Connellsville mayor responds to study
CONNELLSVILLE – A city leader is requesting more accountability from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers if it determines to allow additional water quantities to be taken from the Youghiogheny River. In the 39-page document submitted Wednesday, Mayor Judy Reed criticizes the corps for not addressing the environmental impact to the waters that flow through Connellsville or those communities north of the city.
“This indicates to the people that there is no concern for the City of Connellsville or that part of the Youghiogheny River,” said Reed. “Certainly God left this wonderful river to mankind and not to the corps or the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC).”
The documentation submitted by Reed was in response to the recently released feasibility study undertaken by the corps to determine if the waterway could support additional allocations to the authority and the availability of reservoir storage space for the added water supply.
Although the corps has determined to delay any water reallocation to the authority until April 2007 and make the storage space available to any water supplier, Reed charges that the report favors the needs of MAWC and that concerns raised by the city will not impact the final decision by the agency.
“This whole proposal was initiated because (MAWC) needs storage for water so that their (state Department of Environmental Protection) permit to withdraw 50 million gallons of water per day can be implemented,” said Reed. “MAWC does not have the demand for this much water.”
Reed proposes a more thorough study be completed to assess the impact to the waterway and those communities and other users.
Richard Dowling, public affairs officer for the corps, said Wednesday that all comments pertaining to the study are being reviewed by the agency.
“We certainly look forward to Mayor Reed’s response as well as any others within the Youghiogheny basin,” he said.
Although he could not provide the number of responses that had been forwarded to the corps, Dowling said each is being evaluated.
“I don’t have a count in front of me because we are continuing to get them in daily,” he said.
Dowling added that the public comment period expired Jan. 31, but the agency would continue to accept written responses from individuals, organizations and others.
It is also awaiting a response from Crouse and Company, an engineering firm hired by the county to assess the corps’ report and work with officials to develop long-term water needs plan.
The firm, according to Dowling, notified the corps that its response would not be forthcoming until mid-February.
After reviewing the comments, Dowling indicated the corps would take appropriate action that would be made part of the final report the corps is expected to forward to its Washington, D.C., headquarters.