Mahoning Valley Environmental

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Mahoning Valley Environmental

• Successes!

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Youngstown has been a regional leader in
Brownfields Redevelopment

• Sites include the former Youngstown Sheet Tube
  and Briar Hill Works
• 440 acres have been redeveloped
• 35 new or expanded businesses are using this
  reclaimed property

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Brownfield Redevelopment
1960 view along the Mahoning River South of
Downtown Youngstown
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Mahoning River Consortium
Photo by Trish Nuskievicz
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Mahoning River Consortium

• MRCs mission is to restore and maintain higher
  environmental quality of the Mahoning River.
• They provide education, restoration, enhancement,
  protection and planning in the Mahoning River
  Watershed. 

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MRC is a driving force !

• Driving force for the Mahoning Dredging Project
• Watershed action plan
• River education
• Watershed tours
• Acquisition of property through Clean Ohio Funds
• Youth group
• Storm water stenciling
• Watershed cleanups
• http//www.mahoningriver.co.trumbull.oh.us/

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Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian
Easements

• AWARE was created as a Lake Newport Wetlands
  Advisory Committee for
• Mill Creek Park

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Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian
Easements

• The groups mission is to improve the quality of
  life by enhancing local watersheds.
• AWARE is comprised of many traditional and
  non-traditional stakeholders.

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AWARE

• Partnered with Ohio EPA and ODNR to place over
  350 acres of riparian area under conservation
  easement.
• Presents the message of watershed protection to
  students, civic leaders and elected officials
  thru presentations, programs, and educational
  materials.
• Organized Volunteer Stream Macro Invertebrate
  monitoring, a sediment load survey, survey of
  Fecal Coliform bacteria in our streams and
  brought in grant dollars to fund research at YSU
  on Wetland and Stream Bank mitigation.
• http//www.watershed.cboss.com

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Mahoning River Dredging Project

• The ecosystem has been adversely affected by
  contaminated river sediments, which are a legacy
  of the heavy industrial development in the
  Mahoning Valley throughout most of the 20th
  century. 
• This project will restore the aquatic ecosystem
  in the Mahoning River over a distance of
  approximately 34 stream miles, from the
  Pennsylvania Ohio state line to Leavittsburg.

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Mahoning River Dredging Project1st Phase

• The reconnaissance study was completed by the
  Army Corp. of Engineers in May 1999. 
• Identified a federal interest (benefits outweigh
  the cost) to remove and remediate approximately
  750,000 cubic yards of contaminated in-river and
  riverbank materials at an estimated cost of 100
  million. 

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Mahoning River Dredging Project

• WCI Steel Company in Warren has dredged
  approximately one mile of the Mahoning River.
• The use of modern engineering techniques will be
  evaluated for future dredging.

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Mahoning River Dredging Project

• IN-RIVER AND RIVER BANK MATERIAL PETROLEUM BASED
  CONTAMINATION

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Mahoning RiverWCI Steel Dredging Project
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Mahoning River Dredging Project, Phase 2

• The feasibility study was initiated in March
  2002,
• which is slated for completion in the fall
  of 2004.
•  
• Eastgate Regional Council of Governments is
• serving as the project sponsor.
• Cost of the study is 3 million dollars with a
  50-50
• local cost sharing, which was funded through
  Ohio EPAs Water Resources Restoration Sponsor
  Program.
• The scope of study includes more detailed studies
  
• and investigations than were accomplished
  during preparation of the reconnaissance study. 
• http//www.lrp.usace.army.mil/pm/mahonoh.htm

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Mahoning River Education Project

• Partnership between YSU, four local school
  districts, Earth Force, GM, and numerous
  government agencies, including our county
  soil/water districts and Mill Creek Metro Parks.
• Schools participate in a two-week,
  multi-disciplinary intensive study of the
  Mahoning River System.

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Mahoning River Education Project

• Funding is provided by U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, and
  various local foundations. Ohio EPA funded a
  50,000 Ohio Environmental Education Fund Grant
  for the Mahoning River Education Project. The
  funding from the EPA has helped leverage funding
  from private foundations.

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Mahoning River Education Project

• 10 schools, including Youngstown, participate
  involving 250 teachers and 4,000 students.
• Each grade follows a theme based on the Ohio
  Science Standards
• 5th Grade - Ecosystem
• 6th Grade - Water Cycle (including Community
  Water Cycle)
• 7th Grade - Water Quality
• 8th Grade Land, Water, and LandUse Planning
• http//www.ysu.edu/mahoning_river/education_proj
  ect.htm

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Clean-up of Scrap Tires

• Over 1 million abandoned tires have been cleaned
  up in Youngstown with an additional 500,000 in
  the process of being cleaned up.

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Clean-up of Scrap Tires
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Clean-up of Scrap Tires
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Clean-up of Scrap Tires
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Youngstown Air Quality

• The air quality in Youngstown was one of
• the worst in the U.S. through the 70s and
• has improved considerably.

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Youngstown Air Quality
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Ohio Air Quality ImprovingSince 1972
95 Decrease in Lead in air
51 Reduction in VOCs in air
27 Decrease in Ozone in air
90 Decrease in SO2 in air
22 Decrease in NO in air
70 Decrease in CO2 in air
5 Billion spent on control equipment
74 Reduction in Particulates
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Mahoning Valley Environmental

• Successes!