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Mill Creek MetroParks leadership wants to push up timeline for ending sewer discharges into park water
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mill Creek MetroParks leadership is trying to push up the timeline for proposed fixes to the city sewers that discharge into the park system’s bodies of water.
An overflow of the city’s sewer system discharged more than 100,000 gallons of sewage into Mill Creek Park at the end of June, causing a massive fish kill in Lake Newport and leading the park system to close lakes Newport, Cohasset and Glacier on Friday until further notice.
Mahoning County District Board of Health tests determined there were elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the water.
“This park is the crown jewel of this community. ... For us to have what’s happening now – it’s a crying shame,” said Lou Schiavoni, president of the board of park commissioners, at a packed board meeting Monday night.
Park leaders plan to seek federal funding and today will meet with representatives from the office of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th.
City officials have said they will not move up the timetable for a proposed $48 million project to keep wastewater from flowing into Mill Creek. Design work for that project is scheduled to begin in 2020, with the project slated to be complete in 2033.
Mayor John A. McNally said last week that the proposed timeline is the best the city can do because of the project’s price tag.
That isn’t good enough, however, Schiavoni said Tuesday.
“We’re going to look at all avenues to get this taken care of. ... Not in 20 years, but as soon as we can,” he said. “We truly believe that this is an emergency.”
Park leaders also will meet sometime this week with representatives of the county board of health and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to develop water-testing protocol.
County Health Commissioner Patricia Sweeney, who spoke at Monday’s meeting and urged the public to be aware that there likely are other contributing factors to the elevated E. coli levels, said no health problems have been reported.
Park leaders said it’s too soon to say when the lakes might reopen.
Multiple members of the public weighed in on the issue.
“It’s sad to see what happened,” said Chance Metz of Austintown. “It really needs fixed now. It’s nice to know that you’re willing to push people to get this fixed.”
Others offered support and thanks to the park leadership, raised concerns about public health and brought up how the city’s proposal might end up costing city water customers more.
Others questioned why it took a massive fish kill to get the park leadership to address the situation, and why the lakes are restocked with fish if they are subject to sewer discharges. The board did not answer these questions.
In other business, Schiavoni announced that the park board is reversing its previous decision to limit public comment to current agenda items. That procedure was supposed to take effect Monday, but the board will stick with its policy of allowing members of the public to sign up to speak, for a maximum of three minutes and on any topic, immediately before the start of meetings.