“Wetlands act like sponges, especially areas like vernal pools,” said Cadence Richard, a seasonal naturalist with JAMPD. “If you think of swamps and other very boggy type areas, the mud and soil within those areas can help trap pollution and stop it in its tracks before it continues on down to whatever river or stream they might feed into.”
As progress is being made, H2Ohio is now extending its reach into other parts of the state. A key part of this expansion involves the Ohio Department of Agriculture working directly with farmers to implement water-friendly practices.
The fish fry will take place Friday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dinners, catered by Old Barn Out Back, are $15 each, with all proceeds benefiting the Ottawa River Coalition. A silent auction and a 50/50 drawing will also return.
The county saw a 3% increase in the sales tax number in 2024.
Press Release written and provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 11, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in Ohio State Director Jonathan McCracken today announced an investment of $22.4 million in loans and grants to four Ohio recipients that are intended to improve Ohio’s rural electric, water, and solid waste management infrastructure. “Ohio Rural Development is committed to increasing investments in Ohio’s rural communities to ensure that they continue to have access to essential services like clean water and reliable, affordable power,” said McCracken. “These investments today underscore USDA’s commitment to ensuring our rural communities have the resources they need to be competitive, sustain economic growth, and improve the quality of life for their residents.”
The Allen County Land Bank celebrated its first brownfield project just a couple of weeks ago, and now the state has helped grant their wishli…
The Allen County Land Bank is kicking off what could be quite a few brownfield remediation projects in the county. Members of their board came today to check out the work being done at their first Brownfield project, the demolition of the former Hofeller, Hiatt, and Clark building. It will make way for the new Allen County administration building. The state awarded them a $250,000 grant for the demolition. For brownfield projects, there are risks like asbestos or other potentially harmful chemicals that need to be removed before demolition starts.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources unveiled a newly completed wetland project in Allen County. Area residents and partners gathered to tour the Baughman Project, which spans 19 acres in the northern part of the county near the Allen Oakwood Prison. Over the last year, native vegetation was planted, basins were dug, and pipes were put in place to create 3 main wetlands areas. The hope is these additions will drastically reduce flooding, which has been negatively impacting the surrounding roads, neighborhoods, and property values for around 30 years.
The Lima refinery will be paying millions of dollars in penalties and upgrades for violations of the Clean Air Act. The U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Cenovus Energy to pay 19 million dollars in civil penalties for benzene and volatile organic compound emissions. The energy company must also implement an estimated 150 million dollars in capital improvements to reduce emissions of benzene by 4.3 tons per year, other hazardous air pollutants by 16 tons per year, and other volatile organic compound emissions by 219 tons per year.
Ohio is providing nearly 50 million dollars to counties around the state to help revitalize land for new use. This is the fifth round of funding that has been handed out for demolition and Brownfield remediation projects. Locally, The Allen County Land Reutilization Corporation got over $250,000 for the removal of asbestos and demolition of the former Hofeller, Hiatt and Clark building so the new county administration building can be built on that lot. They also got a little over $150,000 to assess the Riverfront One building for redevelopment.
