A local state lawmaker is hoping a telephone conference call on Tuesday will convince the Ohio EPA to ease back on some proposed restrictions covering Trumbull County.
Recently, the state came up with new guidelines for acceptable levels for what are known as "total dissolved solids" or TDS, in wastewater coming from businesses. Rep. Sean O'Brien, D-Brookfield, said the changes will require businesses like Delphi or General Motors to come up with potentially expensive additional treatment plans, creating disadvantages for local companies.
"You know, if a business came come to, say, down in Salem or somewhere else where the TDS numbers are 1,500 or come to Trumbull County and they're 622 and they're gonna have to treat their water, it's gonna make us totally uncompetitive," O'Brien said.
O'Brien said on Tuesday afternoon, he will be joining representatives of GM and Delphi, along with the director of the Ohio EPA, to discuss the proposed regulations, hoping the state will agree to ease off on some of those restrictions.
In a related matter, the Ohio EPA had originally set a target date of Tuesday for the expiration of Warren's wastewater permit that allows Patriot Water Treatment, LLC to discharge its treated, low-salinity and environmentally safe water to the city of Warren's wastewater treatment plant.
However, Warren and Patriot Water Treatment have requested an adjudicatory hearing with the Ohio EPA to reconsider. A pre-hearing conference has been scheduled for Feb. 14, but the actual adjudicatory hearing has not been scheduled yet.
Consistent with applicable Ohio law and consistent Ohio EPA practice, Patriot Water Treatment and Warren will continue to operate as usual pending the outcome of the adjudicatory hearing. In addition, Patriot is committed to using all legal and regulatory remedies available to protect its legal right to operate.
