EPA delays loans to Youngstown until rates raised

YOUNGSTOWN

The state Environmental Protection Agency is delaying about $12 million in loans to the city for wastewater improvements because Youngstown hasn’t agreed to raise sewer rates needed to repay that money.

If the city doesn’t get the EPA loans, it would have to pay the money out of its wastewater fund, which would put that fund in deficit next year, said Kyle Miasek, interim finance director.

“Without raising rates, we’ll jeopardize the wastewater fund reserve,” he said Wednesday.

But Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said, “Am I ready to raise rates? My response at this time is no.”

Brown repeated what he said three months ago that the city needs to do an affordability study to see how much residents can pay, as well as sit down with the federal and state EPA to discuss a possible reduction of the $160 million commitment Youngstown made to upgrade its sewer system.

Read more about the situation in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.