ZOAR -- Senator Sherrod Brown is announcing a new bill to help protect the historic Village of Zoar.
According to a press release, Brown's bill would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to preserve the historic integrity of Zoar in any study or construction activities related to the village's levee.
"The Zoar levee was built to help one of Ohio's historic communities thrive along the Tuscarawas River, but this aging structure is in urgent need of repair or replacement," Brown said.
Zoar is protected from flooding by the levee built in the 1930s, but record floods in 2005 raised worries about the aging watery blockade.
The USACE is in the midst of a study to assess the levee's future. Removing the levee and flooding the town is among the ideas being considered. According to Brown, his bill would prevent this from happening by forcing the Army Corps to find a solution to maintain the town's historic integrity.
"This legislation ensures that Zoar is protected by requiring the U.S. Army of Corps to preserve its historic integrity -- either while studying the levee, or while rebuilding it," Brown said. "There is widespread, bipartisan support for protecting Zoar, and I am committed to ensuring that this extraordinary village remains intact."
The Village of Zoar, which was founded in 1817, was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "most-endangered historic places" in June 2012.
WKYC-TV