Good News, River Fans! Ohio EPA Disallows Open Lake Dumping

posted in: News, Water Quality | 0

Barge on Lake ErieLast Month, Friends of the Crooked River testified at both the Army Corps and Ohio EPA hearings on open lake dumping. We said, Do the right thing. Just say no.

Many other people, organizations and agencies testified as well, including Ohio Attorney General Office, Port of Cleveland, Ohio Environmental Council, City of Cleveland and the Sierra Club.

On March 23, Ohio EPA certified the 401 water quality certification. Excerpts follow:
Ohio EPA’s Section 401 water quality certification allows the Army Corps to dredge up to 225,000 cubic yards of material from six miles of the Cuyahoga River and deposit it in the designated confined disposal facilities, as it has done since the early 1970s.

“We expect the Army Corps to dredge the entire navigation channel to keep the first six miles of the Cuyahoga River open for shipping traffic,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler. “As long as sediments pose an unacceptable risk to Lake Erie, all sediment should be disposed of in the Cleveland confined disposal facilities at full federal expense.”