Editor:
On March 6, 2014, the Ohio EPA sent an email informing the commissioners that “further investigation revealed sewage sludge downstream of the mobile home park 1200’ from the intersection of Quaker Trace and State Route 35”. Under Ohio law, the OEPA has jurisdiction over trailer parks. Sewage is downstream from the trailer park.
What did the commissioners do with this information? Did they start legal actions to force the OEPA to stop the sewage flow? No. Did the commissioners pass this information onto the Health Department or the Prosecutor’s Office? No.
For over a decade, over a thousand gallons of raw sewage a day flowed from the Quaker Trace Trailer Park and no one raised any objections or tried to stop it. This sewage flowed eastward through the Stoneridge subdivision, across the City of Eaton‘s well field, also known as Eaton’s Black Plant Well Field, and nobody cared, nobody.
The owners of the Quaker Trace Trailer Park closed the park and demolished it in January of 2020. Thankfully the sewage flow stopped.
So, after the trailer park has been demolished for over a year, the Ohio EPA sent the current commissioners emails dated Sept. 27, 2021, and Dec. 15, 2021, expressing their concerns about the location of the proposed WWTP for Sewer District 6. They shared concerns that the proposed location could contaminate the City of Eaton’s well fields. Seriously, now they’re concerned about contamination. For over a decade, the Ohio EPA didn’t raise any concerns about raw sewage flowing across the well fields, now, suddenly, they’re concerned.
Be afraid when you hear someone say, “I’m with the government, I’m here to help”.
This is the question everyone should be asking themselves. Who benefited to keep the sewage flowing from the trailer park? As I’ve said before, Sewer District 6 was never about fixing sewage problems. The OEPA keeps repeating the lie that the sewer district is needed because of all the failed septic systems in the Glenwood area. Results from public records requests show there is no documentation, test results, or any other evidence that shows failing septic systems. However, there is one failed septic system that is documented and there are photos showing sewage on the ground. That was the septic system of the trailer park, which was under the jurisdiction of the Ohio EPA.
The former commissioners’ lack of actions and leadership is the reason why the current commissioners and the homeowners in the Glenwood area are dealing with this mess.
I believe that the current commissioners have the insight and leadership to make all parties involved in this failed process accountable.
Jerry L. Wick
West Alexandria
