Newspaper Articles & Information

Water
Article by Leroy Andre 2/2/04

     Residents of the Petroleum Valley will be able to get additional information on the cleanup of contaminated sites that led to the loss of water for many homes, businesses and others in the Petroleum Valley by visiting the public session to be held at the Petrolia VFD Social Hall between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., February 10.
     Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Northwest Director Kelly Burch has urged all residents of the northern Butler County and Northern Armstrong areas where waste chemicals were deposited in abandoned mines, strip mine ponds and other sites where they leaked into the water systems, to attend the sessions during the four hours he will be at the VFD Building.
     Burch, who is the project manager for DEP in the cleanup, will discuss recent and upcoming site activities and related water issues.
     Burch said that much progress has been made during the past six months, and that the cleanup of the Apple Road disposal area where Shaw Environmental began work on Dec. 9, but had to suspend the operation in late January due to the severe winter weather. The cleanup will begin again just as soon as the weather permits.
     Progress in the cleanup and the tasks that remain, and the design and construction of the new public water supply system that is advancing rapidly, will also be discussed.
     On Dec. 2, the Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority approved a state grant to construct a public water system to serve residents whose private water wells and other water supplies were threatened or impacted by the contaminations. The new system will supply drinking water for 0ver 900 homes, businesses and institutions in the impacted areas where bottled water is now being supplied.
     Additional information on the Petroleum Valley water situation, can be obtained by checking www.bearcreekpa.com.

Petrolia Water, East Brady & Rimersburg Police, Bridge Project
Article by Leroy Andre - 1/9/04

     East Brady Borough Council members will again discuss the possibility of working out an agreement to have a cooperative police arrangement with Rimersburg, where both communities now have just part time police officers.
     Bernard Hall, in leading the discussion, said that it would be cheaper for both communities to have a full time police officer by having a working agreement. A number of residents have complained about speeding in the borough now that they don't have a full time officer.
     Hall noted that the flashing red lights on the police car were not working properly, and that under a police agreement, radar could be used in detecting speeders. A visitor to the council meeting said that with radar, fines to be paid by violators would help pay for the officer and equipment. They also noted that it wouldn't be for the profit, but for the safety of pedestrian and other drivers.
     PennDOT has requested a map of where water lines are as they prepare for the new bridge. A discussion ensued on who would be responsible for lighting on the new bridge, when it is constructed.
     Bids were opened on work at the playground and for a retaining wall repair near the bridge area. Anderson Construction, Greenville was the successful bidder on both projects. Their bid of $79,900 was accepted for the playground, and $33,955 was low bid for the retaining wall.
     The agreement to supply water to the Petroleum Valley was reviewed prior to Hall and Wagner attending a meeting with the Petroleum Valley Municipal Water Authority.
     According to Hall, approximately 40 percent of the water supplied by the 12 and 16 inch wells will be delivered to the contaminated water stricken Petroleum Valley, that includes a wide area of Northern Butler County, and a smaller part of Northern Armstrong County.
     The purchaser of the water will be responsible for construction of the line across the Allegheny River, to the meter pits and to the area of the wells.
     Hall and Wagner were given the results of the discussion to present to the Authority, that included the water rate, length of the agreement, responsibility for repairs and other items to be agreed upon, or discussed for clarification before the agreement becomes final.
     Included were length of the agreement, length of rate quotes, providing for no rate increases without Brady residents rates being increased also, payment of invoices, how often meters will be checked, repair costs and other liabilities. 

Apple Road
Article by Leroy Andre 12/8/03

     A cleanup of the contaminated water source on Apple Road, Fairview Township, has begun to protect surface water and water wells from further contamination, one of over two dozen sites in the Bear Creek Watershed.
     Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch, of the Department of Environmental Control (DEP) said that the remediation work in the many cleanup areas where chemical waste was deposited in the 1950's to 1970's, has begun by Shaw Environmental to halt further contamination.
     "Getting clean drinking water for the Petroleum Valley residents has been our first priority. Now that the Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority has agreed to build and operate a public water system, we can focus our attention 
on preventing additional contamination by remediating the disposal area," Burch said.
     The water sources were contaminated when chemical contaminants found their way into the water sources, with help from rains and melting snow, and were carried to the aquifers that feed private water sources. The cleanup process will prevent additional groundwater contamination by creating a barrier between the precipitation and the soil.
     The in-place containment of wastes and related construction activities will run into next spring, and cost approximately $450,000.
     The Bear Creek Area Chemical Site includes at least 24 locations where industrial waste has been documented or is suspected of being dumped. The sites include Fairview, Parker and Concord Townships, in Butler County, and Perry Township in Armstrong County.
     The Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority (PVRWA) approved a state grant on December 2, to construct a public water system to serve residents whose private water wells have been threatened or impacted by contamination at the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site. East Brady Borough will be the water source for the PVRWA system.
     The PVRWA was formed in 2003 with representatives for the impacted communities of Northeastern Butler County and Northwestern Armstrong County. The new system will provide drinking water for more than 900 homes, businesses and institutions in the impacted area where DEP is now providing bottled water.

Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority 
Article by Leroy Andre - 11/4/03

     The proposal presented by the Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority has been accepted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to construct a water system to replace the contaminated water sources previously used by residents to be served by the new water system.
     Kelly Burch, Regional Director of the DEP, announced November 4, that the PVEWA had presented a proposal that has been approved that would provide for construction to start in the spring of 2004. The proposal would secure water from the East Brady Borough Water System, and would provide for water for Roseville, in Armstrong County, where residents have been seeking public water for many years. Grant money had been received to build an independent water distribution outside the area impacted by the Bear Creek area chemical site. Under the PVEWA proposal, Roseville would be able to connect and receive its water from the PVRWA main line.
     The East Brady system was selected to provide the water earlier this year after several sources had been studied. Kittanning Suburban Joint Water Authority had also submitted proposals, which were slightly higher than East Brady's.
     DEP's selection of the Petroleum Valley regional Water Authority  was one of three proposals, and was selected by DEP because its package as a whole best meets the consumer cost objectives and length of time required for implementation. Evaluation of factors of construction cost estimates, projected average monthly residential customer rates and how quickly water system construction could begin and end.  The PVRWA has already agreed to the tap-in ordinance language.
     The system selected to provide water to 900 home, business and institutional customers in Fairview, Parker and Concord Townships, in Butler County, and and Perry Township, in Armstrong County, resulted from contamination by chemical industrial wastes in the 1950's to 1970's. Bruin, Petrolia, Karns City and Fairview Boroughs have also been affected.
     The proposal must still be voted on and approved by the board members. The proposal for the water system is expected to cost $16,641,479, authorized under the Provisions of the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act. Under the proposal, the average household would face the lowest monthly bill, approximately $23.70, compared to the other two estimates.  The Kittanning proposal would have a monthly household cost of $15,755,167, with an average monthly costs of $30, and the East Brady proposal would have been $15,755,167, with an average monthly bill of $24.10.
     DEP contractors continue to move ahead with the first cleanup project. Shaw Environmental is completing design work for remediation of the Apple Road disposal, which will be started this fall. There are at least 24 sites where the industrial waste has been documented or is suspected of being deposited.

Compton
Article submitted by Leroy Andre -10/7/03

     Crompton Corp., present owners of the former Witco Chemical Corp., Petrolia, has agreed to pay $4.5 million, as a responsible party to the contamination of water in the Petroleum Valley. The money will be used to assist in the cleanup of the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site and to help a new public water system for the polluted sites.
     Kelly Burch, Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in announcing the agreement, said that it is the second negotiated settlement with responsible parties as they continue their work in the issues involved.
     "This agreement has Crompton paying it fair share to provide clean drinking water and help clean up the disposal areas. Besides the financial settlement, Crompton has agreed to continue remediation at its Petroleum Valley plant under the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program," Burch said. 
     He added that the agreement is in the best interest of all state taxpayers, especially the people whose lives have been disrupted by the contamination at the site. Notice of the agreement will be published within the next two week, and will open a 60-day public comment period.
     Those desiring to make comments should contact Chuck Tordella, DEP Bear Creek Chemical Site Project Manager, at 814-332-6648, or . Unless comments demonstrate that the agreement is inappropriate, the agreement will become effective after the 69 day-day comment period.
     Through the Bear Creak Area Chemical Site project, a proposed public water system would provide drinking water for more than 800 homes, business and institutions in the impacted area of northeastern Butler County and Northwestern Armstrong County. DEP is currently negotiating with local water authorities to design, build and operate the new water system.
     As the cleanup and water replacement project move forward, DEP will seek reimbursement from other responsible parties. The Bear Creek Chemical Site includes at least 24 locations where industrial waste has either been documented or is suspected ti have been disposed, The waste was dumped from the 1950s to the 1970s in various areas of Fairview, Parker and Concord Townships, in Butler County, and Perry Township in Armstrong County. Francis Spitzer, now deceased, and others transported wastes from Witco Chemical Corp, now Crompton, and other companies were contributors to the waste disposal.
     DEP is providing bottled water to nearly 1,000 homes and businesses in the area after tests showed that the waste site conaminated ground water and water wells. In March 2002, DEP announced that it was taking immediate action to have the sites cleaned up. In addition to construction of the water system, DEP has assigned several of it contractors to investigate and perform remedial work at the disposal areas as part of the project.

East Brady Water
Article submitted by Leroy Andre 5/23/03

     East Brady, which was not mentioned in a Department of Environmental Resources informational meeting in the Karns City High School on sources under consideration as the supplier of water for the Petroleum Valley, has been chosen to to supply treated water for over 900 customers who lost their water through chemical contamination.
     The January meeting indicated that the Parker City Water System was to be selected as the source of water to supply the residents who were received bottled water pending construction of a system to supply residents of Bruin and Petrolia Borough and parts of Parker, Fairview and Concord Counties in north east Butler County and Perry Township in northern Armstrong County. 
     DEP officials later said that members of the Southern Clarion County community had began lobbying for their East Brady water supply to be selected to supply the water, which they said could be supplied at lower cost than the Parker source. There was not sufficient time to investigate prior to the January meeting, where it was announced that a Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority had been formed to construct a new water system.
     Kelly Burch, Regional Director of the Department of Environmental Resources, announced on May 22, that DEP had reached a decision to select East Brady Borough as the water source for providing water for the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site. 
     "We have spent two months carefully evaluating public input regarding water supply source for the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site, before selecting East Brady Borough," Burch said. A number of sources, including Parker, the Pennsylvania American Water System, out of Butler, the Kittanning Municipal Water System and other smaller systems, had been considered.
Burch added that they had determined that the East Brady system can meet the needs of its current customers as well as the Bear Creek customers now and in the foreseeable future. The East Brady option was also the most favorable option in the final cost to consumers.
     The Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority, comprised of members from the areas where the chemicals have contaminated the water, will design, construct and operate the new $12.8 million water distribution system. The system will provide water for those in the areas where the 24 discovered sites of chemical wastes dumped by the late Francis Spitzer and others from refineries in the Petrolia area. 
     Beazer East, Inc., who purchased the Koppers Company, Now Indspec, agreed in an agreement announced recently, to pay $18.1 million dollars to assist in the cleanup of the chemical sites and the water system, with additional money to be sought from Witco, now owned By Crompton Corp. and others suspected of the chemical dumpings.
     The Beazer payment was made to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, HSAC, and is the largest cash settlement in the history of the Act. In March DEP announced that a HSAC grant will fund the authority's design and construction of the new water system. In addition to the construction of the water system, DEP will investigate and perform remedial work at the disposal areas as part of the HSCA project.
     State Representative Fred McIllhattan, has been active in efforts to have East Brady supply water to the contaminated areas, in addition to council members.

DEP & Beazer East, Inc.
Article by Leroy Andrea 5-8-03

     An agreement between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Beazer East Inc. has been finalized, with Beazer paying more than $18.1 million dollars for cleanup of the Bear Creek Chemical sites and for installation of a new public water system for the Petrolia area.
     Kelly Burch, Regional Director of DEP, announced the agreement Thursday, stating that it is the largest cash settlement from a responsible person in the history of Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program. "We believe this settlement is in the best interests of all Pennsylvania taxpayers, especially the people whose lives have been disrupted by the contamination at the sites", Burch said.
     The proposed public water system would provide drinking water for more than 900 homes, businesses, and institutions in the impacted area of northeastern Butler County and northwestern Armstrong County.
     The Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority. formed by townships and boroughs involved in the contaminated water areas, will design, construct and operate the new water supply system.
     Burch, in announcing the agreement with Beezer, said that Beezer is paying its fair share to provide clean drinking water and help clean up the disposal sites. "The Bear Creek Area Chemical Site is very complex, and the largest cleanup project under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup," he noted. He added that the agreement will help them avoid future delays and legal costs, moving ahead to ensure residents are made whole by the corrective action.
     The DEP will continue to seek reimbursement from other responsible parties and the cleanup and water replacement project moves forward.
     The Bear Creek Area Chemical Site includes at least 24 locations where industrial was has either been documented or suspected, where waste was disposed of from the 1950's until the 1970's in various areas of Fairview, Parker and Concord Townships, Butler County, and Perry Township, in Armstrong County. Francis Spitzer, who is deceased, and others transported wastes from Koppers Co., the corporate predecessor to Beazel East Inc., and other companies to the various sites.
     DEP is providing bottled water to approximately 800 homes and businesses in the areas where waste sites had contaminated ground water and water wells. Beazer East is providing water to approximately 135 additional homes.
     DEP announced in March, 2002, that it was taking immediate action to have the sites cleaned up under Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act. (HSCA). in addition to construction of the water system, contractors will be hired by DEP to investigate and perform remedial work at disposal area as part of the project. A HSCA grant will fund the design and construction of the system.
     Following the discovery of the contamination in the Haysville-Fairview areas, The STOPS organization took action on the contamination and was receiving bottled water from Beezer prior to the contamination being discovered in Petrolia and the Bruin Elementary School. DEP then began supplying bottled water in those areas.
     A number of public meetings were held and a web site was set up on the Bear Creek situation, at www.state.pa.us PA Keyword, Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act.

PETROLIA WATER
Article by Leroy Andre  1-23-03

     The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Baker Environmental reviewed several of the water possibilities that could be used for a municipal water system for the Petroleum Valley area, with the Parker City Water Authority's system having the best potential to meet the needs of the water contaminated area.
     Baker Environmental listed Parker City, the Kittanning Municipal Water Authority and the Pennsylvania American Water Company as the top three of the systems investigated. Parker City appears to be the best source and received the endorsement of DEP and also was the most popular choice of those attending the informational meeting in the Karns City High School Auditorium.
     Under the Parker proposal, cost of the system would be approximately $11.8 million to construct with additional costs to up grade the filtration system and install a pump station near Bruin. Approximately 13, 500 feet of 12 inch line from Parker to Bruin would be required and a pump station would be required to distribute the water throughout the core area of contamination.
     The system could be installed in 12 months at an estimated cost of $11.9 million. The system would include fire fighting capabilities and fire hydrants. Mark Gorman, Regional Hazardous Sites Clean Up Program Manager, in listing the three top proposed systems, said that Parker was the least expensive and required the least time to construct.
     The Kittanning Suburban Water Authority and the Pennsylvania American Water Company at Butler, were the other two possible suppliers considered. The investigative procedure also included Petrolia Borough, Chicora Borough, the Miller Water system in Karns City, Brady's Bend Water Authority, and the industrial systems of Indspec and Witco in Petrolia.
     All except Kittanning and Butler were eliminated due to lack of capacity, cost and time required or their positions in the water pollution area.
     Under the DEP program, the cost of construction and distribution of water to individual homes and businesses will be paid by DEP, who will then proceed to collect the expenses from the firms responsible for the pollution, which happened in the 1930's, continuing into the early 1950.
     No tap in fees, which in many areas reach $5,000 to $6,000, will be required as the lines are placed into the homes, meter pits and meters installed,  Several of those who attended the meeting objected to the plugging of wells and disconnecting lines into their homes. DEP officials explained that plugging the wells and not using the area water would prevent the contaminated water from being brought to the surface and again contaminating the surface and streams.
     "In addition to providing safe water, we are going to clean up the contaminated areas, and in order to keep the contaminated water from again reaching the surface and renewing the contamination, the wells must be plugged," Kelly Burch, PADEP Regional Director said.
     While the DEP may not enforce the plugging of wells and cutting lines from the homes, the costs would be paid by DEP. Any property owner not plugging the wells and disconnecting the lines, would have the expense to pay himself, if he attempted to sell the property.
     Mitchell Brouman, who said he was the Ecology Director for Beezer East, Inc., and that he was working with DEP in reaching agreement on finalizing his company's responsibility on the contamination. He stated that Beezer, Inc., had purchased the former Koppers Company, and Beezer is acknowledging the contamination and cooperating in the cleanup.
     Beezer first started supplying bottled water to residents in the area surrounding Fairview and Karns City Borough, where STOPS originated and secured the first bottled water, and then DEP provided bottled water as more areas were found to be contaminated. Over 850 total homes, with the Bruin Elementary School and area businesses also receiving the bottled water.
     DEP estimated that homes use 50 to 75 gallons of water each day for drinking, showering and other household needs, commercial businesses would use 1,750 gallons a day, and the Bruin School 7,000 gpd. At least 170,000 gallons would be used daily, with a three percent increase over the next 30 years.
     The DEP officials said that they were continuing checking homes for contaminated water, and those attending the meeting were given the opportunity to list their names if they believed they were in the contaminated area and for water testing. They will also continue to test after the system is in place to ensure that no contamination remains.
     Easements will be needed before construction starts, and efforts have started in some area to have the right of way secured so that work can proceed when the final plans are reached.
     The Petroleum Valley Municipal Water Authority will be owners of the system when it is completed, and are actively involved in planning, designing and preparing operation procedures.
     Gorman said that additional public meetings will be held to keep the public informed on the program as it advances towards a good water supply for the Valley.

RIVER WATER
Submitted by Leroy Andre 10-2-02

     Residents of the Petroleum Valley area who suffered loss of their water supplies through contaminations of chemical residues deposited in abandoned strip mines, deep mine shafts and down old oil well pipes, may not have to wait as long as originally thought to have safe water.
     Hundreds of families, the Bruin Elementary School, businesses, restaurants and others in the Petroleum Valley have been receiving bottled water since the wide-spread disposal of the waste chemicals made their drinking water unusable. 
     Those affected by the contamination will have the opportunity to learn more on the efforts to secure clean water in the areas included, at a public discussion on possible construction of municipal water systems, during the hours of 3 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8, when results of a study are made known.
     The Department of Environmental Protection, after several public meetings, appointed Baker Environmental to study a number of potential water sources to and make recommendations for a system that would provide water to the affected areas. Included in the Petroleum Valley area are the Boroughs of Bruin, Fairview and Petrolia, with parts of Fairview Township and Parker Township, in Butler County, and a portion of Perry Township, in northern Armstrong County. 
     Possible water sources included the water from the Allegheny River, at Parker, The Pennsylvania-American Water Company and the Kittanning Suburban Joint Water Authority. The Parker Area Authority and the Kittanning Authority uses water directly from the River, and the Butler based system uses water from the Oneida and Thorn Run dam reservoirs, but also has a water line to the Allegheny River at East Brady for use in severe water shortages.
     Man area residents favored the Parker sources, and their suggestions were also the top source in the three final sources narrowed by DEP following the Baker study. Those attending the Oct. 8 meeting, will have the opportunity to view all three recommendations.
     Using water from Parker would enable residents to have new water in approximately 13 months, with construction costs estimated at $11.8 million dollars. The second choice, from the Pennsylvania-American Water Co., would cost $16.7 million, requiring 22 months to complete, and the Kittanning project would cost $12.3 with a completion time of 15 months.
     The Parker plan, favored by both the DEP and most residents affected, would be operated by a new water authority. Following the public meetings previously held, the townships and boroughs affected by the contamination were urged to have their officials involved in the planning process. 
In addition to viewing the options available, residents will have the opportunity to learn more about the makeup of the authority during the hours of 3 to 5 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Fairview Township Municipal Building, on the Hooker Road, near Karns City. 
     Bottled water will continue to be provided to the residences where the water has been tested positive for the contaminants until the new system is in operation. Beezer Company, who has been responsible for much of the chemicals wastes in the water, is supplying some of the bottled water, and DEP is providing the water in other areas. Beezer had previously operated Koppers Chemical Company, now Indspec, in Petrolia.
     Spread range of the chemicals are not fully known and many residents outside the present known contamination areas fear that other contaminated sites remain unknown. 

Petroleum Water
Article by Leroy Andre 10-9-02

     "It's like the light at the end of the tunnel," Michelle Czekalski Bradley, a certified general appraiser for Czekalski Real Estate, Inc., said after viewing drawings of the route of the proposed community water system on display yesterday at the Fairview Township Municipal Building.
     Several hundred residents visited the display of maps and drawing prepared by Baker Environmental who Conducted a feasibility study of the various sources of water that would best serve the Petroleum Valley. Several hundred residents, businesses and the Bruin Elementary School have been receiving bottled water since chemical elements from local refineries contaminated both individual water sources and water systems.
     Representatives of DEP, Baker, and others explained the route selected, and most favorable to the residents, that would have water brought to the area from the Allegheny River. Chuck Cordella, Project Manager, explained that several sources had been considered, with the Kittanning Suburban Water Authority and the Pennsylvania American Water Company included with the Parker City Water Authority.
     Cost of bringing water from Parker was considered the least expensive, at $11.8 million, with 13 months required for construction. Pennsylvania - American Water Co., cost would have been $16.7 million, requiring 22 months to construct, and Kittanning Suburban Joint Water Authority's cost would be $12.3 million and take 15 months to construct.
     The construction time would be after design, necessary permits, right-of-ways, and other details would be completed during the winter months, with construction anticipated to start in the spring of 2003.
     The system would be constructed by the newly formed Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority, using money received under a HSCA-funded grant. All costs, including connections to the homes and businesses, would be included in the construction figures, with only a water usage fee charged to home and business owners when the system is completed. The new authority would maintain and operate the system after it begins operation.
     Additional meetings will be scheduled by DEP as the program proceeds with the formal proposal and design and construction proceeds. A 90-day public comment period will exist during which the public can give their comments.
     The contaminants that has destroyed private and public water supplies has been shown to come from wastes dumped in old strip mine dams, down old mine shafts and down abandoned oil wells, with the Beezer Co., former owners of Indspec, as the largest contributor of the hazardous wastes. Beezer in accepting responsibility, has been providing bottled water in the areas outside Petrolia Borough, while DEP has provided those within the borough.