Black River Summit – Thursday March 29, 9 – 11:15 am, Lorain Palace Theater

March 13, 2018

PRESS RELEASE

The Black River Advisory Committee in concert with Lorain County, City of Lorain and the LoCo Yaks are proud to announce the first annual Black River Summit being held at the Lorain Palace Theater, 617 Broadway, Lorain OH 44052 from 9 am – 11:15 am on Thursday, March 29, 2018.

The Black River Summit is a celebration and informative gathering for all of those with an interest in the progress that Black River in Lorain County has made in the past 20 years. In the early 1980s the river was sick, it was known as the River of Fish Tumors. Children were told not to play in the water and no one used the river for recreation.

Things have certainly changed. Thanks to the EPA’s guidance and funding the people of Lorain County and particularly the City of Lorain have a beautiful ribbon of recreation on which to kayak, fish, lounge and bird watch. It has taken many years and millions of dollars to bring the river back from the brink of despair. In the past 10 years approximately 20 million dollars have been spent cleaning up the river. The Black River Advisory Committee has been informed that the Black River will soon complete all of its management actions and the Black River will move from being an Area of Concern (a designation from the EPA as being one of the worst of the worst for waters in the Great Lakes Basin) to a River in Recovery.
The recovery of the Black River is not the only thing occurring in Lorain County. The Lorain County, City of Lorain and the Lorain Port Authority are currently implementing a USEPA Areawide Planning Grant focused on redevelopment of six key land areas along the Black River. The Port and Lorain County have used assessment funds from the EPA to assist in the redevelopment of downtown buildings and other sites with success. The Lorain County Land Reutilization Corporation (Land Bank) whose mission is to return properties to productive reuse.

You are invited to this celebration. We will have several keynote speakers including: Tinka Hyde Director of US EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago. Mayor John Antaramian from Kenosha, Wisconsin speaking about the success his community has experienced in redevelopment. (Kenosha has a similar location on a great lake and an industrial legacy.) Russ Gibson from the Ohio EPA Nonpoint Source Section Manager in the Division of Surface Water. As well as Ted Kalo, Lori Kokoski, and Matt Lundy the Lorain County Commissioners and Mayor Chase Ritenauer of the City of Lorain. We certainly hope to see you there to give you the opportunity to share our excitement with your audience.

For additional information please call 440-328-2322 and ask for Don Romancak.