Lawmakers Press For Answers On Jefferson Twp Water Bottling Outfit
Question Use of Grant Funds and Impact of Tapping Laurel Hill Creek
SOMERSET, June 19, 2009 – Concerned over the possible impact of withdrawing thousands of gallons of water daily from the already-endangered Laurel Hill Creek in Jefferson Township, State Senator Richard A. Kasunic and State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar are questioning whether a water bottling company should be given a pumping permit.
The lawmakers are also pressing officials from the state Department of Community and Economic Development over whether Cooper Springs Trout Hatchery properly used a $146,000 state agriculture and tourism grant in 2005 that was supposed to be used to open a trout hatchery.
“Those state dollars were supposed to be used to benefit the community with an economically-beneficial recreational outlet,” Kasunic said. “I am concerned that the state’s investment is now being used in a non-related operation that would produce very few jobs and result in stressing an already fragile watershed.”
Metzgar added, “This new enterprise would not produce jobs or have any substantive local presence. Instead, our community would be saddled with big trucks going up and down our roadways and bridges and trucking out more than 100,000 gallons of water each day from this endangered creek.”
Kasunic and Metzgar cautioned that the Laurel Hill Creek watershed is listed seventh nationally on a list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers, according to American Rivers, a national nonprofit conservation organization.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has agreed to hold a public meeting to discuss the project on June 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bakersville Fire Hall.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Following is the text of the letters from Sen. Kasunic and Rep. Metzgar.
June 17, 2009
John Hanger, Secretary
Department of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17105
Dear Secretary Hanger:
We are writing to express our concern about the issuance of a permit allowing water to be drawn from a well within the Laurel Hill Creek Watershed to supply water-bottling plants around the country. The Laurel Hill Creek Watershed already supplies Somerset Borough and Seven Springs Mountain Resort. This additional permit may have significant environmental impacts and adversely affect public water reserves.
Furthermore, this spring the Laurel Hill Creek was named one of the nation’s 10 most-endangered rivers by American Rivers, a Washington D.C. –based nonprofit. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also expressed their concerns for the vitality of Laurel Hill Creek, noting that some sections run dry during the summer months.
Recently, we were also made aware that the well, which will be utilized to remove the water, was drilled utilizing state grant funds approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) through the First Industries Agriculture Planning program. Through this program, the Cooper Springs Trout Hatchery was able to obtain $146,000 in state assistance to operate a hatchery. We have requested that the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) review the grant to ensure that the money was spent correctly and consider repayment of the grant if the dollars were not used as intended.
Finally, we would be remiss if we did not point out that this proposed permit will provide no significant economic impact to the region. This may actually end up costing the region since the permit applicant will be utilizing township roads and bridges to move the water while also posing a significant public safety issue.
Once again, we reiterate our opposition to this permit application and ask that it be denied. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Richard Kasunic
Representative Carl Walker Metzgar
June 17, 2009
George Cornelius, Acting Secretary
Dept. of Community & Economic Development
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4th Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Secretary Cornelius:
We are writing to you given your position as Chairman of the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). In 2005, the CFA approved a $146,000 First Industries Agriculture Planning Grant (the grant) for the Cooper Springs Trout Hatchery in Jefferson Township, Somerset County.
As we understand, the grant funding was to be utilized to open and maintain the Cooper Spring Trout Hatchery for the purposes of strengthening the region’s agriculture and tourism industries. While we are not fully aware of the operating circumstances of the trout hatchery, we do believe that grant funding may have been used to drill a well that supplied the water source for the hatchery.
More recently, we were made aware that an entity by the name of Cooper Springs Bottling Company is now operating out of the Cooper Springs Trout Hatchery. Furthermore, the bottling company has applied to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for a permit to remove large amounts of water from the Laurel Creek Watershed to supply water-bottling plants around the country. The bottling company plans to extract this water by utilizing a well built with state funding designated for the trout hatchery.
Local opposition is mounting against the issuance of this permit by DEP, since this spring the Laurel Hill Creek was named one of the nation’s 10 most-endangered rivers by American Rivers, a Washington D.C. –based nonprofit. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also expressed their concerns for the vitality of Laurel Hill Creek, noting that some sections run dry during the summer months.
Given this scenario, we believe it is in the best interest of the commonwealth that the Department of Community and Economic Development fully review and audit the grant to ensure that the money was correctly spent, and that all additional requirements were met. If any irregularities are found, we would request the CFA consider repayment of the grant dollars.
We appreciate your time and concern on this most serious matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Richard Kasunic
Representative Carl Walker Metzgar
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CONTACT: CHARLES TOCCI
PHONE: (717) 787-5166
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