In Your Community

A New Webinar Series for Environmental Issues at the Local Level.

Local officials wear a lot of hats and may not be familiar with the many environmental issues that affect their communities. The Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance is launching a new series of webinars focused on those environmental issues that have an impact at the local level. These webinars will occur throughout the year and cover a wide range of topics from how Ohio EPA regulates sources of air pollution, waste management, wastewater and stormwater discharges to different ways your community can promote environmental stewardship and improve the environment in your local area.

DEFA will use these webinars to share details about Ohio EPA's roles, processes, and partners, in addressing environmental issues facing Ohio's communities. They will also share resources and tools for planning and responding to the environmental concerns that impact all Ohioans at the local level. Planned webinar topics include:

  • Environmental regulation of businesses
  • Managing contaminated sites
  • Septic systems
  • Odors and dust
  • Nuisance waste sites
Presenter(s) Session Information

Title: Nuisance Waste Sites, Illegal Dumping, and Scrap Tires in Your Community

Type: DEFA’s In Your Community Series

Date/Time: October 12, 2-3 p.m.

Description: Hidden dump piles, trash strewn property, abandoned buildings filled with junk, and tire piles left by the roadside – community leaders make discoveries like these all the time. Recycling efforts that start out with good intentions and get out of hand with flat markets and poor planning are sometimes to blame, however, local officials are often left to clean up the mess. Community leaders will want to join this webinar to learn about how to recognize and address these nuisance waste situations and find out about the tools that are available to help. Attendees will hear about nuisance waste sites for materials like shingles, scrap tires, electronic and other recyclable commodities, and how Ohio EPA can help your community address these nuisance dumping situations.

Register Online
Title: Feet on the Street: Fighting Contamination Across Ohio

Type: DEFA’s In Your Community Series

Date/Time: November 9, 10-11 a.m.

Description: Join The Recycling Partnership for an overview of how six Ohio communities reduced their contamination rates by implementing Feet on the Street, The Partnership’s signature tagging program. Participants will learn about: the contamination-fighting best practices and communications tools they need to change resident behavior, the success found by their neighbors across the state, and opportunities for future grant dollars to enact this work in their own community.

Register Online

Title: Fight the Bite! Ohio EPA’s Mosquito Control Grant Application Overview

Type: DEFA’s In Your Community Series

Date/Time: November 18, 10-11 a.m.

Description: This webinar provides a brief overview of the Ohio EPA’s Mosquito Control Grant (MCG) and information on how to apply for the upcoming grant cycle. Mosquito control grants are available annually to health departments or other governmental organizations to aid with mosquito surveillance, control, source reduction and community outreach. The MCG Program was developed to make funding available to entities responsible for implementing mosquito control measures in support of Ohio’s efforts to reduce the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases. The fundable activities approved under the MCG Program will help reduce the potential for an outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus and simultaneously reduce the threat that scrap tires and scrap tire dumps pose to human health and the environment. Local health departments (LHDs) implement various programs to protect human health, safety, and the environment. LHDs are on the front lines in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. The MCG Program makes grant monies available to any agency of the state, if that agency can demonstrate collaboration and obtain sponsorship from its LHD.

Register Online
   

Recorded Webinars

  • Environmental Regulations of Businesses in Your Community - Many environmental regulations affect businesses in your community. Ohio EPA regulates sources of air pollution, waste handling, wastewater and storm water discharges, and more. This webinar will provide an overview of the environmental regulations affecting both large and small businesses in your community, and explain Ohio EPA's permitting, inspection and enforcement

    Presenters: Tamara Girard, DEFA

  • Air Pollution Risk Management Program for Drinking and Waste Water Treatment Operators - This webinar will focus on the basics of the Risk Management Program (RMP) as directed under ORC 3752 and how it applies to both Water Treatment Plants (WTP) and Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs). The intent of the RMP is to put requirements in place to help minimize and/or prevent accidental releases/spills from happening. Requirements may include, but are not limited to, assessing risks from the facility, operating procedures, training employees, emergency response plans and prevention programs to put into place at the facility. Regulation is directed to those public and/or private WTP and WWTP that use chlorine in excess of 2,500 pounds in a process.

    Presenters: Jeff Beattie, Division of Air Pollution Control

  • What’s New for ’22 in Ohio’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Program - Ohio’s largest source of public funding for wastewater system planning, design, and construction will be making its annual call for future infrastructure project nominations in August. To find out more about Ohio's Water Pollution Control Loan Fund program and how it might benefit your community, please join our webinar. During this webinar, you will learn about the variety of projects that can be funded through the program, the different types of loans and associated incentives we offer, and important milestones in our loan review and approval process. We will also highlight special items of interest, such principal forgiveness funding and loans for storm water projects.

    Presenters: Jon Bernstein, Katie Courtright, DEFA

  • Regulation and Funding of Household Sewage Treatment Systems in Ohio - Household Sewage Treatment Systems (HSTS) are ubiquitous in areas of Ohio where public sewers are not available, with most located in rural and semi-urban areas. Some estimates show a universe of one million systems with nearly 30% failing or near failure. Several forms of government at the local and state level work together to both regulate and provide funding for HSTS. Learn how HSTS are regulated by local health districts, the Ohio Department of Health, and Ohio EPA. Learn about the grant opportunities available to local health districts to assist low-income homeowners in repairing or replacing failing HSTS and connecting failing HSTS to public sewers.

    Presenters: Erin Sherer and Jon Bernstein, Ohio EPA, and Rachel Townsend, Ohio Department of Health

  • What Local Leaders should know about Water Resource Protection - wetlands, docks, seawalls, and more! Many activities at or near a waterbody - like a stream, lake, or wetland — require a permit from the Army Corp of Engineers and Ohio EPA. Residents who plan to alter a wetland, modify a shoreline, build a dock or seawall, construct a ditch/culvert, or other similar activity should be aware of the restrictions and permit requirements associated with those activities BEFORE they begin. It’s important that local leaders are familiar with these regulations as these are common questions that come up in community forums, board and planning meetings, and one-on-one conversations with residents. This webinar provided an overview of the requirements associated with construction/modifications near or at a lake, stream, wetland or other waterbody in Ohio and the opportunities for local protection.

    Presenters: Anna Kamnyev, Division of Surface Water (DSW)

  • Opportunities and Challenges of Drinking Water and Wastewater Regionalization - Presenters discussed the concept of regionalization and consolidation for drinking water and wastewater utilities. Case examples of successful regionalization projects in Ohio were discussed along with an analysis of the different funding agencies and programs available to communities.

    Presenters: Jerry Rouch and Jon Bernstein, Ohio EPA, DEFA
    Amy Klei, Ohio EPA, DDAGW
    Kurtis Strickland, The Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP)
    Ken Heigel, Ohio Water Development Authority

  • Open Burning, Odors, Dust, and Asbestos in Demolition in Your Community - The most frequently reported complaints to Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control are for open burning, odor, and dust. Ohio EPA also receives numerous questions about the regulation and management of asbestos during demolition. There are state regulations dealing with open burning, dust, and nuisance odors, but what should you do if you or your community is having issues with these? And how should your community deal with various asbestos issues that may arise when demolition occurs, including handle emergency demolitions.

    Presenters: Jeff Gerdes and John Paulian, Division of Air Pollution Control

  • Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence for Communities - This webinar provides a brief overview of the Encouraging Environmental Excellence for Communities (E3C) that recognizes a community’s exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship. This webinar is part of our In Your Community webinar series and highlights how any local government of Ohio can be recognized for its commitment to environmental excellence. The E3C Program has three levels of recognition that recognize communities in different stages of implementing environmental stewardship initiatives through environmental, economic and social programs and activities. Applications use a checklist and narrative format and are accepted at any time.

    Presenters: Bill Narotski, Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance

  • Ohio EPA’s Mosquito Control Grant - This webinar provides a brief overview of the Ohio EPA’s Mosquito Control Grant (MCG) and information on how to apply for the upcoming grant cycle. Mosquito control grants are available annually to health departments or other governmental organizations to provide assistance with mosquito surveillance, control, source reduction and community outreach. The MCG Program was developed to make funding available to entities responsible for implementing mosquito control measures in support of Ohio’s efforts to reduce the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases. The fundable activities approved under the MCG Program will help reduce the potential for an outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus and simultaneously reduce the threat that scrap tires and scrap tire dumps pose to human health and the environment. Local health departments (LHDs) implement various programs to protect human health, safety, and the environment. LHDs are on the front lines in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. The MCG Program makes grant monies available to any agency of the state, as long as that agency can demonstrate collaboration and obtain sponsorship from its LHD. Ohio EPA's online Mosquito Control Grant application will open on Monday, November 16, 2020 at 8:00 AM. Deadline to submit applications for the 2021 Grant Cycle will be January 29, 2021 at 3:00 PM.

    Presenters: Leanne Greenlee and Jeff Montavon, Ohio EPA Division of Materials and Waste Management

  • Nuisance Waste Sites, Illegal Dumping, and Scrap Tires in Your Community - Hidden dump piles, trash strewn property, abandoned buildings filled with junk, and tire piles left by the roadside – community leaders make discoveries like these all the time. Recycling efforts that start out with good intentions and get out of hand with flat markets and poor planning are sometimes to blame; however local officials are often left to clean up the mess. Community leaders will want to join this webinar to learn about how to recognize and address these nuisance waste situations and find out about the tools that are available to help. Attendees will hear about nuisance waste sites for materials like shingles, scrap tires, electronic and other recyclable commodities, and how Ohio EPA can help your community address these nuisance dumping situations.

    Presenters: Kelly Jeter and Kevin Shoemaker, Ohio EPA Division of Materials and Waste Management

  • Environmental Regulations of Businesses in Your Community - Many environmental regulations affect businesses in your community. Ohio EPA regulates sources of air pollution, waste handling, wastewater and storm water discharges, and more. This webinar will provide an overview of the environmental regulations affecting both large and small businesses in your community, and explain Ohio EPA's permitting, inspection and enforcement procedures.

    Presenters: Tamara Girard and Maddie Adams, Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance

  • Managing Contaminated Sites in Your Community - It’s important that local leaders are aware of how contaminated sites are regulated to keep residents safe and what redevelopment opportunities exist. This webinar will explain the basics of environmental clean-up regulations, will provide an overview of liability, due care, land use restrictions, and will explain Brownfield funding assistance that is available.

    Presenter: Lisa Shook, Ohio EPA Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization

  • Open Burning, Odors, Dust, and Asbestos in Demolition in Your Community – The most frequently reported complaints to Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control are for open burning, odor, and dust. Ohio EPA also receives numerous questions about the regulation and management of asbestos during demolition. There are state regulations dealing with open burning, dust, and nuisance odors, but what should you do if you or your community is having issues with these? And how should your community deal with various asbestos issues that may arise when demolition occurs? This webinar will detail state requirements for facilities with dust or odor issues, or those undergoing demolition where asbestos may be present. We will discuss what to do if you get a complaint regarding dust and odors that can’t be addressed by local ordinances. Or when demolition activities occur, and asbestos is suspected or found. You will also learn when to ask your district office for help.

    Presenter: Jim Kavalec, Ohio EPA Division of Air Pollution Control

  • Sustainability in Your Community – From energy efficiency to zero waste, many communities are embracing sustainability and "green" approaches as the most cost-effective way to address environmental issues. This webinar will introduce sustainability concepts and provide examples of how sustainability and "green" approaches can be used to improve the environment in your community. The webinar will focus on the resources from Ohio EPA, including the Ohio Materials Marketplace, the Encouraging Environmental Excellence Program, and Ohio EPA's environmental assistance resources; that can assist communities to become more sustainable.

    Presenters: Bill Narotski and Frank Basting, OCAPP, DEFA

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