Luzerne County about to get a little Greener
Posted on Monday, 01 August 2005 (14:13:59) EDT by admin
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By BRETT MARCY [email protected]
HARRISBURG – Luzerne County is set to receive $1.75 million in new state money to use at its own discretion for top-priority projects that protect or clean up the environment.
Only Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Philadelphia suburbs will get larger chunks of $90 million set aside for counties by last week’s passage of Gov. Ed Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative that allows the state to borrow up to $625 million for environmental programs.
“This gives the counties a little bit more control,” said Chuck Ardo, a Rendell spokesman. “The counties will submit projects that are high on their list of priorities that could or should be funded through Growing Greener II.”
In essence, it’s a way for counties to sidestep the lengthy grant application process required for most Growing Greener projects. As long as the project meets the funding requirements, it should be approved for funding from the county’s allocation of $1.75 million – or about $290,000 over the six years of the initiative.
The county has not submitted its priorities list to the state, but Commissioner Todd Vonderheid said there are plenty of projects that could benefit from the extra cash. He said the commissioners would work with the county’s state lawmakers to firm up a list of priorities.
“The state has thrown us $600 million. If we don’t get our fair share, it’s our fault,” Vonderheid said. “They’ve given us the tools. Now we’ve got to use them.”
One way to ensure Luzerne County gets its “fair share” would be to use a portion of the state money to create a new position in the county administration, he said. The new county administrator would be charged with overseeing the county’s environmental and recreational resources, and applying for state grants to improve them.
Some of the Growing Greener money could be used for projects that are already partially funded, or are in line for state aid, officials said. Also, the new influx of money could help pay for the cleanup of additional mine-scarred sites that haven’t yet been targeted for state funding.
“Mine reclamation is important for more than just aesthetic reasons,” Vonderheid said. “There are the environmental issues with abandoned mines and there are the safety issues.”
More than one-third of Growing Greener II’s funding, $230 million, will go to the Department of Environmental Protection for projects near and dear to the hearts of the region’s residents – abandoned mine cleanup, acid-mine drainage cleanup and sewerage outflow problems.
Any one of those problems would cost more than $1 billion to resolve, said state Sen. Raphael Musto, D-Pittston Township.
“In Northeastern Pennsylvania, we’re living with the problems that were created years ago,” said Musto, minority chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
“I would like to see more ... I tried to get Gov. Rendell’s full $800 million he proposed, but it just couldn’t be there. I’m satisfied with what we got.”
Once voters approved the borrowing of the money, lawmakers began haggling on how to spend it. While Northeastern Pennsylvania’s delegation lobbied hard for the abandoned mine cleanup and related issues, lawmakers in the sprawling Philadelphia suburbs pushed for open space preservation money.
“My argument to my colleagues in the urban areas is that my county cannot compete economically if we don’t clean up these environmental issues,” said state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke. “It really is a lifeline. This comes down to economic survival.”
In the end, both sides claimed victory. While the Northeast should benefit greatly from the $230 million allotment to DEP, the Philadelphia suburbs will receive help through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which will get $217.5 million to spend on improvements to state parks, forests and open space preservation.
Other statewide benefits include $80 million to the Department of Agriculture for farmland preservation and $50 million to the Department of Community and Economic Development for downtown revitalization projects.
Northeastern Pennsylvania’s needs may be far more than Growing Greener II can address, but it’s a start, Vonderheid said.
“It’s a drop in the bucket, but it’s a drop in the right direction,” he said.
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As part of the $625 million Growing Greener II environmental program, $217.5 million will be funneled to local and state parks to pay for maintenance needs and improvements. Here’s a look at some of the projects planned for state parks in Northeast Pennsylvania:
Ricketts Glen State Park – This park encompasses more than 13,000 acres with a lake and 22 named waterfalls. The park needs water and sewer upgrades at a cost of $5.1 million.
Frances Slocum State Park – Located in the Back Mountain, this park also includes a 165-acre lake and a large public pool. The park needs upgrades to the lake’s dam and boat launch ramps, improvements to the shoreline, campsite drainage and leveling, and repairs to the sewage treatment plant. Estimated cost is $1.6 million.
Nescopeck State Park – One of the newest state parks, it includes 3,000 acres and is primarily used for environmental education. The park needs work, including the removal of invasive plants, restoring native species of plants and additional resources for managing rare plant species in the park. Total cost is estimated at $170,000.
Archbald Pothole State Park – A 150-acre park, it is named for a 38-foot pothole that formed during the Wisconsin Glacial Period, around 15,000 years ago. The park needs repairs to its trail at an estimated cost of $8,000.
Lackawanna State Park – This 1,411-acre park features the 198-acre Lackawanna Lake as its centerpiece. Repairs to the campground and daytime use areas are needed, as well as lake dredging and pool improvements at a total cost of $3 million.
Tobyhanna State Park – This park needs dramatic improvements to its daytime use areas and restroom facilities, which are more than 50 years old. Total cost is $2.4 million.
Hickory Run State Park – This 15,700-acre park was once run by the National Park Service as a recreation demonstration area. Most of its facilities were built in 1938 and 1939 and need substantial repairs at a cost of $6.6 million.
Lehigh Gorge State Park – A popular tourist destination for people looking to many outdoors activities year-round, this park was never fully developed. Improvements would cost an estimated $7.9 million.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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