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Ohio River Water Quality Standards Upheld
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by Sierra Club's Clean Water Campaign | 2006

Commission FINALLY rejects proposal to reduce water quality standards for the Ohio River

Cincinnati (October 5, 2006) – Residents and leading local environmental groups Sierra Club and Rivers Unlimited witnessed a partial victory yesterday as the Ohio River Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) Commissioners finally rejected the proposal to reduce water quality standards for the Ohio River due to the significant amount of public comment and concern. Sierra Club and Rivers Unlimited have been adamantly protesting the proposal backed by thousands of residents since early this year.

In addition to helping generate over 8,000 adverse public comments, the group also sponsored a swim across the river, where locals joined internationally acclaimed swimmer Lynne Cox to protest ORSANCO’s proposal and stand up for clean, swimmable water.

“ORSANCO realized that the proposal was not based upon valid scientific data or legitimate criteria,” said Sierra Club’s Christine Robertson. “Many sewer districts located along the river’s basin are in a similar situation to Cincinnati. We need to ensure that they stop sewage from entering our rivers to protect the people and ecosystems located downstream.”

However, the Commission did vote to accept a motion which will allow West Virginia chemical plant PPG to dump an extra 30lbs of mercury into the River each year – a chemical known to cause extreme nerve damage to children, posing an extreme threat to women of child bearing age. Other PPG plants have incorporate advanced technology to minimize mercury releases, however the older plant in West Virginia has not been modernized.

Additionally, the Commission approved the use of controlled discharge for residues from potable water treatment plant processes of sedimentation, coagulation and filtration.

“We are generally pleased by ORSANCO’s decision,” said Robertson, “however,we are extremely disappointed by ORSANCO’s decision to allow more mercury into the water. The commission should be acting in the interest of  he people and their river, not protecting industrial polluters. There is still a lot of work to be done. The outcry of public comment and interest in this story shows that the public care for their environment and will continue to demand clean water.”