Governing Board Action: July 13, 2007:
NOACA Board Supports Legislation to Help Prevent Introduction of Nonnative Water Organisms into Great Lakes

Today, the NOACA Governing Board unanimously approved a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that will control the spread of nonnative aquatic organisms released from ships’ ballast water into the Great Lakes. Ballast water is stored in tanks in the hulls of cargo ships to maintain vessel stability. Water pumped into the tanks at one port may inadvertently contain invasive water species that are subsequently discharged at another port.

Foreign organisms introduced into new waters can kill or replace native species, and can be very difficult to control. Examples of invasive species affecting the Great Lakes include the sea lamprey (eel), zebra mussel and round goby (fish). The resolution urges the U.S. Congress to establish a program requiring treatment of ships’ ballast water, deadlines for treatment system installation, and ballast water treatment research. Stephen Pfeiffer, Vice-President, Maritime Services, from the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority, urged Board members to support the resolution and commented, “This is the number one issue for the Great Lakes area. We need legislation at the federal level so there is uniformity and consistency. We need to establish a ballast water treatment standard and a method of regulating the standard.”

The Board also authorized NOACA to serve as the fiscal agent for the Black River Environmental Quality Assessment and Management Plan (EQAMP). The Black River EQAMP will help coordinate economic development activity with water quality preservation along the banks of the Black River from the East 31st Street Bridge to the river’s mouth in Lorain. As fiscal agent, NOACA will be responsible for receiving and dispersing funds designated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) for plan development.

The Board approved supporting Ohio House Bill 69, which extends the same authorities that cities and villages have to unincorporated communities such as townships and counties, to establish programs permitting the voluntary transfer of development rights (TDR) to from one property to another. The bill will provide local governments with the opportunity to preserve valuable open space by transferring their development rights to a city or community already served by roads, sewers and utilities. “Geauga County strongly endorses this action,” noted Geauga County Commissioner Mary Samide. “Other states have been successful in transferring development rights, which has preserved hundreds of acres of farm and park land.”

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland notified the Federal Transit Administration that NOACA will be the designated administrator for the Job Access Reverse Commute and New Freedom programs in the Cleveland urbanized area. These programs focus on providing transportation services for the elderly, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals. NOACA will be developing a Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Plan to assess needs, identify gaps in service and develop strategies to improve services, and is currently seeking input from the public on these issues. The public can offer comment on their needs and proposed improvements through NOACA’s Web site, or by contacting Sara Byrnes, project manager, at 216-241-2414, extension 308.

The Ohio Environmental Planning Agency (Ohio EPA) submitted an interim Ozone State Implementation Plan (SIP) to USEPA on June 15, 2007. In the interim Ozone SIP, Ohio EPA is proposing new statewide restrictions on consumer products, paints and varnishes, and portable gas cans. A public hearing on the interim plan will be held Tuesday, July 24, from 2:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the Ohio EPA’s Northeast District office, 2110 East Aurora Road in Twinsburg. Ohio EPA plans to release an updated plan later this year. The NOACA Governing Board has submitted a slate of emission reduction recommendations to Ohio EPA for consideration and inclusion in the final SIP submittal to USEPA.