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…Ohioans [will have] the opportunity to develop and implement innovative and community-based projects that understand how the success of open space projects are tied to our ability to use and reuse our already developed lands; that link economic prosperity with a clean, safe, and healthy environment; and that promote an ethic that preserves the best of the best and cleans up the worst of the worst – all with an eye toward ensuring a beautiful, clean and economically vibrant Ohio for this and future generations.
-Blueprint for the Clean Ohio Fund
Summary of Environment
The Environment Committee recommends:
- Stark County political jurisdictions will minimize pollution and flooding caused by storm water runoff.
- Pollution caused by discharges from failing home sewage treatment systems (HSTS) will be reduced.
- More waste will be recycled.
Overview of RecommendationsStorm water runoff can significantly impact both the quality and quantity of water in local streams, lakes, and aquifers. Impervious areas such as streets, rooftops, and parking lots increase the volume of water runoff, while reducing the time it takes for storm water to reach local waterways. Water quality is degraded when storm water runoff collects pollutants as it flows over impervious areas, lawns, and agriculture fields. Increased runoff volume coupled with water quality degradation causes various problems like increased flooding, increased erosion, decreased aquatic biology, and habitat loss for wildlife. Also, the more impervious area in a watershed generally results in less recharging of local aquifers because less water infiltrates into the ground. See the complete recommendation In accordance with the requirements of the Phase II Storm Water Program (Clean Water Act) and Ohio EPA’s findings in the 2008 TMDL for Nimishillen Creek, home sewage treatment systems (HSTS) failures are recognized as a significant source of pollution causing illicit discharges into Stark County streams, rivers and ground water. The urbanized areas of Stark County, due to the density of aging housing utilizing HSTSs, pose the highest potential impacts. It is estimated that there are approximately 17,000 HSTSs in the urbanized area of the county. Though estimations of failure rate vary widely, using Ohio Department of Health’s estimated failure rate of 25% would equate to approximately 4,200 failing systems in the urbanized area. With an average flow of 180 gallons per day per household, these failing systems have the capacity to discharge 765,000 gallons of untreated sewage per day. Stream segments affected by such discharges will likely exhibit unacceptable levels of bacteria, nutrients, oxygen and on other water quality measurements. Signs of failure may include but are not limited to: sewage surfacing into the ground or being discharged into a stream or storm sewer, backing into a structure or otherwise causing a public health threat. See the complete recommendation Between 1960 and 1990 the per capita generation of waste in the United States increased from 2.7 pounds per day to 4.5 pounds per day. Since 1990 the per capita generation has ranged between 4.5 and 4.6 pounds per day. The per capita generation of waste in Stark County is approximately 6 pounds per day. EPA has ranked the most environmentally sound strategies for municipal solid waste management. Source reduction (including reuse) is the most preferred method, followed by recycling and composting, and, lastly, disposal in combustion facilities and landfills. Currently, in the United States, 32.5 percent is recovered and recycled or composted, 12.5 percent is burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 55 percent is disposed of in landfills. |