Lake County Sentinel
Troy secures $2.9 million for Mentor Marsh project
(COLUMBUS, OH) – State Rep. Daniel P. Troy (D-Willowick) today announced that the Ohio EPA has received an additional $2,971,609.32 from the State Controlling Board to remove harmful waste salt and restore a large portion of the 700 acre Mentor Marsh, increasing the total appropriation for this project to $13,557,435. The funding for this important remediation work will come from settlements that the Ohio EPA has received to fund clean-up and restoration projects. The total project costs will include mowing, sampling, architect/engineering, acquisition of a small parcel needed for site access ($9K), design, construction, contingency, and the OFCC fee.
The request to increase appropriation authority is a result of increased costs in fuel and heavy machinery, increased fees to dispose of wastewater, and the discovery of more and deeper deposits of salt. Through excavation work, an additional 50,000 tons of salt was discovered at further depths than originally anticipated, and this needs to be removed.
“The salt that was haphazardly and unwisely deposited decades ago into the Mentor Marsh area by private companies has certainly had a very negative environmental impact. The contamination of the Marsh with this harmful material hindered the natural function of wetlands, such as filtering our ground water and ensuring a cleaner Lake Erie. Unfortunately, more salt was discovered, but I am pleased that the Ohio EPA and the Controlling Board released this additional $2.9 million to make sure that the complete remediation and restoration is fully funded and successful,” stated Rep. Troy.
Ohio’s first National Natural Landmark is the Mentor Marsh. It is one of the largest natural marshes along Lake Erie’s shoreline, and it is used as a breeding area for Lake Erie fish and a waypoint for migratory birds. In 1966, waste salt was dumped next to the Marsh, creating a “salt fill site.” The environmental effect had a negative impact on trees and vegetation, and disrupted an ecologically diverse, beautiful, forested wetland. This funding will reverse the harmful result of that salt dumping.
POSTED 10/07/2022 13:04
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