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Port Authority Takes on Mahoning River Cleanup
By George NelsonVIENNA, Ohio -- A long-anticipated cleanup of the Mahoning River in Trumbull and Mahoning counties can finally proceed, now that a sponsor for the project is in place. The Western Reserve Port Authority, identified last year as the likeliest candidate to sponsor the project, yesterday approved two items related to the project: a non-binding letter of intent to serve as the project's sponsor, depending on the availability of funds, and an assessment of the port authority's real estate acquisition capabilities. The port authority manages the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Cleanup of the 31-mile river is estimated to cost about $100 million and take about 10 years, said Kathleen J. Anderson, project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District. The port authority will work with the Mahoning River Consortium, the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and the district office of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles to identify sources of funding for the river cleanup. The project will be broken into phases with the port authority signing onto each phase as funds are secured. The federal government will provide 65% of the funds for the construction phase of the project, with a required 35% local match."From my perspective we are proceeding but proceeding cautiously," said port authority attorney Dan Keating. "We don't have the money to fund this in total but we're going to take it in phases." The port authority plans to contract with Eastgate to serve as administrator on the project. William Kelly who conducted the meeting in place of chairman William Reali, who was absent, said the port authority has been assured that it will act as a "conduit more than anything else" in the project. "We have to move forward in this valley. This is the beginning of something that can be good for the valley," said board member Clarence Smith. "I think we are responsible to take this and see that it is done properly." Kimberly D. Mascarella, director of environmental planning with Eastgate, praised the port authority's decision to take on the river clean-up project. She said she understood the port authority's concerns about not wanting to be liable for financial commitments, which is why the project is being designed in phases, with the port authority signing on to each segment as the local matching funds are raised. Mascarella also is a trustee with the Mahoning River Consortium, a local organization advocating improvement of the environmental quality of the river."We don't' know a lot of the details on the magnitude of the work but we have indications it's going to be a lot more work than we've been doing," she observed. "We're going to have to deal with real estate acquisition and right-of-way issues, so Eastgate will be responsible for all of that administrative work and the port authority will be tapped when its legal authorities are needed."The river cleanup is in the feasibility study stage, with the letter of intent from the port authority required to move forward. Money is in place for the 25% local match required for the pre-engineering and design phase. Mascarella said the first pool of the design phase -- which will involve sampling to identify the pockets of contaminated sediment in the riverbed -- would begin in early 2006. Most of the money for the construction phase of the first pool -- stretching from the former Copperweld Steel Co. in Champion to the city of Warren -- is in place, she said, "so we're good to go."Project managers are exploring options for raising the local match for the project, including a special Ohio license plate to raise funds. Ryan also plans to introduce a bill, modeled on one that assisted a similar project in the Pittsburgh area, which permitted companies to make in-kind contributions to the project that would count toward the local match, said Barb Ewing, community development coordinator for the congressman."It's only been done once as far as we know in this area but once that precedent is set it'll be much easier to do a second time." Ewing said.The port authority also approved agreements with R.W. Armstrong, Cleveland, and Landrum & Brown Inc., Cincinnati, to develop the new master plan for the airport. The majority of the project will be funded by Federal Aviation Administration grants over two years, with a 5% local match. Phase I of the feasibility study will cost $313,600 and Phase II will cost $219,313. The FAA, said airport manager Steve Bowser, has approved both phases. The airport master plan will be coordinated with the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which is developing its own master plan, as well as master plans being developed by nearby communities. William H. Barley regional vice president for Armstrong, said the plan would take about nine months to put together and FAA approval would probably take a year and a half. In other business, the port authority approved its budget for 2005. The budget estimates total income of more than $1.135 million and expenses of $1.121 million, with a projected net income of just over $14,500.Contact George Nelson [email protected]"