I Volume 3, Number 7 . October 1995

Editor/writer: David Beach

Inside

Ohio's power booster~ o

Humans VS, nature? , o

Tree cities o

Good words Cities are not disposable.

Whenever and wherev~r societies have flourished

and prospered rather than stagnated and decayed,

creative and workable cities have been at the core

of the-phenomenon; they have pulled their weight

and more. It is the same still. Decaying cities,

decl'ining economies, and mounting social

troubles tnivel together.

The combination is not coincidental. '

It is utgent that human beings understand as much as we can about city ecology--starting at

any point in city processes. The humble, vital

services perform~d by grace of goOd city streets

and neighborhoods are probably as good a starting

point as any.} hope new generations of observers

and thinkers will become interested in city 1 . . '

eco,logy, respect i\S marvels. disc(,wcr more.

An important cave,athere. Iust as persons who

despise nature ar~ destructive when they meddle

with natural ecosystems, so are persons who

despise cities destructive prescribers,for cities. But

in ~oth cases, so too are enthusiasts who proceed -'- to meddle without respect, caution,

and a '!Vholesome bit of awe. -Jane Jacobs

from Futures By Design: The Practice of Ecological Planning

POISON RUNOFF

Wet weather problem: Pollution from city streets washes into our drinking water.

We all welcome a cleansing rain. .But think about the hard and dirty life

of a raindrop in Northeast Ohio. See pages 4-9

I ,

HOME AT ECOCITY

New ventures We are pleased to announce that we are embarking on two new publishing

projects which will ~elp us reach wider audiences with the ideas and

information of EcoCity Cleveland.

First, we will be collecting our ~est articles on urban sprawl and , .

outmig~ation and publishing thetp in a spe,cial, 50- to 60-page issue of the

journal. The working title is Moving to Co~n Fields: An Urban Sprawl

Action Guide for Northeast Ohio. It will appear in a month or so and will be

distributed to approximately 3,000 elected officials and othe.r community

leaders in the seven-county region' (watch for information on how to get your

copy!). We hope it will

galvanize opinion on this

critical issue.

r Second, we are beginni~g . . ,. work on guidebook to

environme!ltal issues Jand

resources in Northeast Ohio,

It's tentatively called The

Greater Cleveland Green Pages: A Comprehensive Guide to Ecological

Living. It will be published in conjunction with Gray & Co., a. local publisher

specializing in Cleveland guide books, and we will be getting research help

from the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Both of these projects are being~supported by a grant from The George

Gund Foundation, for which we are grateful. We also would be gratefUl to

hear from readers who have ideas for improving the publications. For

instance, what topics do you think should be included in a Greater Cleve/(md

.Green Pages?

, _ *, 'l\!Iission EcoCity Cleveland isa nonprQfit~tax~exempt,educatio~1

organization. Through the pUblication of the EcoC;ity Cleveland Journal and other programs, it will stimulate

ecological thinking about the Northeast (jhio region (Cuyahoga Bioregion), nurture an EcoCity N~twork among

local groups working on urban andJ:mvironmerital issues, and promote sustainable ways 1

to meet bask human needs for: food, shelter, productive work and stable communities.

Board of Trustees David Beach, Director, EcoCI'ty Cleveland .. ~ Stuart Greenberg, Environmenfal Health Watch~ Phil Star, Center for Neighborhood Development, CSU Chris Tiepal, 'Che Ear/hDay Coalition Carl Wirt~ Haussf;r + Taylor

Adl(isory, Bo",rd Deborah Alex-Saunders)' Minority EnvironmentalAssoc, ThoIT!~s Bier, CSU Housing Policy Resear.ckProgram James Bissell,Cleve/and Museum of Ntitura-{ History Diane Cameron, Natural Rhourc~s Defense Council

.. Anne Chaka, Union o/eoncerned Scientists Edith Chase: Ohio Coastal ResdurceMgt. Project Sandie CraWford, Tri-C Cenler!orEnvironmentCiI.Educatiol,1-

and Training Lee DeAngelis, Environmental Careers Organization John Deba, Cuyahoga Valley,NalionalRecreation Area Lois Epstein, Environmental Defense Fund Soren Hansen, InterGraphicEngineering Services' Rick Hawksley; Filller Design Group and Northeast-Ohio ' - Land Trust Coalition Kim Hill, SierraClub Robert Jaquay~ Cuyahoga Cpunty Planning C01n'J.lis.sion David Knapp, United Labor Agency Susan Lacy, WE-CAN! Craig Limpach, Wildlife biologist Elaine Marsh, Friends'ojthe Crooked River Mary 01Shea, The Food Co-op Nonnan Robbins, CWRU Prograllifor the EnvirotJment

Be a friend Kathleen Tark, City Architecture Jerome Walcott, Commission on Catholic Community Action

In the past couple of years EcoCity Cleveland has accomplished a lot with an ., Roberta Wendel, Friends of the Black River

aIll1Ual operating budget of less than $5'0,000, Ifwe are to keep expa':lding Organizalions listed for identification only. .Artides in l!.coCilyClt!Vf.!ltJliddo not necessarily reflect the views of-board

our work and our impact, however, we need a larger and more diversifiel memool'll,a1lhoughthere's a good chance they do.

fundipg base. Therefore, in. the next month we will be launching a "Friends

ofEcoCity Cleveland Campaign" to encourage subscribers to donate 'at least

$100 a year. Weill be sending out ~ore information about this in the coming

weeks,' We hope youlll want to be one of our special friends.

Yes for parks \

A number of local park districts have levies on the November ballot, ... including the Cleveland Metroparks, Lake Metroparks and the Geauga Park

District. We hope all of our friends will support these levies, Few other

public investments contribute so mt!ch t? everyone's daily quality' of life.

2

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-David Beach , Editor

• EcoCify Oleveland Journal

2841 Scarborough Road, Cleveland Heights, OH44118 Cuyahoga Bioregion

Telephone and fax: (216) 932-3Q07 E-mail address~ ec;ocleveland@igc.apc.org

• Published monthly. except for a double issue in July/August, Uriless­

olhetwise noted,., allarlicles_ll!ld photographs are by David Beach; Submissions from others ll}e welcome, liut pleaSe calt (jrst. We cannot be. responsible for unsolicited materials.

Readers are encouraged to use the iufonuation in £COClty CleyelOlJd. Just call for pennission 10 reprint articles, After you're finished with your copy of the joumal. pass it on to friends or recycle it If you are a regular reader, please subscribe.

Supported by operating b'TIUlts hom the George GUild and Nord Family foundations. SUbscriptions and individual donations. . ~

Pti~led at Orange Blossom Pre~ in Cleveland-on 100% post-con:rumer waste recycled paper using soy-based inks, '

ISSN 1084-0885 (:I 1995 EcoCity Cleveland

EcoCiTY ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

I I

"It's time we worr~ more about humans ,and less about nature! II By Tom Stanley

I recently heard this statement from a politician as ' he w~s explaining his position on several of the enyironinental 9~mtroversies currently u,nder discussion in ()ur.country. A critical issue defining our future is contained within this simple sentence. Before reading anyJurther I would· ask you 'to take a moment and decide how you personally feel a:bout this statement. Doe~ it ring true? Does 'j,t reflect a position tbat is defensible, 'Yhetiler you agree philosophically or not?

Now I'm going to change a single word. "It is time we worry' more about monarch bu;tieljl ies~nd less,about nature. I' Or, lilt is-time we worry more about-sugar maple"trees and Jessaboutnature. 1I

Ask yourself how you feel about these slightly altered versions. I suspect most see these sel}fences as making absolutely no sense. How can we possibly warty more aboui'bulterflies or maple Irees and less about nalUre? Bulterflie$ and· maple trees are nature, not something separate to be contrasted to nature.

Transferring Ihissame logic 10' the"l\rigin~l · sentellce illustrates cle~rly the lack of understanding of its author, and unfortunately of many· others, as to the absolute sameness of humans and nature. We simply carinot warty more abou_~ humans unless we worry 'more about nature.

This is obviouslY 'IDuch mOre than aseman~ic argument, and,' as I stated in the beginning, it: defmes our future. Unless we become more ecologically literate and. understand the, oneness of the human species and- nature~ we wiU continue to degrade and potentially destroy the system which in tum will directly degrade and .ultimately destroy us.

Typically, tbis issue is debated in the philosophicafand political arenas when iD'reality it should be learned in the classroom. Hetein lies the"

EcoCiTY ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

solution. Simply put, the study of ecology must become a required curriculum throughout our educational system. Some progress is being made inthis-respecL However, the study of ecology is not nearly at the level of acceptance as reading, writing al)d arithmetic, 'and until it is, tlle progress will be inadequate.

An example in- my own experience clearly illustrates this point. A longtime friend teaches environment and ecology at oJ.1e of the area's finest private high schools. The students at this school will be tomorrow's leaders. The good news i$ that the school employs my friend to teach these important subjects. rhe bad news is that the system prevents the majority of slUdents frorn , takioglbe courses. The fast track to top coUeges does not recognize ecology as an important element of a high school transcript Only those students who have an inherent interest andag,ee to

,a heavier course lo~d,.'or those who perceive ecology as an -easier science course,'end up'in my friend's classes. Would we accept learning the , skills otreading or writing in this haphazard manner? beaely not A greater commitment is needed at myJriend's school and by the system in general. ,

What about the rest of us who are past fprmal ,education? A simple suggestion may help moveus in the right direction. From this point on, look at environmental issues as whether they are good or bad fOJ nature and humans, not pature or hUlJlans. Remember, every species in nature has jrnportance, but only one species has the mental ability to fail to understand this basic principle. a Tom Stanley is chief a/natural resources/or the Cleveland Metroparks, This essay appeared in tJie OCtober J 995 ,issu~ o/the Metroparks l newsletter, Emerald Necklace,

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3

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WATERSHEDS

. ,

Where the water runs off: This enhanced satellite image shows urban-areas (darkest areas centered around downtown Cleveland) and suburban areas (light gray shading around Cleveland) of high imperviousness In Northeast Ohio. The middle gray shading represents fores.ted at:eas, which predominate east of Cleveland. Source: NRDC Healing the Waw·.f report, analysis of 1990 LANDs'AT satellite image

··Poison runoff We all welcome a cleansing rain. But think about the hard and dirty life ofa raindrop in Northeast Ohio.

As it falls through the air, the drop might become acidic from sulfur dioxide emitted by a power plant. Or it might pick up PCBs, DDT , or other toxic ch.emicals transported v~t distances by .the prevailing winds.

lfthe raindrop falls in urbanized Cuyahoga County, chances are good that it won't land on a vegetated area, which would filter out the pollutants and allow the drop to soak slowly into the ground. Insfead, it might land on an impervious sUiface--a road, parking lot or rooftop.

There it will pick up many more pollutants, pe;h~ps chromium or zinc corroded off cars, oil from leaky crankcases, pesticides, or dog droppings. The raindrop will wash away this urban chemical buildup and then quickly flow: in!o storm sewers, which will convey it directly to our lakes and streams. Or, in older urban areas, it may entcr a combined storm/sanitary sewer and be mixed with raw sewage before overflowing into the-environment.

Thus, a cleansing rain can produce poison runoff. As a water I?ollution problem in Greater

4

Cleveland,. poison runoff rivals the discharges of industry and wastewater treatment plants. And it's harder to control because it comes from countless, widely dispersed sources.

As development sprawls throughout the region, an ever-increasing proportion of the landscape is being converted from vegetafion to concrete and asphalt. More polluted water is entering local streams. And, as greatet volumes of water race faster off the impermeable land in the form or storm ' surges, stream channels are eroded and aquatic habitats are destroyed.

Poison runoff inde~ In a recent study, Healing the Waters Greater Cleveland, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) developed a "Poison Runoff Index" for Cuyahoga County. Using satellite images ofland cover, researchers estimated that as mucn as 90 percent of the county's urban core and 36 percent of the" county's total land area are made up of impervious surfaces. (Other researchers, such as consultants for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District,

come up with somewhat lower estimates, but it's ,clear that the county is heavily paved and built upon.) • .

Factoring in the level of imperviousness: average rainfall and typical concentrations of pollutants found on urban land, the study then calcul~ted the quantities of nine key pollutants in the runoff and compared them to annual loadings from industrial sources and wastewater treatment plants. Poison runoff was found to equal or exceed the discharges of Cuyahoga County sewage plants and large factories as a source of lead, z inc ~d copper. Runoff roughly equals sewage plants as a source of organic matter. More of the hazardous metal 'cadmium comes from runoff than from factories. And urban runoff· contributes one-third as much phosphorus and half as much chromium as sewage plants. -

The NRDC study concludes: "Millions of dollars have been spen't reducing sewage and industrial pollution in Greater Cleveland, and the health of the formerly incendiary Cuyahoga River'and Lake Erie have improved as a result. But the job of restoring Cleveland's waters is only half completed. We are only beginning to recognize the significance of the urban runoff

EcoCiT)' ·ClEVEIANd 0 October 1995

generated by Cleveland's vast blanket of impervious surfaces. In Cuyahoga County. NRDC estimates that poison runoff-the pollutant-laden storm water that contamihates our waters-in many cases rivals or surpasses heavy metal and nutrient pollution caused by factories and 'wastewater treatment plants. The problem is compoundc;d by the fact that vast quantities of raw' sewage, mixed with poison runoff and indus~rial waste, are discharged via combined sewer overflows each year."

Seven deadly si.ns This poison runoff contributes to at least seven water quality problems by:

I) Polluting Lake Erie, the source of drinking water for much of Northeast Ohio.

2) Fouling recreational waters and bathing beaches with fec:;al pollution.

3) Ero_ding the land and silting in streams, . thus destroying aquatic habitats, In the caS(f of

the lower Cuyahoga River, this silt must be dredged annually at great cost.

instance, recommends the following strategies:

• Growth management for watf;rshed restoration. The more uncontrolled urban sprawl in tile region. with its endless roads and parking lots, the tougher it will be to heal 'oUf streams. PO'ison runoffloadings will increase on formerly runil streams, and the dead and dying urban streams will have less chance of revival.

• Watershed restoration and .jobs. In Qrd~r to maximize community support for urban restoration projects, the projects need to be linked,to job creatioQ and economic development. Jobs could be as diverse as tree planting, catch-~asin cleaning, sewer system monitoring and land cover mapping. Brownfields cleanups of contaminated industrial sites could include watershed restoration objectives .

• Preventing storm water runoff. All communities should require water-sensitive

runoff hotspots and potential reforestation zones. Water quality authorities, includ(ng , Ohio EPA and local sewer authorities, should work closely with local geographic experts at area colleges and neighborhood leaders to . create watershed studie's that can bring restoration strategies to CSO facilities planning, brown fields cleanups and other

\ projects. In add ition, the water quality monitoring projects of local schools can be woven into these w..atershed studies.

• Citizen participation. Citizens can' _ comment on CSO permits issued by Ohio EPA to local sewer districts (see the story on p. 7 on the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's CSO permit) and can help determine which streams are priorities for CSO elimination. Citizens also can become involyed in local stream restoration projects, such as the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan. Beyond participating in community and regulatory programs, citizens c~n take

4) Degrading fish populations and contributing to the toxic contamination of game fi sh, which necesSitates health advisori.es.

The revival of the region"s waters must

individual action to reduce runoff by landscaping their yards to hold and infiltrate more rainwater; being careful not to dump hazardous substances (like motor oil) down storm sewers, driving less and supporting mass transit to reduce the need ,for parking lots and roads, and supporting the development of compact, "land­efficient" communities.

5) Destroying aquatic organisms at the bottom of the food chain, major food sources for fish . .

. involve shared responsibilitiesfor whole­watershed restoration, in which developers on the suburban fringe, as the most active

. 6~ Obliterating small streams and wetlands as a result of uncontrolled storm flows.

7) Damaging homes and businesses by flooding basements and eroding land.

, Together, these problems affect our health, the region's economic ' . development, tourism, recreation, and industry~verything that '

"change agents" on the landscape, take responsibifity for preventing pollution, and

inner -city leaders take responsibility for includjng watershed restoration within

neighborhood economic and infrastructur~ revitalization and jobs prograr:ns.

-Healing.thelY<1ters of Greater Cleveland

Greening . Greater Cleveland In sum, the best cure for poison runoff is to p~event the runoff in the first place. That me'ans

-depe~ds on clean water, abundant fisheries and healthy aquatic ecosystems,

Such problems are felt in newly developing suburban areas, but they are a particular concern for inner-city neighborhoods. Many urban streams are S0

polluted by storm runoff and sewer overtfows that they have been actually tlffned into sewers- placed in culverts and buried. Thus,

. neighborhoods lose a natural feature that might be a focal point for the community and a recreational amenity that would soften the harshness of the city.

Healing the waters Poison runoff threatens to offset all the progress we've made in the past 25 years from more effective sewage and industrial waste treatment. And correcting the problem won't be as simple as building a few, large ~astewater treatment plants. Rather it wifl require many changes and cooperative programs throug~out the region.

The Healing the Waters report, for

EcoCiT)' CI,v,lANd 0 October 1995

sit~ design to prevent stormwater runoff from new developments. Existing developments should phase in measures such as parking lot storage of storm water.

• Coordinated efforts across whole watersheds. Poison runoff solutions must be integrated with other 'regional planning policies for growth management, air quality and transportation. A single agency needs to . be responsib le for coordinating zon ing code changes for storm water prevention site design throughout major watersheds.

• Sewer districts and storm water. Sewer districts should assume greater responsibility for storm water as they work to eliminate combined sewer overflows (CSOs), For example, in cooperation with local communities, they can fund and manage programs to disconnect roof drains from storm sewers.

• Additional land use studies of small watersheds. Watershed restoration opportunities start with watershed studies, including land cover analyses that reveal

changing the way we develop in the region and retrofi'tting existing urban areas so th'ey are less impervious 'and more sympathetic to their watersheds.

It will take a regional effort to "re-green" our landscape. The job has to be done lot by lot, watershed by watershed. In doing so, we not only will improve the health of our streams but also the health and livabi'lity of

our communities. 0

To obtain a copy oJthe-report, Healing the Waters of Greater Cleveland: Poison Runoff Problems and Solutions, contact Diane f-:ameron at the Natural Resources DeJense Council, J 350 New York Ave. Nut, Suite 300, Washingtan, DC 20005, (202/783-7800). In producing the report, the NRDC was assisted by the Minority ,Environmental Association and the Mount Holyoke Col/ege GeoProcessing Lab.

As part oJ Congressional Republicans' attack on the Clean Water Act, Jederal requirements Jar addressing storm water and sewer overflow problems could be rolled back. For legislative

. updates, contact the Clean Water Network at 2021624·93S7.

5

WATERSHEDS

Cars vs. streams: The amount of parking lots and other impervious surfaces required for automobiles is a major cause of stream degradation.

The importance 'of imperviousness One of the best predictors of stream quality in an urban watershed is the amount impervious surface~the concentration'of roads, parking lots, sidewalks, rooftops and other hard' surfaces. Tbe less "green" area to soak up and filter rain water, the greater the potential for .stream degradation. In fact, degradation occurs even at relatively low levels of imperviousness, such as 10 to 20 percent of the landscape, according to an

. articl,e in the journal Watershed Protection Techniques (Fall 1994).

Rainwater flows rapidly off impervious surfaces, enters storm sewers: and surges into ~earby streams. This erodes stream channels, and destroys in-stream habitats. Much more pollution runs off impervious surfaces than off vegetated areas. Imperviousness in a watershed is the primary cause of stream warming. And the diversity of aquatic life in streams drops off sharply at moderate levels of imperviousness.

In many places, according to the article, the majority of impervious surfaces are related to transportation rather than to rooftops. "This phenomenon is observed.. most often in sl,lburban areas and reflect{ tpe recent ascendancy of the automobile in both our culture and landscape. The sharp increase in per capita vehicle ownership, trips taken, and miles travelled have forced local planners to increase the relative size of the transport component over the last two decades." \

To protect streams, we need to employ watershed-based zoning-land use plans that will minimize imperviousness in sensitive areas. We need to retrofit existing urban areas.· And, in newly developing areas, w.e need to require vegetation preservation,

6

impervio~ness caps, natural Stormwater infiltration and/or cluster-type development.

Minimizing hard surfaces Here are some strategies for minimizing impervious surfaces and protecting water quality. Many deal with reducing the amount of land devoted to thc automobile>.

• Narrower road widths. • Cluster development. ' • Shared driveways. , ' • Angled parking with one-way traffic

flow. .

• Smaller parking spaces. • Reduced parking space reql:lirements

for some uses. • .Shared parking in commercial uses. • Shorter residential driveways. • Reducc9 cul-de-sflc radii. • Cul-de-sac donuts (vegetated area in

the middle). • Vertical parking structures. • Taller buildings. • Stream buffers. • Grass swales rather than curb/gutters. • Open space requirements (residential). • Open space landscaping requirements

(commercial). . .

• Sidewalks .only on one ~ide of the street.

• . Reduc~d side and rear yard setbacks., • Decrease distance between lots

(frontage). • Penneable spillover parking areas.

Source: "The Importance of Imperviousness," WatershedProlecfion Techniques, fall 1994 issue, Center for Watershed Protection, 8737 Colesville Rd. ; Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301/589·189.0).

Prevent.ing. stormwater ~ollution M\.Inicipatities':'-f)!J_~ citize~s-can take a .,number of practical steps to prevent pollution from washing off the land into local streams:

• Vegetated buffer strips; Inst~a~_ofpiping 'runoff dfrectly to-streams via storm ·sew-ers, -slow it down by letting it run over grass or other" vegetation. This not only Slows the veloei\), of the !]Juoff, but it helps filter.out' pollutants and improves the aesthetics of an area,

• Targeted catch_basin cleanjng. Sionn . sewers are designed with catch basin~ which are supposed to !leateh" most of the ' solids in urban runo,{f (oil,.ladencrud~ grit, ;pap~r~ tre~litter, etc.). Regular cleaning of c.tchbasins allows them to do their job,

• Street sweeping. Some forms of street sweeping, such aswet~vacuumiI1g, can reduce urban rl.!,noff pollution. .

• Critical area seedings and plantings. To reduce erosion an~ sedimentation, keep ground >­

covered withgr!lSs or oth1r vegetation. Plantings also can help restore aquatic habitats along streambanks,

• Hazardous materia is pick~ups. To reduce tbe amount of hazardous materials (paints, 'caustic cleaners, pesticides, oil) being dumped down storm drains and into landfillS, communities need regular collection days. Th~ collection of paint chips would reduce the amount of lead in local waterways.

,

• Storm drain inlet restrictions. To prevent combined sewer overflows, streets' that don't bave much traffic can be used 'as temporary detention basins for storm Water. . '-

• Parking lot storage. Little used portions of large.parking lots can store water during storms.

• Road 's'alt minimization. Salt is very destructive-to water quality, to roads and bridges, and to cars. The public needs to be "educated abou! the sensible use of road salt and its alternatives (al;ld perhaps educated not to expect perfect driving conditions at all times).

• Roof drain disc~nnection" In communities with adequate yard space, downspouts can be disconnected from storm sewers and allowed to drain ont'! lawns.

• Constructed wetlands. These "biological, treatment systems" can reduce the rate and volume of runoff while .removing pollutants. They can also add to the aesthetics of urban areas.

Source: Andy Vi.dra, an environmental planner at the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. Reprinted from Healillg Ihe Wa(er.r of Greater tlel·elund by theNRPC.

' EcoCil)' ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

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Close enco .... nters of the foul kind (and how to avoid them) E}y. Diane Cameron

Have you, your children, or your dog ever waded in a parkland stream, only to be driven out by fetid odors and the sight of toilet paper hanging off'oftrees? Have you gone boating or beach­walking a few days after a storm and wondered ifthe'water was

going to make you sick? If you answer yes to any ofthese questions, you may have had a

close encounter ofthe foul kind with a' combined sewer overflow. And if you want to take action against this problem in Greater Cleveland, you will have an opportunity this fall. The Ohio EPA is reissuing the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's (NEORSIYs) combined sewer overflow permit, .and the agency wants citizen input. Which local waters, for instance, should receive high-priority for cleanup? .

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are the product of J.1ineteenth-century civil engineering. Cleveland's sewer systems were designed in the late l800s to carry both raw human waste and

stonnwater runoff(with industrial waste added along the way). When runoff from roads, parking lots and , roofs flows into these sewers, the result is a foul Hstone soup" of raw waste and

toxics. Whil~ 80 percent of this mess

makes its way to a sewage plant, the other 20 percent spews into local waters when the sewers overflow during rainstorl1'l:s. Cleveland and older suburbs in NEO~SD's service area

_ have about 135 these §ewe"'!" overflow

outfalls. . Sometime in the next few week§.; Ohio EPA will publish 'a legal notice in local newspapers announcing the revised federaLClean Water Act pennit foc NEORSD's CSOs ayd inviting the public to comment within 30 days . If enough interest is generated, Ohio , EPA may decide to hold a public hearing,

The purpose of the permit is to make CSO cleanup in Cleveland

other CSO cities around Ohio and the rest ofthe country and to' ensure that the process is fully accountable to the public. The U.S. EPA's policy for CSO cleanup---the result of ~ negotiated accord between the cities, grassroots and national environmental .groups, states, and EPA- is also to be r.eflected in the pennit. This policy requires a long-tenn control plan to include solids removal

-("primary treatment!!) and disinfection.

Citizen involvement is cr~ial to the success ofthis multi­million dollar effort. For more information on the upcoming permit, contact Gary Stuhlfauth of ohio EPA at (614) 644·2026. Other municipal sewer systems in the region also have CSO permits, and citizens should watch for opportunities to comment on

them, too. 0 ' Diane Cameron is an expert on urban storm water issues at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. She edited the recent , report, I'Iealing the Waters of Greater Cleveland: Poison Runoff Problems and Solutions. ...

consistent with minimum objective§ in Combined sewer overflow outfan at Cleveland's E~gewater Beach.

Where to put French Creek's water?

The key to prev~nting water quality problems fro'in urban runoff is to work upstream to reduce imperviousness by protecting veKetated areas and wetlands. But in many areas of Northeast Ohi.o, development interests are pushing for tbe construction of . large storfl\,water detention facilities so rural land can. be turned into housing subdivisions.

EcoCiiy ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

,Nowhere is this pressure stronger than in .the French Creek watershed of c;:astem Lorain County where development pressure is' h:ltense and the land is flat and poorly drained. To reduce flooding and 'permit even more development in this wet area, North Ridgeville is leading an effort to site ba.sins to store wate~. At a recent mee.ting, a

consultant offered a li st of potential locations. But he was quickly told that a number ofthe sites were already being platted for subdivisions! ; ...-

"How would you like to buy a house on a site that would make a good detention basin?" asks one water r..esources planner who was at the meeting.

7

WATERSHEDS

Where the sewage oyer flows Take a look at the map on the back cover of this issue. ~t shows where itls 'probably not a good idea to go swimming after a heavy rain. The,black dots 'represent locations of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in the service area of the NortheastOhio Regional Sewer District. The overflows are concentrated along the Cleveland lakefront and along~ streams such as.the Cuyahoga River, Mill Creek. Big Creek, Dcan Brook and Euclid Creek.

, Before the early 1900s, sewers built in urban areas typically carried both wastewater from homes and businesses <lod stormwater runoff in a single-pipe. In dry weather these ' combined sewers carry wastewater to a nearby treatment plant. But durjng heavy rainfalls, they become overlmided and are designed to overflow into area waterways. This prevents sewage,frorn backing up in basements and streets, but it pollutes lakes C,lnd streams. (Modern sewer systems have separate pip-es for 'Wastewater ~nd stormwater.)

Since these ~verflows are sources of bacteria an~ other pathogens, they help make water unswimmable for several days after a heavy rain. They are a major reason why one sees swimming adv1isories posted at Lake Erie beaches. In addition, CSOs ate sources of toxics and floatable materials, such as paper, plastic products and other ugly litter. .

The Northea~t Ohio Regional Sewer District, which serves much of Greater Cleveland, has approximately 135 CSO locations, mostly in the city of Cleveland and older suburbs ... The district's intercep_tor sewers and treatment plants !ire large enough to capture and treat 78 percent ofthe .combined sewer flows, but approximately 3.3 billion gallons of storm water mixed with raw sewage overflows each year into area waterways.

To begin meeting state and federal mandates to control CSOs, the regional sewer district has conducted a $4.5 million study to identify the costs and benefits of various CSO control alternatives. Alternatives include:

• Short-tenn solutions, such improved maintenance to maximize the efficiency of the present sewer system and redu~e overflow volumes.

• Storing excess CSO flows in surface storage tanks or underground tunnels. After rain storms are over, the water can then be releasetl gradually to treatment plants. A tunnel is being planned for the Mill Creek drainage basin (see story at right)..

•. Providing upstream treatment by constructing.small water treatment facilities near CSO locations.

• Constructing· new sewers along every street in CSO areas to separate storm water runoff from wastewater. · -

The last option :",ould be incredibly expensive.)t also would mean that stormwater would receive n-o treatment._ As mentioned above, about 78 percent of the sewer district's CSO flow currently makes it to treatment plants where it-receive~ at least primary treatment (solids are settled out and the water is disinfected). This is important for water quality because storm water runoff is often as polluted as the CSOs--especially the "first foul flush" of stormwater washing off city streets.

Indeed, a si~nificant finding of the s~wer district's CSO study is that storm sewers dump more pollutants into some local creeks than. do C~Os. Thus, fixing CSOs alone will not restore our urban streams. Although it will be an important step in the right direction.

Other sewer systems in Northeast Ohio, such as Akron, are also studying how to . ~

correct CSO problems. Even the less..expensive solutions wi ll cost hundreds 6fmilllons of dollars-much of which will financed by local ratepayers, since the federal

government has drastically cut funding for pollution control facilities . 0

8

Healing Milli Creek To start correcting its combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer Distric! is developing a model prpject for the Mlli Creek watershed. Mill Creek is "tributary of the Cuyahoga Rivedt drains parts- of·Cleveland's Broadway neighborhood, Garfield Height&. Maple Heights. North Randall. WiU'tensyilie Heights. Highland Hills andSII)aller porions <if surrounding, communities. , The old Mill 'Creek Iilterc~ptor Sewer ser:ving thesecotnmuniti~s -is overloaded, and: many homes in the :~1fea experience basement flooding during heavpains. The creekitselfis degraded by CSOsand stormwatei runoff' '\

But there is growing-interestio:restoring the creek. The .Garfield Park Reservation of the Clevelimd Metroparks lies alollg Mill Creek and one of its tributaries, WolfR.im. The Metroparki is planning tp construct a hikelbike trijil' from Garfield Park to. the Mill Creek waterfall,-an impressive 40-fool falls near'the intersection of-Broadway Avenue and Warner Road. The trail project will include viewing platforms overlooking the' falls .. In additiOn,~a major new housing develop':"ent is opening along the creek.

The sewer district has mounted_an intensive studyofwate. qulliity and sewer capacity in the MillCreek watershed. To' eliminate esos and handle wet weather flows. the _district is planning to construct a huge underground tunnel to carry water directly to the Southerly' Treatment Plant in Cuyahoga Heights. .

The district also will be recommending steps that communities "in the watershed-can tak~ to improve their local sewer systems and stem the flow of stormwater (see the sample list of tecHniques on p .. 6). To build a constituency for- the cree~ the district is organIzing a Mill Creek Protection Committee of co~unity residents.

''It requires a partnership to restore a "" watershed," says the 'sewer district's pranning manager Lesler Stumpe. I1As a sewer district, we can fix sewer overflows, but if that work is not accompanied by other proteCtion'

; measures by other agencies, communities and citizens, we wOQ't accomplish everything that needs to be don.e."

For more information about the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Mill Creek Prpject, call Betsy Yingling at 432-0789 or Russell Rys.. at 881-6600.

EcoCil)' ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

II

- ~

Into the valley of landfills -and waterfalls EcoCity Cleveland editorDavid Beach wrote this story several years ago for the Cleveland Edition.

• I lace up my oldest, raunchiest swamp shoes and wonder if this is a smart thing to do alone. According to the topographic map, the hike up

Mill Creek to Cleveland's tallest waterfall will be about ~o ~nd a­half miles long. The distance should not b-e a problem, but the terrain might be. The m'ap shows 100-foot cl iffs along the creek

\ valley. If 1 get into trouble-slip and sprain an~ankle~1 might have· a hard time getting -out. .

But I load my day pack with food and water and, start out,

' leaving my car parked along Canal Road by the Cuyahoga f/eights/Garfield Heights border. At this spot, the old·Ohio & Erie Canal crosses Mill Creek in a viaduct. The creek itself empties into the Cuyahgga River less than a quarter of a mire away.

I slip down the road embankment to the creek bed. Despite the drought, the·water ­flows briskly over pebbles and sand. The stream banks-are overgrown with non-native plants like Japanese knotweed, but there a.re many fine, old cottonwood trees HiddeQ treasure: Mill Creek. falls in Cleveland. and many birds.

For a short distance I walk on dry stones along the edge of the water. Mingled witfi the stones are pie,ces of brick and shards of

- china-remai~s ~fwhat people have dumped ipto this valley during the past 150 years.

Then the creek tUfJ)S, and the dry, inside curve of the oxbow ends. I have to start

'wading.. In rainy weather Mill Creek is polluted with sewage. Bacteria counts are unhealthy. But the major dry weather sewage leaks have been fixed in recent years. On a good day, most of the stream meets the bacterial standard for primary body contact. I hope this is a good day and step into the water. .

In another 100 yards the right bank becomes a steep, 20-foot bluff without vegetation. Strips oftatte~ed plastic dangle from the bluff like streamers. At first I can't figure it out. Then I realize that I'm se~ing

EcoCil)' ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

the edge ofa landfill. Incredibly, the refuse was dumped right to the edge of the Greek. No buffer zone. No stabilization of the ~ stream bank. The water rushes by and carries away whatever it can. [Today, the owner~ of this Warner Road Landfill are moving it back from the stream.]

For two miles the creek alternately passes through quasi-natural areas and landfills. In places, trash mountain; form the creek banks on both sides. Rivulets of landfill leachate enter the creek-reddish brown-here, black and green there, or a frothy mixture pouring out of a pipe. I try to step around these areas. I try not to inhale the acrid fumes.

It's slow going. I have to slog upstream, crisscrossif!.g at riffles, trying to stay in the ' shallows. In shIck stretches, the water reaches up tp my crotph.

Beyond the '.andfills, T notice the creek

getting wilder. The water picks up speed oller a series of one-foot ledges. Boulders have fallen down from the cliffs, and I have to climb

.. over them. After three hours of nonstop hiking, I'm getting tired and sloppy. I slip-on the wet rocks. Then I see it, one of the most

unique, yet largely unknown, natural features in Cleveland, the 40-foot falls of Mill Creek. The water tumbles down in a broaB, arching cascade. I sit on a lioulder to eat lunch and watch the show.

I can appreciate why early settlers were attracted to this place-not so much for its be~uty but for the power of the falling -water. Here were the beginnings of local industry-the fi{~t sawmill and grist mill. The town of Newburgh grew up here, and for a time in the early 1800s it was larger than Cleveland. In 1840, a famous hotel. the Cataract House, was built next to the falls. Tuday. the major roads of · -the area-Broadway, Warner, Turney, Miles-still fan out from this spot. Now the falls are hidden in their

r~viQ~ below the streets, unappreciated except by a few adventurous souls who are willing to trespass and risk bodily harm. '

Soon, however, this lost natural asset could become a major 'recreational

resource. The Cleveland Metroparks has plans to provide public access to .the 'site with an observatioh deck and trail linking the falls to the Garfield Park Reservation .

i finish my lunch and consider how I am going to get back to my car. I can either attempt to climb out of the ·tavine here or slog/back downstream. Fortunately, I see a rough path along the right side of the falls . I ·clamber up, folID-V( some' railroad tracks a short distance and emerge on ·a city street.

_A lJIan and, a women are sl~ing on their front porch. I walk up to them to ask directions-no doubt an odd sight with my muddy shoes, wet pants, day pack, . notebook and crumpled map.

Yes, they say politely, this is Warner Road. Go that way to Canal. .

I thank them and follow the sidewalh They are smooth and the route is all downhill~ It', an easy hike. 0

9

ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

Ohio·spower r.! boosters , Ohio is not known as a model state for energy conservation and efficiency) but a recent report suggests that a surprising !;lumber of Ohio companies are indeed saving money by saving energy. .

The report, Power Boosters: Ohio's Energy Efficiency Success Stories by the' Safe Energy Communication Council, documents 19 case studies that are saving Ohioans $13.8 million a year. The savings made..possihJe by new energy efficient technologies also contribute to employee productivity 'gains, job creation and reduced ' environmental impacts. Energy efficiency is vital for the economic competitiveness of northern Ohio, sinc~ the region suffers from some of the highest electric rates in the natlbn (thanks largely to local utilities' investments in costly nuclear power plants). "

Local successes Local examples of energy efficiency include:

- Ford Motor Company's Walton Hills Stamping Plant. The plant replaced inefficient coal-fired boilers with natural gas units for heating and process steam. Since most ofthe stea~ was used to heat space, Ford installed direct-fired gas heating units around the plant which eljminated transmission losses from piping steam and allowed employees to zone heat only those areas of the plant in use. To minimize heat loss , the building was slightly pressurized so cold air doesn't enter when large doors are opened. The conversion is saving Ford an estimated $1.5 million a year i~ maintenance, equipment and operating costs. Environmental benfits jnclude a 95-percent reduction in particulate emissions, a 50-percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions, and the virtual elimination of acid rain causing sulfur dioxide pollution. Moreover, the plant i$ more comfortable bec,;luse heating is more even.

- National City Corporation. The parent company ·for National City Bank has retrofitted light fixtures in its Cleveland headquarters with electronic ballasts and more efficient fluorescent bulbs. Lighting costs have been cut by more than $60,000 a year, and, since the new bulbs are cooler, air conditioning costs will be reduced by Hm percent. ' .

The Greater Clevelan9 area also is home to manufacturers of lea~iing edge technologies for , energy efficiency. General Electric, with plants throughout Ohio, and Venture Lighting in Solon design and manufacture energy· efficient lighting products. GlowCore of Cleveland makes an ·.

10

efficient heating system th'at heats space·and produces hot water with a single burner: And Reliance Electric makes high efficiency motors . - .

In addition to these case ~tudies, the Power Boosters report has sections on how to fund an energy efficiency 'project, a resource list for monetary and technical assistance an'd an overview of the fundamentals of lighting and motors. The report supports the work of the Columbus-based Campaign for an Energy Efficient Ohio, a project focusing awareness on the need for a sustainable energy future. The project is a joint , effort afthe Ohio Environmental Council, the Safe Energy Communication Council and the Center for Clean Air Policy: For more information, 'call (614)' 224-4900.

Copies of the report are $10. Checks should be made payable to the Safe Energy Communication Council and addressed to the Campaign for an Energy Efficient Ohio, 400 Dublin Ave., Suite 120, Columbus, OH 43215. 0

, I

Green p ricing: How to hasten the renewable revolution By Brady Bancroft

For several years, opinion polls have

. shown that Americans have a marked

preference for environmentally

benign sources ofene.cgy, such as , solar and wind, Un(ortunately, there

are few energy options of this type

readily available to the average

person becausemost'ofus are

, customers of electric: utilities not

currently generating power from

renewable resources. However, a new

idea called, green pricing can make it

e'as"ier}or us to. purchase

environmentally sound energy.

Green pricing is a utility­

spon~ored program ,which gives

customers the optLon of buying

electricity generated from

environmentally sounq .techQologjes.

The utility company develops a plan

to supply electricity from renewable

- sources even ifthe cos~ is greater­

than a P?lluting fossil fuel

alternative. (Of course current

·accounting practices do not reflect

the full environmental cost of fossil

fuel.) -

The "green customer" agrees to

pay a premium (typically about 1

centlkilo;;"~tt-hour more) to cover the

extra-cost of the mo~e expensive but

-cleaner energy. Green customers are

then able to 'Promote energy options

in keeping with their personal ethics

and philosophy. Thus, green pricing

is similar to spending :\ little m9re for

'recycled paperand organically"grown ·food. '

Initial surveys indicate that there is

enough interest in this idea to jUstifY

its widespread use. However, the

·responsibiJity to design, market, and

EcoCi1)l ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

1

implement such a program rests

largely with the utility company. If

they do an unsatisfactory job,. the

customers will not support the

prograJn and it wilf fail. On the other

hand, ifthe utility company is

committed to making it work, it is

likely to be very successful. The

gr~en pricing programs promoted by the Sacramento Municipal Utility

District in California and Traverse

City M~nicipal' in Michigan have '

been successful and are clear

testaments to the fact that '."ith strong

support from the utility, green pricing

can worJ<. . . ~

Because this is a -new idea, none of

Ohiols utilities have implemented a

green pricing plan. However, tbis is

currently a topic of discussio? at the

Public Utilities Commission

sponsoreQ- roundtable on competiti0n.

It is hoped tbat as a result of~e ~roundtable ' discussions, some utilities

will soon begin to do 'surveys to

determine the extent ofthe local

Itgreen energy market. H

How can the environ~entally­

conscious, individual promote green

pricing?'F'!rst, let your local electric

utility company know that you are . ,

interested in a green pricing- option,

Endourage them to develop a plan

and sign up customers will iog to pay

a I;ttle extra' for green'power. Tell

your friends about this idea. When

the utility oerers green pricing,

participate in the program. Be

persistent in yo.rr demand; for this

, Service, and you may soon be able to . .

activ.ely promote tbe use of .

sustaina~le, enyironmentally souncL,

renewable energy. 0 Brilay Bancroft is an- energy policy analystfor the Campaign/or an Energy Efficient Ohi'o and is based in"ToJedo

' (4191829'7201). The campaign re""nNy negotiated an agreementwith Dayton Light and Power to surveycuslomers on the viability of a vo!untcfry green pricing program.

EcoCi1)l ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

-Tr'ee cit ies Trees add to the quality oflife of all communities. In addition to their obvious beaut}>, they shaqe urban areas -and reduce cooling costs, cleanse the air, dampen noise, break the wind, fight erosion, provi'lie shelter for animals, and remove carbon from the atm.osphere. They also

· increase prQperty values and enhance the overal,l image of a cpmmunity.

One indication that your town cares about its trees is whether it has earned the distinction of Tree City USA from the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Ohio Divisio~ of Forestry. To be named -a Tree City USA, a municipality must meet four standards:

• ~ tree cqmmission or department. In a typical city, half ofthe trees 'are on public property-along streets, in parks and around public buildings. Someone needs ~o be legally responsible for those trees,

- A city tree ordinance. The ordinance should , ·designat~ the tree commission · or department and assign responsibility for writing and,

- implementing an annual. forestrY work plan.

- . An annual budget of at least $2 per capita. A community forestry program must have regular funding for tree planting, maintenance and

· removal.

- • An Arbor Day . observance or proclamation.

The following communities in Northeast Ohio have e~rned the Tree City USA distinction. The list tells when each City became a Tree City, starting with the good city of Lakewood in 1977. New award winners include Brecksville. Burton and Independence.

Is your community on the list? If not, call your city officials to ask why.

• New Tree Cities Class of 1 994 Brecksville Burton Independence

1993 Avon Lake I

Silver Lake

1992 .Aurora Elyria Fairview Park Highland Hills Maple Heights Ravenna

1991 Westlake

1990 Broadview Heights -Euclid _ -

Parma !1eights

1988 Mentor M}ddlefield-

1987 Berea Cuyahoga Falls Lodi Ollnsted Falls Wellington

1986 Bedford Heights

1985 Bedford Chagrin Falls Kent North Olmsted Perry Shaker Heights Tallmadge

1984 Brooklyn Chardon Garfield Heights

. North Royalton Rocky River

1983 Eastlake Willoughby.

1982 Medina Wadsworth

1980 Cleveland Hudson Solon Stow, Wickliffe

1978 Cleveland Heights University Heights

1977 Lakewood

11

•

DIGEST

Another corporate move to the country Architecture critic Steven Litt continues to be one of the most perceptive and outspoken writers at the PD on regional issues. In a recent review afBF Goodrich's proposed headquarters building, Litt wrpte .that the design "would have been more likable if the fi rm had moved back to downtown Akron, rather than remain in the suburbs.rBy moving 110 headquarters employees to Richfield, and paving 150 spaces for parking, the company is reinforcing a pattern of sprawl development

_ that is harming northeast Ohio. The same could be said of the entire Kinross project, a 107-

' acre ... deveiopment where BF Goodrich will be an anchor for 10 or more offices."

Cuyahoga Co.unty recycles 30%

Communities and bus,inesses in Cuyahoga County are recycling 30.2 percent of

their trash, up from 19.6 percent in 1990, according to the . . county's solid waste district. The 30 percent rate translates to . 1.5 million tons of waste diverted from landfills each year. . Cuyahoga County has the

highest number of communities providing curbside recycling in Ohio with 58. Communities are getting a higher return on their recycling programs, as prices for recyclable materials have soared in the past year. Old newspapers now sell for about $100 a ton, aluminum cans for $800 a ton, cardboard for $100 a ton, and plastics for $100 a ton.

Local recycling programs will ~ave to keep impr.oving. The Slhio Solid ',Vaste Advisory Council recently raised Ohio's

12

recycling goal from 25 percent to 50 percent, effective the year 2000.

Solid waste co-op Thirty communities in Cuyahoga County have expressed interest in forming a Solid Waste Disposal Cooperative, which would help

· them save money by pooling the waste of many cities to achieve economies of scale in transportation and disposal. By controlling a large votume of waste the cooperative can negotiate better deals with landfill operators . .

Trees vs. drug dealers To deter drug dealers and other unwelcome loiterers, residents of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood recently cleaned up and planted day lilies and

. hawthorn trees on several vacant lots. A similar effort occurred recenily on the city's East Side.

Neighborhood groups worked with the Substance -Abuse Initiative of Greater Cleveland and Clean-Land Ohio, on the clean-up proj~cts. Organizers cite studies by the Trust for Public Land that show a drop in crime rates when adequate parks and recreational activities are available in inner~ city neighborhoods.

More chemicals, please A recent study in the Journal oj Sustainable Agriculture reports that agents of the Ohio State University Extension are uninformed about sustainable agricultu~e. distrust the scientific basis of available research on the topic, and are

. hesitant to encourage adoption of sustainable practices among the fanners they advise;. The study concludes that Extension agents' attitudes are a major barrier to acceptance of sustainable technologies by commercial farmers. Of course,

,

Outrage of the mo~th One dead bird.

Sub.scribecLaurte von Mehren recently sent in this photo with the followmg note: "I foun{l this small dead bird on our driveway (two ' feet ~rom our neighbor's property line) four days after EcoLawn spread diazinon on the neighbor's lawn. I called Matt Beal an inspector at the Ohio Department of Agriculture. He said that diazinon istough on the small birds, but unless"[ had eight to ten carcasses, he couldn\get enough tissue to confirm that the cause of death is organophosphate poisoning,

, "Diazinon ~s .t~e inse~ticide of choice for white grubs in the)awn. It::; a nerve pOlson, specIfically ru"ace~ylcholinesterase inhiBitor. It has b:cn bann~d o~ golf courses and,sod farms because rif large documented bird-kIlls of up to 800 bIrds. Anyone call buy it ,at ~mart, though, and put it on their grass. Besides being dangerous to blrd~ and humans, it's stupid because it's acutely toxic to earthworms (whIch a lawn can't get enough of) and there's a nonptoxic . alternative-milky spore for grubs. _

. Got a photo of an environmental outrage? . Send It 10 us for consideration as the "Outr,:,ge of the Month. "

this is not surprising, since much research at ag schoolS is funded by chemical companies :,lnd other corporations with a stake in perpetuating petroleump

based, _ industrial agriculture.

Radwaste for Lake Erie

ElF- ' :II Operators of the

_J...... troubled,Fermi-2 ~ nuclear power

, plant north of -= ~ ToI~do have .

applied for a permit to discharge mor, radioactive water into Lake Erie. The Michigan Departm(,!nt of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing on the permit on N9vember 7. For details, call

the department at 5,17/335-4119, or Lake Erie Alliance at 216/861-3855.

Stopping dirty diesels The Natural Resources Defe'nse Council has begun a "D~mp .

Dirty Diesels" campaign to get the New York City transit agency to switch to alternative fuel buses, such as those fueled by c1eanpburning natural' gas. The NRDC calls diesel soot a greater health threat than ozone or other forms of urban air pollution. .

More than a dozen transit fleets in major U.S. cities have

, already begun converting-from diesel. The Greater Cleveland RTA is one of the leaders.

EcoCity ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

r

CITY DIGEST

Oberlin's green design As mentioned in our June 1995 issue, the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College is planning a new center' for environmental programs. The faculty and students involved are attempting to create a building that will set a good example-minimizing environmental impacts through the utilization of ecologically sensitive technologies, landscape techniques arid design strategies.

Here are the design criteria for the building:

• Process: To establish a model for participatory design that breaks down'

. ba~riers between academic departments, students and faculty, and between the campus and local community, including builders and developers.

• Materials: Materials, to the maximum extent pos~i6Ie, will ·be non~ toxic, recycled, sllstainably managed and, when possible, locally available.

• Energy: Maximize energy efficiency through lighting and insulation while me.titing as many energy needs as possible from renewable sources.

• Water: Reduce w~ter usage while · recycling aU, organic wastes from the building through ecological engineering.

• Landscape: Enhance biological diversity using rare and endangered indigenous plants, use trees and vegetation to moderate temperatures, and use gardens to grow organic produce.

• Economics: Determine the full environmental cost of all materials technologies and systems and dev:lo·p methods and systems for off~setting those costs.

On November 11-12, the Oberlin , Environmental Studies Building Project will host a brainstorming charrette to . develop a program for· the building. It will be hosted by John Lyle, author of Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development. For details, call 216/775-8409.

By. foll~wing cri~eria for green design, , Oberlm hopes to create a building "that takes less from the earth and gives more · to people." More buildingS-should attempt to do so.

EcoCity ClEVElANd 0 October t 995

Cuyahoga Hours ,

The local barter currency, Cuyahoga Hours, has member potlucks. on the second Sunday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Friends Meeting House, 10916 Magnolia Rd. in University Circle. The Hours project aims to create a

. mutually sustaining ne~ork that supports local people and makes them less dependent on the mass-market economy. For more information, call 236-5801.

Ohio Fund for the Environment Employees of Cuyahoga County and Ohio state government now can ~upp(jrt the environment through workplace ~haritable campaigns. They are among the first workplaces to permit payroll contributions eannarked for the Ohio · Fund for the Environment, a· new fundraising organization for nonprofit environmental organizations . . ,

Local charter members ofthe fund include The Earth Day Coalition, INHALE, Lake Erie Alliance the Lake Erie Nature and Science Cent~r, and Seventh Generation. In soliciting workplace donations;the fund is cooperating with Greater Clev'eland Community Shares, United Way and the United Negro College Fund.

For more infonnation call 614/263-6367 or 2161281-6468.

Housemender returns Jim LaRue (aka "The Housemender") recently began a local consulting service. to develop neighborhood-based home repair programs and help builders and homeowners understand issues like "Green building," accessibility and super~energy efficient retrofits. He also helps homeowners plan home improvements.

LaRue used to work at the 1·lousing Resource Center, the now.:.closed demonstration house on Cleveland's near West Side. He is well known to Greater Clevelanders from his frequent television appearances. He can bc reached at 991-1088.' ,

The latest historic site . The Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area recently opened the rehabilitated Frazee House to the' public. Built in 1826, the house on Canal Road in Valley View overlooks the Ohio & Erie Canal. Exhibits inside the house highligh..t the settlement of the Western Reserve and give hints about why people chose this area for their homc.

Pressure points • Moving to Solon: In the overall scheme

oflhings, Solon is .a small community of just over 20,000 people. But it's one of the most aggressive suitors ofindustry in the region. ­Solon recently had a glossy, eight-page advertising insert in Crain's Cleveland BUSiness, touting i.ts record as a friendly business environment. The insert didn't, mention how Solon's success with suburban industrial parks has directly undermined older communities in the region.

• Oberlin ebarac.ter: Plans for large-scale commercial development in and around Oberlin have residents concerned. It seems that no small town in Northeast Ohio is safe from automobile-scale development. •

• Bend in tbe road: Residents around Lake Lucerne in Bainbridge Twp. are upset aboul the Ohio Department of Transportation's plans to take a kink out of SR 306 next to the lake. They would prefer measures to reduce traffic in the rapidly developing area .

• Paving wetlands: The Cuyahoga -County Engineer wants to spend $588,000 'to construct a "wetland mitigation site" for wetlands that will be destroyed by the Crocker~Stearns road extension in Westlake and North Olmsted. That may partially mitigate the damage done by the road itself · (although there are many probiems with constructed wetlands), but it will not make up for all the wetlands lost to development encouniged by the new roal!.

• Chagrin setbacks: Chagrin Falls is battling a developer who wants to build 39 homes overlooking the Chagrin River. 'At issue is whether the developer has to' follow the town's very progressive setback . ordinance, which requires new buildings to be set back 120 feet from the edge of the river. or adjacent wetlands.

• Everything u~der control?: The "gated community" craze is sweeping the country, and we may not like the results. According to a special feature September 3 in The New York Times, more than 30 milUon Americans now live in .closed-offcomm~nities or areas governed by private community associations. The danger ofthis withdrawal into private

domains is a diminish~d appreciation oJthe common good in 'society at large. In their search for security, people are losing their sense of civic life. ...

13

October 9, 1995

Dear Plain Dealer Letters:

In your article, IIZoning blamed for 'sprawl ll (Oct. 6), yqu correctly pointed out that conventional zoning regulations make it difficult for developers to build subdivisions , that protect open space. Instead, zoning typically requires a cookie-cutter approach that carves up the entire rural landscape into house lots and streets. -

The alternative, open space zoning methods discussed 'in the article are not the best solution for sprawl, however. Yes, by 'Clustering homes on smaller lots you can preserve some natural areas, farmland and rural character. But you still have

-more people living out in the country -- more people d'emanding city services and infrastructure, more kids , crowding into rural schools, more cars clogging up the roads, . and more outmigration from deolining central cities. Moreover, developers wishing to do open space developments often have to go farther out into the country to find large enough parcels of land.

Local subdivision regulations need to be made more flexible. But that's jU:j!t a first step. To stop sprawl, we need regional strategies to promote development in existing urban areas. In a region with a stable population like ' Northeast Ohio, there is no reason to be sprawling over the countryside.

Sincerely,

David Heach EcoCity Cleveland

•

Marsh monitoring The Cuyahoga River Remed'ial Action Plan is looking for vo lu,nteers to help it assess the health of wetland ecosystems in t~e Cuyahoga watershed. As part of the binational Marsh Monitoring project, volunteers '}'i ll ~urvey J!larsh birds or toads and frogs during the breeding season. Observations of these indicator species will help scientists 'assess the health of wetlands around th,e Great Lakes. Call 443-3730 or 963-1117 for information on getting involved,

The Friends of the Black River and Black River Audubon are also participating in the Marsh Monitoring project. For details, call Dave ,Malloy at 322-4187.

Flats access The Flats Oxbow Association is preparing to develop a public access plan to improve the flow of visitors through the incr~asingly popular Flats of Cleveland. The area is the focal poiI1t of new rail lines, bike paths, parks, boardwalks and major visitor attractions like the Rock & Roll Hall'ofFame and the Gr~at Lakes Science Center on the nearby lakefront.

-A public access plan would enstjrc that visitors enjoy the Flats without impeding industrial 'and commercial activ ity ; 1'!elp vis itors experience the river, bridges and architectural features of the area; maximize the economic impact of vi~itors ; and maximize the syncrgy of all the new attractions.

14

Gund grants for the environment ~

In the third quarter of 1995, The (ieorge GundiFoundati6tl of Cleveland awarded • number of grantS fOr environmental and-urban initiatives in the region. including: , • Seventh Generation~peratingsupport for th>,<

' leading environmental organization' in Lorain GountY, $40,000 over two years.

• EcoCit)[ Cleveland-Publicatio..,,,f an urban sprawl ' action guide for Northeast Obio and the research and . , writing of a guidebook on 'enyironmental thought~d' practice in the region, $14,500 . .

• Oberlin College-Ecological concepedesign for anew . environmental studies building, $50,000.

• Cuyahoga River Community .Planning Oiganization...;....Support for continued activities ~~~lated ,to~ the restoration of the Cuyilho'ga River, $70,000 o"ertwo years.

• Coast Alliance-Advocacy for-reauthorization of the Coastal Zgne M'!l1agement Act and expansion of the Coastal Barriers ll.esources System,$2S,000.

• EnvironmentaJ Defense FUhd-Assistance to Great Lakes groups on pollutio~ prevention in manufacturing, $100,000 over two years.

• National Healthy Air License Exchange '(INHALE}--Participati.on in the air pollution trading market, $65,600,

• Holden Arboretum-Landscape Consulting Program. to help nonprofit organizations with resource inventories <

for conservation, sit~managementand"design, $7.0,.000 ov~r two years.

• Institute for Conservation Leadership"-"Leadership training and consulting for environmental organizations in Northeast Ohio, $75,000 over three years.

, • World Media Foundation---Cov~rage of Great 'L.akes issues on the public radib program "Llving on Earth,t' $20,000.

• Portage County,Regional Plant;Iing c

~ Commission-Studjes on the impacts of growth and assistance to local tnunicipalities and townships with revision ofJaifd use plans and zoning codes, $25,500.

• The Clean Water Fund-Advocacy ofUpolluter payst! policies -in the Great Lakes region, $30,000.

• Land Trust AllianC<J--:'Schoiarships for local land trust representatives to attend the- LT.(\. national rally, $6,400.

• Trees for the Planet-Study of tree mortality related.to aCid ra,in and oxidants in Southeast Ohi9, $6,500. -

• WECO Fun"d-WE-CAN! community organization "­project, $66,000 over 16 months;

• Cleveland Neighborhood Development Corporation-Cleveland Industrial Retention Jnitiative~ $100,000 ove, L8 months.

• Westside Industrial Retention and Expansion , Network~Development strategy and program for Berea '" Road and W. 117)h Street area, $12,000.

• Cleveland Museum of Natural History-New geology gallery and exhibits, $100,000.

• Cuyahoga Plan of Ohio--Fair housing marketing . campaign, $150,000 over three years.

• Heights Community Congress-Fair housing program, $ I 5,000.

EcoCiT)' ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

I <

\ .

•

BIOREGIONAL CALENDAR

October 27-28 Enchanted Forest, a friendly alternative to , haunted houses at the Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Re­registration required at 321-5935.

October 31 Mid-Autumn celebration fo~ the-family, 7 p.m'. at the Crown Pqint Ecology Learning Center, 3220 Ira Rd. in Bath. Call 666-9200 to pre-regi~ter.

November 1 " The Waterfront as Urban Anchor", a talk at 5:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art by Alex Krieger, director oJ.urban .design programs R;t Harvard Uni,versity, relating Cle"eland's waterfront rejuve!1atian efforts to what other cities have done.

November 2 Annual' meeting of the Portage Soil and Water Conservation District, 7 p.m. at the Rusty Nail restaurant. 7289 SR 43.

November 3 Student congress for the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network stream monitoring program, 9 a.m}D 2 p.m .. at'the Auburn Careers Center.

November 4

:

-Habitats revisited, an exploration of different are~ of the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation, 10 a.m. at the Rocky River Nature Center, 24000 Vaney Parkway. Call 734-6660 to register.

November 4 Annual meeting and dinner of the Cuyahoga Soi l and Water Conservation District, 7 p.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course of the Cleveland Metropar:ks Brecksville Reservation. For reservation infonnation, call 524-0580.

- November 4 c.oyotes in the Cuyahoga Valley Nationai Recreation Area, 7 p.m. at'the Special Events Site off Riverview Road. -

November 5

e. Forest cycles, growth and decay in a local forest

If" ecosystem, 2 p.m. at Hinckley \ Lake Boathouse, Hinckley

'\ ' Reservation of the Cleveland - Mctroparks. .

November 6 Socially responsible investing workshop, 7. p,m. at the Crowl) Point Ecology Learning Center, 3220 Ira Rd. in Bath . . Call 666-9200 .for registration infonnation.

November 7 ~ Monthly meeting of the Western Cuyahoga

Audubon Society with gliest speaker Tom

EcoCiT)' ClEVElANd 0 October 1995

Stanley of the Cleveland Metroparks, 7:30 p.m. at the Rocky River Nature Center. "

~ovember 8 "The City and the Waterfront in a Post­Urban Age," a talk at 5:30 p.m, at the Cleveland Museum of Art by Baul Goldberger, architecture critic of The New York Times.

November 10 Women 's Web, a gathering of ritual and sharing, 7 p.m. at the Crown Point Ecology Learning Center, 3220 Ira Rd. in Bath. Can 666-9200 for information.

November 10 Prehistoric forts and farmers of Nor~heast Ohio, a talk by Brian Redmond, curator of archaeology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 7:30 p.m. at the Rocky River Nature Center of the Cleveland Metroparks. Call 734-6660. -

November 1 0-11

~ Edu,cator's workshop on

~ population growth at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

~ in Bay Village. Hands-on , . activi!ies fiJr grades 1- 12, with

-..::::: .materials from Zero Population , Growth. $10 fee. C~1I871-2900 for registration infonnation.

November 11 ) Talk about global positioning systems and their use in resource management 'Vld l3!1d use planning, 2 p.m. at the Happy Days Visitor' Center of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.

Noy-ember 12 Native American Ifestival featuring authentic dancing, drumming, tC!ols and crafts. 1-4 p.m. at Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Nature Center. Can 734-6660.

November 13 Meetifjg of the BlackRiver Remedial Action Plan Coordinaling Committee, 2 p.m. at the French Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, 2350 Abbe Rd. in Sheffield.

November 16 Meeting of ~he Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan Coordinating Committee. Call Mary Beth Binns at 241-24 14 for time and place.

Novembe'r 16 The Cuyahoga Valley Photographic .Society presents a talk by Gary Marmolya. aDout his recent photo book on the Cleveland Metroparks,' Gems of the Necklace~The Inside Story, 7 p.m. at the Happy Days Visitor Center of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.

Transportation and livable comlJ1uniti~s

The Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club is coordinating a 'series of "GreatingLivable Communities!' conferenc~s throughout th'e state to raise public awareness of

transportation challenges and urban sprawl. Ohio's metropolitan areas have aU experienced outmigration of qev~lopment and population, which'has"weakened the cores-of cities; obliterated the countryside and raised questions about social and enviro?mental justice~

In. Octo~er, ,conferences in Cincinnati and < Toledo focused on rail transportation alternatives and putilic, participation in transportation planning; T~o addition'll conferences are scheduled fot.November:

• Columbus, November ll- Topics include the public realm and the cOmmon good, the public costs of driving, designing Jivable communities.

• Cleveland, November IS--Topics include, a vision for federal transportation poliCies, integrating transportation and land use ~lanping, considerations of social equity, priorities for regional development. The conference will be from 8:30_a.m. to 5 p.m. at tlie Celebrezze Federal Office B'uilding in downtown Cleveland. . All of the conferences hope to' promote

'forward-looking development sfrategies which are environmentally responsible and which set the stage fOTmore efficient use of our human'and capital resources . . Speakers include national experts and local activists.

Advance registration is $30,per conference ($40 at the door). For details about the Columi:lus conference, c.1I614/595-3203. For details about the Cleveland conference, call 216/575-7551. Or call the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club at 614/161-0734.

N.ovember 19 "Explorjng the Sacred Universe," a video, experience and reflection based on Brian Swimme's Canticle 'to the Cosmos and Thomas Berry's writings, 2-7 p.m. at the Crow~ 'Point Ecology Learning Center, 3220 Ira Rd. in Bath. Brown bag supper. Ca11 666-9200 for registration information. ...

November 21 Annual community luncheon of the Cleveland Restoration Society, II :30 a.m. at the '­Cleveland Marriott Society Center Ballroom. FeatuFed speaker is Bishop Anthony Pilla of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. Call 621 -1498 for ticket information.

15

MAP OF THE MONTH

Combined sewer overflow locations Here are the overflow points in the service area of the Northeast Ohio Regi()nal Sewer District where: combined sanitary and ~torm sewers can discharge sewage into the ~~vironment. (See p. 8 for more informat~on.)

~ • COMIlItIED st'W£lI CMIIf\.OW (CSO)

HI WASTt'/lArER TltU.TWENT I'l.oUIt L A K £ £ R I £

I Source: Northeast Ohio Regional Sewe~ District

Jlr;.- ..:. - - - - - - ~ - - - - - -" . c· .. ' '-' . ',-,--, --... - ~,,,,'"

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