Saturday, January 28, 2017
By Jordan Cohen
MINERAL RIDGE
The chairman of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District has assured Niles Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia the structure of the Meander Dam is sound, despite statements to the contrary from a citizens group.
Scarnecchia addressed the board in a special meeting Friday, one day after an environmental group, FrackFree Mahoning Valley, left fliers at homes on the city’s south side warning residents to call for an evacuation plan since their section of the city is “70-feet lower than the water level at the dam.”
Scarnecchia said city hall and council members have been inundated by calls from worried residents because of the fliers.
“This has scared people, and we don’t know what to do about it,” the mayor told the board of directors. “If [a dam leak] happens, I don’t want this on our conscience.”
Atty. Matt Blair, board chairman, said preliminary engineering reports show there is “no basis” for the claims made in the flier.
“The cracks in the dam have nothing to do with the integrity of the dam,” Blair said. “The dam does not pose any type of health risks.”
“If we get a leak in the dam, we will be at your door,” the mayor countered.
Anthony Vigorito, plant operations manager, said the cracks are confined to the surface of the roadway above the dam, which is still strong enough to handle vehicular traffic with the exception of tractor-trailers.
“There are no cracks in the dam area … and no imminent failure,” Vigorito said, adding the MVSD has had plans for “emergency action and flood inundation” for years.
Blair said the MVSD has allocated $28 million to repair the dam and roadway. Repairs are expected to begin near the end of this year, and Blair expects repairs and upgrades to take several years to complete.
Gannett Fleming, the Harrisburg, Pa.-based engineering firm hired by the district, is preparing a final report on the extent of the repairs needed for the dam, which was completed in 1932. Vigorito said the original construction was designed for a 100-year lifespan and the repairs will ensure structural integrity for another century.
Blair suggested the mayor have a forum in the city’s 4th Ward – the dam is a short distance south of their homes – to help allay residents’ fears. He said the MVSD will send representatives to answer their questions.
In another matter, the board approved John Nemet, a Class 3 water-treatment operator, to temporarily serve as the district’s operator of record. The position, vacated by the resignation of Thomas Holloway, the chief engineer, requires a Class 4 license and professional engineer certification. Two Youngstown engineering firms, MS Consultants and CT Consultants are under consideration.
Blair said the board will meet with all the applicants in a special meeting Wednesday. He would not rule out the possibility the board may make its decision the same day.