EPA holds public hearing over Lordstown Energy Center wastewater permit

As Lordstown works to become the nucleus of 'Voltage Valley', it's also facing more dilemmas of risk and reward to get there.
Wednesday night, the Ohio EPA hosted a public hearing about a draft permit that would allow that processed wastewater to be discharged from the Lordstown Energy Center.
People both for and against the proposal were on hand to speak.
"We support the Lordstown Energy Center application," said Guy Coviello of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, citing the need for continued economic growth in the region. He also pointed out that a lack of wastewater capacity in the village cost it millions in economic development.
"The Lordstown Energy Center proposal to the EPA is an example of corporate welfare," said Annette McCoy, president of the Trumbull County NAACP, citing environmental and socioeconomic concerns.
"A final decision on the draft permit will be based on the number of comments we get and a further review of the proposal," said EPA spokesman Anthony Chenault.
The outfall would be near where Mud Creek meets Hallock Young Road. The EPA says it's interested in any public concerns, and that it's looking at all economic, social and environmental aspects of this project before it decides whether to grant that draft permit.
"Only clean water from the cooling tower will be diverted first to a cooling pond before being added to Mud Creek, said Nils Swenson, general manager of Clean Energy Future Lordstown, the parent company of LEC.
While the EPA said this wastewater would not be sewage, many people who spoke at Wednesday's hearing worried there could be other harmful things in it.
"What are the social and economic impacts that are so great that we'd pollute our own water?" said Tom Smith of Friends of the Mahoning River.
Others are leery about floodplain impacts, and mayor Arno Hill warned of lost sewer revenue.
The Ohio EPA has not said when it will decide whether to grant the draft permit.