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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. John Pallone
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Pallone, Export officials get state to make Export Flood Plan Project a top priority
HARRISBURG, Feb. 24 – State Rep. John Pallone, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong, announced that at a meeting today with Export officials, the Pennsylvania departments of Environmental Protection and General Services agreed to begin the bidding process for Phase I of the Export Flood Plan Project on April 15.
Pallone called for a meeting of Export officials and representatives from the Pennsylvania departments of Environmental Protection and General Services to discuss the extended delays of the project which would address the serious flooding problems along the Turtle Creek Watershed (letter attached).
"The bidding process for Phase I of this project was supposed to begin at the start of this month, but with the project still languishing in a DGS and DEP review process, I felt it was time for everyone to sit down together to solve the problems that are holding it up," Pallone said. "Today was not finger-pointing day, but find-a-solution day, and I feel confident that we did just that."
Elizabeth O'Reilly, DGS deputy secretary for public works, said part of the problem was that her department did not have the final design plans for the project, which was holding up the process of land acquisition. With cooperation from Export officials, she expected the bidding process to begin on April 15 and end the first week of June. A letter of intent would be mailed to the apparent successful bidder 10 days later, allowing that company to begin off-site work almost immediately. She estimated Phase 1 would be completed in November 2011.
"Having a firm date of when the bidding process will begin is second to actually having the project begin, but it is a major step forward for us," Export Mayor Michael W. Calder said. "Our community is devastated every spring because of flooding. Residents and businesses deserve to have this project completed as soon as possible, and I feel today's meeting cleared the way for that to happen. I want to thank Representative Pallone for setting up this meeting so we could move forward."
"I want to thank Representative Pallone and his staff for helping to get DGS to commit to firm dates for the bidding process and a target date of when Phase I will be completed," said Export Borough Councilman John J. Nagoda. "We are finally out of the dark on this project and moving forward."
Phase I of the two-phase project calls for the construction of more than 4,900 linear feet of various flood protection measures including concrete U-channels, concrete box culverts and channel bank widening. Phase II calls for the rehabilitation of the former Westmoreland Coal Company Dam in an area once known as Star Park on a tributary of Turtle Creek.
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Editors Note: A copy of Pallone's letter requesting the meeting is attached.
Attention News Editors: A print-quality photograph of state Rep. Pallone, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong, is available for download at www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.
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CONTACT: Lauren Rooney House Democratic Communications Office
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