OHIO LAKE ERIE COMMISSION AWARDS NEARLY $10,000 TO
TOLEDO ORGANIZATION FOR CONVERSION OF SEPTIC SYSTEM RECORDS
Project will help in land-use planning, waterway protection
TOLEDO, OH A project to convert existing paper and electronic documents related to home septic systems in the Toledo area to a GIS format has received a $9,965 grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (LEC). The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments will administer the grant.
The converted documents will help Toledo-area health officials and regional planners readily evaluate sites and home sewage disposal systems in order to reduce or eliminate bacterial discharge into area rivers and streams. This three-dimensional (GIS) format will also help developers and local governments better share information related to the installation and maintenance of these home septic systems.
These quarterly grants are limited to $10,000 or less and are generally awarded for one year unless the specific nature of the project warrants a longer time period. Small grants are intended to be seed money to test the feasibility of larger research efforts, for small demonstration implementation projects, technology transfer, and public participation projects. Small grant proposals are reviewed and selected at each quarterly meeting of the LEC.
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was created to preserve Lake Erie's natural resources, enhance its water quality and promote economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the departments of transportation, development, health, agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The commission oversees the Ohio Lake Erie Protection Fund, which is the source of grant funding. This fund is supported by Ohioans each time they purchase a Lake Erie license plate displaying either the Marblehead Lighthouse or the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse
both designed by artist Ben Richmond. During the last 12 years, the commission has raised nearly $8 million through the sale of Lake Erie license plates. The money has gone to a wide range of efforts to preserve and enhance life along Lake Erie.