Monday, February 5, 2024

Ohio EPA to host public information session on proposed sewer line plan in Mentor

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) will host a public information session and hearing on Aug. 11 in Mentor, Ohio, on the proposed sewer interceptor line that would run through the city.

The session will focus on the ways in which the proposed line could impact nearby wetlands, stated the application submitted by the Board of Lake County Commissioners. Because the project has the potential to impact water quality through discharges, dredging or the use of fill material, it requires a water quality certification from the Ohio EPA and a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lake County’s proposal would replace a sewer line that runs within and adjacent to Mentor Marsh, a project that stands to impact 1.9 acres of wetlands. Any approved impacts would need to be mitigated and the county would be required to preserve, restore or replace any affected wetland resources. In its review of the project, the Ohio EPA will consider alternatives that would avoid any changes to water quality.

The information session and hearing will take place at the Mentor Municipal Center, beginning at 6 p.m. The Ohio EPA is also accepting public comments on the proposed plan through Aug. 18.