City of Akron's judge is frustrated with the complacent city of Akron officials tasked with the completion of the mile-long Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel and even more frustrated with the complacent US EPA and Ohio EPA not imposing any penalties against the city. The judge has obviously lost the hope with these parties that he wanted to appointed a monitor to shepherd these people to finish the project which was supposed to have finished end 2018.
The judge is also worried about the hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage flowing into the river because of the delays.
City authorities cite the complexity of the project for the delays "which included the construction of a large tunnel-boring machine".
Both the city and the EPA have now asked the judge not to appoint any such monitor.
U.S. District Judge John Adams ordered the review be conducted by Craig Johnston, an environmental law professor in Portland, Oregon.
“He will not serve as a monitor, but he will continue in his previously ordered role and be permitted to analyze compliance with the decree,” Adams wrote.
Both the city and the EPA had asked the judge not to appoint any such monitor for the delayed tunnel project at Akron.
U.S. District Judge John Adams ordered the review be conducted by Craig Johnston, an environmental law professor in Portland, Oregon, who already has assisted in overseeing the consent decree signed by the city and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Akron's Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel drama goes on and goes on...
It was already delayed to the point where a judge threatened to appoint a monitor for the project. Now the stated reason for further delays is COVID-19
"Akron says coronavirus might cause delays in massive underground sewer project mandated by settlement"
Officials with the city of Akron said the coronavirus epidemic may result in additional delays for a billion-dollar underground sewer project mandated by a settlement it reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
It is hard to imagine. Akron finally completes Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel.
A local judge saw the fate of the project so hopeless because of endless delays that, he had wanted to appoint a monitor for the project.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced Thursday that the city has completed a major sewer project under a federally mandated agreement to reduce pollution flowing into the Cuyahoga River.
Funny. Akron is having a home run while it seems it would be in their own interest if nobody remembered that run...
https://www.wksu.org/post/akron-announces-major-milestone-sewer-overhaul#stream/0
Akron has reached a major milestone in its billion-dollar sewer overhaul. The city announced the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel is 100 percent connected.
Akron is so scared to loose their hard-earned sewage tunnel that, they immediately insured it. Probably from the judge who once, frustrated by the delays and Akron's apparent inability to manage the project that, had considered appointing a monitor.
cover tunnel photo by: Matt Brown from London, England / CC BY
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City of Akron and U.S. EPA ask the concerned judge to not appoint monitor over delayed sewer system
https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2020/01/akron-us-epa-tell-judge-to-not-appoint-monitor-over-citys-blown-sewer-system-deadline.html
Akron, U.S. EPA tell judge to not appoint monitor over city’s blown sewer system deadline
www.cleveland.comAkron and the agencies tasked with holding the city accountable as it works on a $1 billion underground sewer project wrote Friday that a court-appointed monitor to keep the city on track was unnecessary, despite the judge’s concerns about delays.