By Ashley Luthern

aluthern@vindy.com

NEW MIDDLETOWN

The majority of Springfield Township residents who addressed Mahoning County commissioners during a public meeting urged the board to vacate several roads as part of the township’s accepting a $2 million settlement with a mining company.

In January, Springfield trustees voted 2-1 to accept a settlement from Essroc in lieu of the road reconstruction, instead of trying to force the company to reconstruct Western Reserve Road from Kansas to State Line roads and Rapp and Donaldson roads from Felger Road.

Although those are all township roads, the commissioners have to officially vacate a road.

Commissioner John A. McNally IV said the board wanted to hear from the public and said he expects a decision to made at the commissioners’ meeting next Thursday.

Of the roughly 50 people in the audience Thursday, about 10 people, including one township trustee and the township fiscal officer, spoke in support of the settlement. Four people opposed it.

“Originally, I was very vocal to have the roads put back in,” said resident Richard George. “But I think it’s irresponsible for us to refill those roads. I appreciate those who are upset, but I do support accepting the money.”

The township originally had a 1978 contract with Carbon Limestone, which then sold the mining rights to Essroc. Essroc had agreed to reconstruct the roads once it stopped mining operations.

The township hired an engineer, John Evan with The Howland Co., who said there are certain risks with rebuilding roads on reclaimed land. Rapp Road, in particular, would have to navigate about a 120-foot drop-off if reconstructed.

Evans said his firm estimated the cost to be about $2.2 million to reconstruct Western Reserve Road and $1.6 million for Rapp Road, but those were preliminary estimates from two years ago and costs have increased since then.

Trustees have said the $2 million settlement will be used to improve the 30 miles of township roads. The settlement also includes Essroc continuing to give the township 3,000 tons of crushed and screened limestone annually for the next seven years.

Reed Metzka was one of the four people who spoke in opposition to the settlement. His main concern was that a nearby landfill in Poland Township would expand to Springfield.

Michael Heher, manager of the Carbon Limestone landfill division of Republic Services which owns the mining land, said the current landfill capacity in Poland is expected to last for 80 to 100 years. He also said the landfill does not have the permits from the state to expand.