Local News
Ohio House of Representatives passes septic system moratorium
The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday approved an amendment introduced by State Rep. Deborah Newcomb, D-Conneaut, to extend the moratorium regarding household sewage treatment systems, from the Dec. 31 deadline to July 1, 2010.
The extension was passed as part of House Bill 363, also sponsored by Newcomb, streamlining Ohio’s regulation of animal feed operations.
“The (sewage treatment) amendment provides additional time to compromise on responsible and effective legislation,” said Newcomb. “There are several bills currently in debate amongst the Ohio House and Senate members, and through this moratorium, my fellow colleagues and I are offered an opportunity to agree on a bill that ensures homeowners have a range of options that are both affordable and safe for the environment.”
H.B. 236, another bill Newcomb introduced, leaves the ultimate authority for approving septic systems for each household, with local county health boards. Local health boards would use an objective science-based approach to selecting septic systems that best protect the public from health nuisances without a heavy cost to Ohio homeowners. The bill also requires the local county health board to consider the economic cost to homeowners when approving household septic systems. The bill ensures that the approved septic systems for a given household represent a diverse cost range of available systems that do not create public-health nuisances when properly operated and maintained.
County health boards would consider systems on a property-by-property basis, based on applicable local soil conditions from those septic systems that have been approved for use in Ohio. The combination of the board’s assessment and the cost range of sewage-system options allows the homeowner to choose the most appropriate system.
Along with H.B. 236, other legislation regarding household septic systems is sponsored by State Rep. Dan Dodd, D-Hebron, and State Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-Hubbard; Sen. Timothy Grendell, R-Chesterland; and Sen. Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond.
It is expected that the moratorium extension will assist in bringing all General Assembly members together with the Ohio Department of Health to strike a reasonable balance among property rights, consumer costs and public health. The state has been operating on a moratorium to the original legislation, which would require homeowners to replace failing septic systems with extremely costly systems, regardless of local conditions.
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'Bula teen drowns after leap from lighthouse
A trip to Lake Erie with friends turned tragic Tuesday night for a 19-year-old Ashtabula man.
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Body found in Lampson Reservoir
The body of an adult male was found in the Lampson Reservoir on Wednesday evening, the Jefferson Emergency Rescue District reports.
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Trash bin arsonists may have started house fire
Arsonists who have set nearly two dozen fires inside trash containers in the city of Ashtabula this month may be seeking bigger — and potentially more dangerous — prey, fire officials said.
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Local charities, auxiliaries, unions on IRS warning list
From the Ashtabula Community Players to the local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, scores of Ashtabula County nonprofit organizations are in danger of losing their favored status with the Internal Revenue Service.
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PV board to place levy on November ballot
The Pymatuning Valley Local Board of Education recently passed a resolution to place an “emergency renewal levy” before voters in November.
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Sheriff action against county set for November
Sheriff William Johnson will have his day in court, but he’ll have to wait another 3 1/2 months to get it.
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Formal charges filed against men in domestic dispute
The father who allegedly took a shot at his daughter’s ex-boyfriend Saturday night after a domestic altercation was released from jail Tuesday, Municipal Court officials said.
Harvey Jones, 49, of Ashtabula, was charged with felonious assault and discharging a firearm within the city limits, court officials said. -
Man charged in Geauga crash
The Chagrin Falls man who slammed his truck into a car at a traffic light has been charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence and aggravated vehicular assault, Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Chad Bass said.
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Lant Auto Parts has kept ’Bula on the go since 1974
Tom Eden has always loved cars, so owning his own auto parts store seemed a natural choice 36 years ago.
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Woman pleads not guilty traffic death
A Concord woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of vehicular homicide stemming from the traffic death of a veteran Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputy, according to Conneaut Municipal Court spokeswoman.
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'Bula teen drowns after leap from lighthouse
