Through the collective efforts of Cinergy-CG&E, Hamilton County Human Services, Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency and various social service agencies, Hamilton County residents began applying late last week.  An estimated 75,000 local residents may be eligible for this program.  

“Project Thaw” is available throughout Ohio, and funding is limited.  The program ends when the funds run our or on March 31, 2001 which ever comes first.  This program is “first come-first served.”  All eligible Hamilton County residents are welcome to apply, but there is no guarantee all eligible residents  will get help due to the limited funding. Citizens who apply and get payment will actually see a credit on their Cinergy-CG&E bill

Thanks to our many community partners, a convenient approach has been used to make applications widely available in the community and allows people to mail in completed applications.  Three options:   

Important points about “Project Thaw”: 

                        (1)       You must have an unpaid heating bill.  Project Thaw will not reimburse payments already made.

                        (2)       Your income must be below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level--about $16,700 per year for a single adult and about $34,100 per year for a family of four.  It is important that applicants remember to provide proof of income with their applications.

                        (3)       This is a one-time payment of half the cost of your unpaid heating bill, up to a maximum of $250.

At the February 7 Board of County Commissioners meeting, Department of Human Services staff reported that over 1,500 applications had been processed through the end of business on February 6 with an average payout to citizens of $198.76.  Thousand more are expected to come in over the next couple days.  An estimated 100,000 applications have been distributed including 52 direct deliveries to shut-ins thanks to the Community Action Agency.  A big thank you goes out to all of the partners that have helped distribute and process these applications.

As the first increase in 10 years, the proposed levy increase of 35% is less than the inflationary increase that has taken place in hospitalization costs during the same 10-year period.  A homeowner with a  house valued at $100,000 currently pays approximately $50 per year for the Health and Hospitalization Levy and would pay an additional $15 per year if the levy was passed by voters.  After several meetings in the past three weeks, the Tax Levy Review Committee voted to recommend the levy be placed on the May ballot at the requested amount.  In making their recommendation, the committee stated that the levy fills a great need in the community.  Committee members noted that even with the levy increase the hospitals will be providing care for the needy far in excess of what the levy will generate.  Two committee members opposed the recommendation stating they wished to have more time to review the request and related issues.  The Tax Levy Review Committee recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners this week.  The Board will make the decision about placing the levy on the ballot in the next two weeks.  The deadline for submitting the levy for the May ballot is February 22.

During these months, smog levels are at their highest due to weather conditions combined with area pollution.  The largest source of pollution produced in our area comes from automobiles (about 45%). Smaller percentages of pollution comes from consumer sources (such as gasoline-powered lawn equipment) and industrial sources. 

To increase the community's awareness of smog in our area and to encourage residents to take actions to reduce the amount of pollution produced, the Regional Ozone Coalition is coordinating the First of what it hopes will become an annual event, the Do Your Share For Cleaner Air Calendar Contest.  By involving students and educating them on the importance of clean air, we will all begin to breathe easier by reducing air pollution in our area.  Each person can make a difference and with with your participation, you can educate and involve the community on the importance of clean air!

The Do Your Share For Clean Air Calendar Contest is sponsored by the Regional Ozone Coalition is cooperation with Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments, Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services, Kentucky Division of Air Quality, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission, City of Cincinnati Office of Environmental Management, and Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department.  The contest is open to student in grade k-12 from the following Ohio and Kentucky counties:

Ohio:  Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, and Warren

Kentucky:  Boone, Campbell, and Kenton

As part of MSD’s continuing effort to reduce I/I, MSD conducted a Groundwater Study to characterize the groundwater around the sewer and determine how the groundwater enters the sewer.  Part of the detailed scope of this project was a comprehensive literature review of similar studies.  “We found several papers that were outstanding and we invited those people to speak at our conference,” states Susan Moisio, Principal Engineer for the MSD System Wide Modeling Project Office.  UC professors working on the Groundwater Study were also invited to give an update on the project.

I/I happens when stormwater gets into the sanitary sewer and uses up its capacity.  Ideally, sanitary sewers are designed to flow half full.  When I/I enters the sanitary sewer the excess water can cause the sewer to backup and overflow.  Excessive I/I can seriously impact a municipality’s sanitary sewer system.  I/I effects sanitary sewer overflows, basement flooding and treatment plant bypasses.  The Symposium provided an overview of planning, rehabilitation, and effectiveness of I/I abatement programs for remediation of sanitary sewer overflows.

Dr. Mark Bowers, PhD, University of Cincinnati did the literature review that consisted of information from all over America and Canada.  Dr. Bowers contacted each of the selected speakers and asked them to participate in the Symposium.

Dr. Milovan Beljin, President of M.S. Beljin & Associates and Dr. David Nash, Professor of Geology, at UC were participants in the study as well as speakers at the Symposium.  Other speakers involved in the Symposium were; Mrs. Susan Moisio, Principal Engineer for the System Wide Model Project, Wastewater Collection Division; Mr. Edward H. Burgess, PE, Associate and Project Director, Camp Dresser & McKee; Mr. Robert Kuhl, PE, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; Mr. George E. Kruz, PE, Consoer Townsend Envirodyne Engineers, Nashville Tennessee; Mr. Dan Murray, PE, Director of Technology Transfer, USEPA, Office of Research and Development; and Mr. Rod Thornhill, PE, President of White Rock Consultants, Dallas Texas.

The symposium was possible due to the cooperation of The University of Cincinnati and H.C. Nutting Company.  UC handled all of the arrangements for the conference including contacting and scheduling speakers, donating the hall, and catering lunch. The I/I Symposium was held in the U C Engineering Research Center Auditorium.  H.C. Nutting produced the flyers and put together the binders for the conference.

Have a Great Week!