EPA orders repairs at school

June 25, 2012 at 12:05a.m.

VIENNA

An order from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has forced the Mathews School District to spend $140,000 on repairs to its septic system, even though the system is to be replaced in two years by a Trumbull County sewer line extension.

“I don’t want the community to think this is our idea, but it’s something we have to do,” said Lewis Lowery, school superintendent. “Spending money on this takes away from spending on something else we need.” Lowery said the district will have to pay for the project from its permanent improvement and general funds.

Mathews and the EPA have been at odds about effluent from the system for more than six years.

According to Chris Abbruzzese, spokesman for Ohio EPA Director Scott Nally, the district has had more than 300 violations for fecal-matter discharge into the waters since 2008. Abbruzzese said that the most recent inspection last May determined that Mathews buildings discharged 1.6 million colonies (bacteria formations) of fecal coliform per 100 milliliters into the water, well above the state permitted level of 1,000 per 100 milliliters.

“This is why the OEPA considers this an unsafe and unsanitary situation that cannot continue,” Abbruzzese said. “You just can’t allow raw sewage into the waters of the state like that.”

Lowery said the district had hoped the OEPA would be willing to wait two years when the Squaw Creek Interceptor Sewer Line near Belmont Avenue will be extended to the district, however EPA director Nally was unsympathetic during a conference call several weeks ago.

“He said ‘You’re not going to continue polluting the waters of the state on my watch,’” said Rex Fee, executive director of the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer’s office who participated in the call. Fee said he was surprised by the director’s comments because the county has cooperated with EPA consent orders and installed $35 million in sanitary sewers in four years.

“I know [Nally] has a job to do, but sometimes you have to be reasonable and practical,” Fee said. “Spending $140,000 to address a problem that will be corrected in two years makes absolutely no economic sense to me.”

State Rep. Sean O’Brien of Brookfield, D-65th, who also had been trying to get the EPA to modify its order, said he understands the EPA’s position but sympathizes with the district because of the repair’s financial burden.

“Cuts to schools are bad enough, and imposing this is ridiculous,” O’Brien said.

Abbruzzese said that if the district could come up with an alternative other than waiting for the sewer-line extension, the OEPA would be willing to listen, but Lowery said it’s too late for that. The superintendent said the project had to be completed before school resumes otherwise students would not be able to use the restrooms.

“Our hands were tied,” Lowery said. “We slowed this down as long as we could, but once we got into June, we were committed.”

Lowery, completing his first year as superintendent, said that Mathews will incur even more expense when the interceptor line reaches the district.

“We’re going to have to spend more money to dig [the septic system] up, which the law requires, and we’ll also have to pay to tie in,” the superintendent said.

He was unable to estimate the costs.