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Engineer warns council the Kokosing River could be affected by proposed National Lime & Stone permit change
Summary
At the Feb. 2 council meeting, a resources engineer told Gambier officials that a proposed wastewater discharge permit change for National Lime & Stone could extend sediment deposition downstream and harm aquatic life in the Kokosing River; council discussed reviewing a conservation group’s letter and whether the village should submit its own comments.
At Gambier’s Feb. 2 meeting, Jay Dorsey, identified as a resources engineer, briefed council on a proposed wastewater-discharge permit for National Lime & Stone and warned it could increase sediment reach downstream in the Kokosing River.
Dorsey described how the extraction process moves lime and sandstone and said, in his view, the change “could decrease the high quality of fish and bugs that are currently part of the Kokosing River.” He also told the council that the company would not be required under the current permit draft to perform before-and-after monitoring of the Kokosing, which he said would impede the ability to measure environmental impacts.
Solicitor Clinton Bailey asked for clarification on what the projected increase in sediment would mean for river quality. Council member Alison Furlong raised a related concern about changes in alkalinity from lime, although Kenyon representatives at the meeting said the material at the site is gravel rather than lime.
Members noted that the Philander Chase Conservation Group has drafted a letter of concern; council discussed whether to review and either endorse that letter or submit a separate village comment after staff review.
Mayor Leeman Kessler and council members did not take a formal vote on the permit at the meeting. Staff and the solicitor were directed to review the conservation group's letter and return with recommended next steps for possible village comment or engagement with regulatory authorities.
The council also heard from a Rumpke representative in the same public-comment period on a separate topic: Rumpke urged the village to accept a contract extension for trash services rather than conducting a new bidding process.
Next steps on the permit discussion are limited to staff review and potential correspondence; no regulatory determination or legal action was recorded in the minutes.
