Fish Kill

[Towntalk]

Here is the answer to the problems of our water table and it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH FRACKING.
http://www.mayflynews.net/

[AllanY2525]

I agree with regular testing of the waterwzys to ensure the water quality is
okay.... as far as the "working with other agencies" part goes, what exactly
would you propose the park board do in order to force the cleanup of polluted
water entering the park from outside of its own lands?

Water quality testing is fine, and should be done for public safety in the park....let
the EPA and local government handle the polluters outside of the park, that's their
job once it's been reported to them.

[jay]

I've always been under the impression that Mill Creek Park routinely monitored the water quality of the park's lakes and streams.  I've been proven wrong by the recent stories about the fish kill.  I think the park should start spending funds on water quality monitoring and work with other area agencies to correct any problems.  I don't believe we need additional property taxes to provide these services.  Some of the park's funds should be redirected from their administrative staff and the operation of extravagant programs.

[Towntalk]

I know and I agree with you. By the way speaking of facebook I gotta learn to manage my time better. I'm reconnecting with folks I knew at the paper and bouncing back and forth between three facebook pages and this site and look at the time. I've been so busy that my cup of coffee not only got cold, but it is close to having icecycles hanging over the edge. Good Night.

[AllanY2525]

I get your point with regard to the other sources, ie: streams and tributaries
that flow into Milll Creek Park.....I was speaking strictly to the issue of
the combined sewer overflow into the lake.

Apparently there are multiple issues causing the problem but each issue that
is addressed will reduce its overall severity.....

[Towntalk]

The problem is much greater than the storm sewers. High e-coli ratings are being found all over the valley's water ways, and so far as Mill Creek is concerned high e-coli counts are being found far back from where it feeds into Lake Newport. It's even being found in Struthers and Lowellville no where near Mill Creek Park, it was the excessive rainfall in June that sturred things up.

[AllanY2525]

I had similar thoughts about the plan to make the sewage treatment plant
larger......my question was this:

If the present treatment facility once treated sewage for a population of over
150,000 people... how could it be undersized by TODAY's standards, when he
city now has less than half the number people it did 50 or so years ago, and
most of the heavy industry is now gone?

The city should start disconnecting sections of storm drains and sewer pipes from
areas where there are no longer any houses, like pruning the dead branches from
a tree.

A downsized sewer grid would result in less water entering the system - and
the sewage treatment facility - when heavy rains occur.  This should be a steady,
ongoing process as Youngstown continues to shrink.  If the city would get started
now, it could begin to mitigate the problem long before 146 million dollars and 20
years are spent on it.

The city should also be pruning off obsolete gas, water, electric, telephone, sewer,
sidewalks, curbs and pavement as it goes along. The Youngstown 2010 plan called
for this over a decade ago.

[Towntalk]

I am in full agreement with you Jay. See, I can be a nice little old lady behaving herself.

[jay]

Everyone, including the media, was quick to blame the fish kill on the city of Youngstown's sewage system.  Now we are learning that the problem is widespread and the people/businesses/farms/industries south of the park are major contributors to the poor water quality of the park's lakes.

Let's see if all of these other pollution sources will be willing to clean up their act.

[Youngstownshrimp]

Again,  the engineering is basic the problem is the money.

show me the Money, show me the money!

I did, it's fracking the park fools!

[jay]

Part of the plan to solve the problem calls for the installation of a 48'' sewer along Glenwood Avenue from West Midlothian to Willis Avenue.  The new sewer pipe is intended to collect the water originating east of Glenwood.

This area of the south side has had much of its housing stock removed already so these now vacant lots do not produce sewage any more. 

Over the next decade, most of this area of the south side will become vacant land as many more houses are torn down.

[AllanY2525]

Dredging the shallow parts of the lakes and installing an aeration system would be a good way
to mitigate the problem until such time as the sewer system is updated.  Increasing the volume of
water in the lakes would reduce the effects of sewer overflow into them, and aeration of the waters
would also help control mosquito and algae populations.

I've read online that Lake Newport is pretty shallow.

These two things could be done NOW, versus 5 or so years in the future.

There are solar powered pond aeration systems that are designed for ponds and small lakes of
up to several acres in size.. and these systems could be designed to work with larger acreage,
with modification.


Immediate MITIGATION of the problem.....while we all wait for eventual ELIMINATION of the problem. 


It's a start.

[Towntalk]

 http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/jul/12/theres-a-way-to-keep-city-sewage-out-of-/

http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/jul/10/fracking-opponents-continue-to-target-ci/

[Towntalk]

My esteemed friend, that indeed would be a well deserved shot in the arm which is long overdue. It's time that we the people once and for all shut susie and pig iron jim down once and for all which is why I would support sending them a strong message like a boycott of pig iron press. I doubt that jim is doing a large business at his shop, but since he is a leader of the anti-fracking crowd he's a legitamate target along with susie and her old man.

[Youngstownshrimp]

The antifrackers pressured the board several years ago not to pursue deep horizontal drilling.