News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 1999

NEW ODNR FACILITY AT ALUM CREEK STATE PARK IS HOME TO GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY,
EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION CENTER AND WATERCRAFT DISTRICT OFFICE

DELAWARE, OH -- The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) officially opened a new $2,250,000 facility in Delaware County today to house the state's new geologic sample repository, the Ohio Earthquake Information Center and ODNR's district watercraft office. The 35,000-square-foot facility, located within Alum Creek State Park, jointly serves ODNR's Division of Geological Survey and Division of Watercraft.

During the ceremony, ODNR Director Sam Speck dedicated the geologic wing of the building -- including the repository, laboratories and earthquake information center -- in honor of Horace R. Collins, who served as Ohio's chief geologist from 1968-1988. The Division of Watercraft district office, also located in the new facility, serves 17 central Ohio counties. Watercraft officers posted here are responsible for patrolling waterways, investigating boating accidents, and providing boating education opportunities in the region.

Centerpiece to the Horace R. Collins Laboratory is a warehouse containing thousands of important rock core samples and well cuttings from across Ohio. Five laboratories have also been constructed for geologic studies.

The facility also features the state's new Earthquake Information Center, a control center for Ohio's new 14-station network of seismographs installed across the state earlier this year. The new seismic network is the most comprehensive system ever established in Ohio, and is considered by geologists to be among the best in the Midwest. The seismic stations are located at universities and government facilities in or near Ashtabula, Athens, Bowling Green, Celina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Lancaster, Lima, Painesville, Portsmouth, Toledo and Wooster.

According to ODNR, the new facility was constructed using funds from Ohio's NatureWorks program, created after the passage of the Ohio Parks and Natural Resources bond issue in 1993.

The facility is located at 3305 South Old State Road, south of Delaware.

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For Further Information Contact:
ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6886