Letters to the Editor: Saturday, April 13, 2024

The Germantown Dam along with four other levies around the Miami Valley are hoping for $10 million in upgrade from federal grants and loans. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

The Germantown Dam along with four other levies around the Miami Valley are hoping for $10 million in upgrade from federal grants and loans. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

The Miami Conservancy District (MCD) flood control system developed almost 100 years ago has functioned very well and protected Miami Valley from floods like the 1913 Flood. The flood control system consists of retention dams and levees to retard episodes of storm water runoff from large rain events up stream.

To pay for the maintenance and operation of the flood control system, MCD created a “Flood Factor” to allocate the costs of operation and maintenance primarily to those properties receiving the most benefits. Basically, the system in place to assess taxes from property owners is a bureaucratic nightmare, very complicated and based on location and 1913 flood impact. If the assessment is based on these criteria, the owners of properties in the floodplain pay a higher fee than those properties that are located above the floodplain, which pay a lesser amount. This means families with less income pay proportionally more than those living above the floodplain.

In addition to the operation of the Flood Control System, MCD also monitors the Miami Buried Valley Aquifer groundwater and the Great Miami River for quality and quantity. MCD is the only organization in Miami Valley with operational experience, technical skills, and data to manage the water resources plus create a secure and sustainable water future that will be shared by all citizens of Miami Valley.

In essence, all citizens of Miami Valley, not just those living in the flood plain, benefit from the work of MCD. Cost sharing should be based on property values, which all the counties have in a database, not use a complicated system which nobody understands.

- Phillip L. Hayden, Ph.D., PE and Carol M. Shaw, Prof Emeritus, University of Dayton

The repeal of HB 6 will clear up the contamination of both air and politics. Thousands of bills have been passed, hundreds of thousands of bills have been proposed, and significantly more haven’t made it through the first few stages, it is impossible to keep up with all of them. It’s crucial not to overlook the significant issues with bills affecting our state, such as the aftermath of Ohio House Bill 6. This bill, embroiled in one of Ohio’s largest scandals, continues to burden citizens despite revelations of corruption. $60 million in bribes were used to pass the bill, and yet a complete repeal has yet to be enacted. The implementation of this bill has diminished the economic benefits OH SB 221 created such as the addition of 25,000 new jobs, the attraction Ohio gained for businesses, and over $1 billion saved by consumers businesses. Furthermore, the toll isn’t just monetary or environmental; The harmful pollutant of PM 2.5 emitted by these plants poses severe health risks. The 1993 Harvard 6 cities research links PM 2.5 exposure to a 26% increase in mortality, Ohio ranking highly among the states with the highest rate of pollution-related deaths. Luckily, this is not permanent and can be reversed through an increase in air quality, which would lead to a decrease in PM 2.5. The solution lies in advocating for the repeal of House Bill 6. In repealing House Bill 6 Ohioans can again breathe fresh air and feel pride in a community that attracts businesses for the right reasons. This move would reinstate renewable energy standards, benefiting both public health and citizens’ wallets.

- Emily Bednarski, UD student from Solon, OH