ACTION ALERT
The next step for the imposing of the proposed sewer rate increase in 63 communities in Cuyahoga and parts of Summit, Lorain & Lake County is the filing or formalizing of the proposed Consent Decree recently approved by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
The proposed Consent Decree between the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) and the EPA has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of OH. This Consent Decree is for the $3 billion in upgrades to reduce Combined Sewer Overflow's (CSO's) as mandated by the EPA under the Project Clean Lake initiative and the Clean Water Act. (United States and the State of Ohio v. Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Civil Action No. 10-cv-02895).
The Notice of Lodging of a Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act can be read by clicking here.
With the filing of this Consent Decree the Justice Dept has a 30 day period for public comment on the the proposed rate increases and mandated repairs. Please take the time to make a public comment by email, U.S. Mail, fax and phone.
Comments should be addressed to;
Assistant Attorney General (Please note below RE: on envelope if mailing)
Environment and Natural Resources Division
P.O. Box 7611
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20044-7611
Fax: (202)514-0097
AND
Tonia Fleetwood / Legal Information Specialist
PH: (202)514-1547
FX: (202)514-0097
Email; tonia.fleetwood@usdoj.gov
PLEASE NOTE: For all correspondence & comments to be considered you must reference;
United States v. Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, D.J. Ref. 90-5-1-1-08177/1
You can also approach the elected officials in your community and request that they pass a resolution against these arbitrary increases mandated by the EPA on an already economically distressed area. Ask your elected official to forward the Resolution to the above contact information.
The Consent Decree and the $3 Billion EPA mandate to reduce CSO"s are the only sewer/infrastructure addressed in this proposed agreement. The combined sewer overflow is not the same and is seperate from a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) and storm water management. In the near future we can expect the EPA will also mandate upgrades for SSO's due to the failing sanitary infrastructure throught this region/watershed.
What is a CSO? (Click here for map)
What is a SSO?
What is Storm Water Management?
All three of the above fall under the Clean Water Act and are regulated by the EPA. To sum this up, the sewer rate increase for the $3 billion in repairs will only address the issues with CSO's and NOT SSO's or Storm Water Management issues. That means -- after the rate increase for the CSO' problem, they will soon be asking for MORE of your money to make EPA mandated upgrades on the SSO's and Storm Water issues.
Previous Sewer Rate Increase Posts;
1.) http://clevelandteapartypatriots.blogspot.com/2010/11/action-alert-stop-sewer-rate-increase.html
