PPG Industries Environment, Health and Safety

With the September 2006 dedication of a three-quarter mile link in the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs on PPG’s Barberton, Ohio, property, the vision of a 110-mile natural heritage corridor for biking, hiking and other activities took another step closer to completion. The towpath, where mules once walked more than 150 years ago to pull canal boats through the Ohio & Erie Canal, will ultimately run from Cleveland south to New Philadelphia, Ohio. Four miles of the trail are planned for the Barberton property, with 2.3 miles completed and the remaining 1.7 miles scheduled to open in 2008. Sometime soon, Barberton will erect a kiosk on its segment of the trail to showcase the plant’s industrial heritage beginning in 1899 and to also provide information on PPG’s global presence and the lime lakes reclamation program. Under a 20-year land-use agreement, PPG retains ownership of the land but grants permission for the towpath to be constructed and operated. The cost of trail construction— nearly $3 million—is paid for by the county park district and from federal matching funds. “Although Metro Parks leases almost all the land that the towpath occupies in Summit County, the four-mile PPG portion is the only section on private, non-public property,” said David C. Whited, chief of planning & development for Metro Parks. “It’s an outstanding example of a community-minded corporation stepping up to the plate and recognizing an opportunity to give something back to its community.”

Trail Project Links Barberton with the Community