OHIO

March 6, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

OHIO

Ohio EPA considers Youngstown request

COLUMBUS

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is considering a request from the city of Youngstown to grant an Urban Setting Designation for the Brier Hill Industrial Park.

The agency is seeking public comments before making a final decision.

If approved, the designation would cover about 80 acres of city-owned land located generally along South State Street in the Mahoning River Valley. A USD recognizes that cleaning up the ground water to drinking- water standards is not necessary because no one will be drinking the ground water.

Written comments concerning the USD application may be sent to Susan Netzly-Watkins, Ohio EPA Northeast District Office, 2110 East Aurora Road, Twinsburg, OH 44087 by April 19.

Unemployment at 10.8 percent in Ohio

COLUMBUS

Officials report that Ohio had unemployment of 10.8 percent in January, unchanged from the revised December rate.

Officials say the ranks of the state’s unemployed have increased by 126,000 in the past 12 months. This year’s January jobless rate was up more than two percentage points from 8.6 percent a year ago.

The state’s jobless rate for January was higher than the national one of 9.7 percent.

Vindicator staff and wire reports