DISCUSSING — Jefferson County Port Authority Executive Director Robert Naylor, left, addressed members of the agency’s board of directors during its meeting Wednesday. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — In a tight timeframe, the Jefferson County Port Authority submitted three projects to the 2025 Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Remediation Program, the agency’s executive director reported Wednesday.

Robert Naylor told the port authority’s board of directors that three Jefferson County properties have been submitted to the program, in hopes of earning funds to remediate legacy environmental issues and ready the properties for future development.

JSW Steel USA Ohio, Tidewater Honey Creek and Energy Transition and Environmental Management LLC own the respective properties, which have been included previously in the port authority’s 2022 or 2024 brownfield funding awards for assessment or remediation work.

The submission was “quite a push” for the port authority, Naylor said, noting that the portal opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The port authority had submitted all of its projects by 10:48 a.m., and, roughly two hours later, the portal reached its capacity and closed.

Before opening, the portal had a shorter lead time than the port authority had initially anticipated, Naylor said. The agency was able to respond, owing to a “pre-vet document” distributed to officials, seeking to prepare projects for submission ahead of time.

“Maintaining contact with important stakeholders in the community and continuing dialogue allowed us to be prepared and be able to submit a complete grant application, notwithstanding the fact that the submission date was moved up,” Naylor said later.

The 2025 program will offer approximately $50 million in grants to help property owners assess or clean sites afflicted with environmental liabilities that preceded their ownership.

Naylor said there is no guaranteed amount or “set-aside” for any county that applies. Each county is limited to a maximum of $10 million in grants, if awarded.

The request for ETEM comes in at $2.5 million, with a total project cost of about $3.3 million. JSW’s request is about $2.13 million with a total project sot of about $2.84 million, and Tidewater’s request is $287,000 with a total project cost of $383,600.

JSW operates the steel manufacturing facility in Mingo Junction and is seeking to rehabilitate its north and south yards, while ETEM is demolishing the former W.H. Sammis Power Plant to open the property up for development.

Tidewater is a limited liability company formed by Tidewater Logistics, which operates a multi-modal facility in the former Sheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill footprint in South Steubenville. The company hopes to remediate part of the property for its own expansion or to sell.

Program guidelines require that each property have at least a 25 percent local match, Naylor said, adding, “We have 25 percent from each company, who are very important stakeholders in Jefferson County and want to promote sustainable economic growth in Jefferson County.”

Separately, the board voted to support the third-annual Shark Tub pitch competition with a $500 sponsorship.

For the past two years, the port authority has sponsored the competition, contributing $500 last year and $100 the year before. Taking inspiration from the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” the competition challenges entrepreneurs and burgeoning businesses in Eastern Ohio to present their ideas for a chance to win cash prizes up to $5,000.

Participants may hail from any of the ten counties served by the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association: Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Muskingum and Tuscarawas. This year’s competition will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 24 in the campus center at Zane State College.

Naylor told the board that the yearly event is still new and working on becoming established, like similar events in other regions. However, this year’s competition will receive support from more sponsors and an improved format.

Whereas previous years’ competitions were designed in a way that favored participants with more crowd support, Naylor said, this year will see business plans, incorporation, intellectual property and other assets factor more heavily in judging.

Naylor said he hopes to advertise the event through social media, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and Paramount Pursuits to draw Jefferson County entrepreneurs and budding businesses as participants.