specialist with Eastgate, told the group of about 35 that are involved in water and waste that they have the "power and the knowledge" to solve problems on a regional basis rather than by individual communities.
They should keep politics out of the process and focus on long-term goals, McCartney explained.
One way to protect a water source is by purchasing the land in a watershed, said Kim Coy, watershed superintendent for the city of Akron.
If the land is purchased and returned to its natural vegetation state, it can't be developed to lead to another source of contamination, Coy said.
Although land is expensive, Coy explained, the Akron watershed leases some for agricultural use and maple syrup production. At the same time, the number of houses that were leased have been reduced from nearly 40 to the current four.
The watershed has patrols that visually look for pollutants such as septic systems, erosion and hazardous materials leaks.
Coy said he also collaborates with other agencies to control land use around the watershed.
yovich@vindy.com