If
the plant’s discharge contains a pollutant above its allowable
limit, the Ohio EPA may issue a Notice of Violation, as well as fines
or penalties. The Sycamore plant has not received any Notices of Violation
in the last two years, except when the plant was out of commission during
the July 2001 flood. MSD is working diligently with Ohio EPA to avoid
any violations related to extreme wet weather conditions.
Since the
early 1990s, Michelle Nelson, the Sycamore plant’s lab technician,
has volunteered with a local, non-profit foundation dedicated to improving
water quality in area streams and rivers. Called Greenacres (http://www.green-acres.org/),
the foundation uses students and teachers from 25 area high schools
to monitor the waterways, including the Little Miami River and Sycamore
Creek. Ms. Nelson helps train the participants in proper water sampling
techniques, water chemistry measurements and biological analyses. She
also provides the various schools with supplies and donated MSD equipment.
During
the 2001/2002 school year, Sycamore High School students sampled Sycamore
Creek at its confluence with the Little Miami River (downstream from
the Sycamore plant’s discharge outfall). Data from two years of
sampling show that the creek has not been adversely affected by effluent
from the plant. All water data from the Greenacres water monitoring
project is made available to interested citizens, communities and government
agencies.