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Masontown water repairs less than anticipated

By Erin Hayes for The 3 min read

MASONTOWN — Officials on Tuesday voted to withdraw a funding request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that was once deemed necessary to pay for upgrades to the borough’s water treatment plant mandated by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Officials had been seeking up to $2.5 million in USDA funding after the DEP threatened to impose fines and penalties should the borough fail to address certain deficiencies in the plant’s sludge removal system.

However, following much review and based upon the advice of the borough engineer, the project has been downgraded to include only the mandated requirements and will cost around $400,000, said President Frank McLaughlin. The project will be paid for through the borough’s capital expenditure fund and a $708,000 loan from the Municipal Authority. That will allow the borough to move forward with a waterline interconnect project designed to alleviate problems at the water plant. The project includes using $105,000 left over in H2O grant money, McLaughlin said. The 30-year loan from the Municipal Authority includes a 1 percent interest rate with no penalty for early repayment.

“We added a lot to that project. We were doing a lot of stuff that wasn’t required, such as replacing piping,” McLaughlin said. “We’re not doing as much now. And there were too many hoops to jump through” in acquiring the USDA funding, he added.

In February, council approved payment of $8,100 in fines levied against the borough by the DEP for slow reporting practices regarding the discharge from the borough’s sewer treatment plants into local water ways.

In a 5-1 vote Wednesday, council also agreed to send a letter to the DEP opposing gas industry operations near the Mt. Sterling Road pump, an area where residents have complained that constant water hauling operations were disrupting their lives and depreciating property values.

Councilman Harry Lee cast the sole opposing vote.

The new company intending to haul water from the river is similar to Energy Corporation of America (ECA), which previously worked in the area and drew residents’ ire, McLaughlin said.

ECA operations have been shut down for nearly two months while interested parties continue to iron out zoning requirements specified by the county zoning hearing board.

In other business, council:

n Announced an E-Waste Recycling program at German-Masontown Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 25. Residents are encouraged to bring their unwanted tires, computer equipment and electronic devises to the event for disposal in an ecologically responsible manner. For more information and a complete list of items accepted, contact German Township Supervisor Dan Shimshock at 724-970-9100.

n Announced that road crews were continuing to fill the numerous pot holes in the borough.

n Voted to place a $203 lien on 113 North Field St. for unpaid utility bills.

n Rejected a time clock PST 1000 agreement that was determined not to be cost-effective, council said.

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