Port Clinton council votes to terminate 1999 wastewater consent decree

Port Clinton City Council on March 24 unanimously adopted Ordinance 11-26 to terminate the Sept. 8, 1999 consent decree between the city, the State of Ohio and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Law Director Shenker told the council that the city met the decree’s requirements and that recent federal review supported ending the agreement.

Shenker told council members that federal and state EPA actions followed the city’s remediation work at the wastewater treatment plant. She said a 2019 effort by a former law director produced termination language, and that after delays and differing federal/state positions the Federal EPA showed the city’s effluent was cleaner than before, undermining the State EPA’s case. Shenker also said the Federal EPA contacted the wastewater foreman in late February 2026 and requested an ordinance to terminate the decree prior to other potential delays, so the administration asked council to act at the second reading.

Council moved to waive the three required readings, retained the emergency clause and adopted Ordinance 11-26. Jerry Tarolli made the motions; Avery Robinson seconded. The roll-call votes on the motions and on final adoption were unanimous: Richard Morgan, Pat Hovis, Cathy King, Avery Robinson, Jerry Tarolli, Carmen Daft and Beth Gillman all voted yes on each motion, 7-0.

The ordinance directs the Director of Safety and Service to take action to terminate the consent decree. No additional implementation timeline or follow-up reporting requirement was specified in the meeting minutes. The minutes record that the Wastewater Treatment Foreman, Dave Bacak, had been contacted by the Federal EPA earlier in the year about moving forward with termination.