Westmoreland residents weigh in on revised plan to reduce flooding
Westmoreland County commissioners held a public hearing seeking comments on the county’s updated flood abatement plan laid out by the Westmoreland Conservation District and the county’s planning department.
The public hearing attended by a handful of residents was held ahead of the commissioner’s anticipated vote on the Integrated Water Resources Plan on Thursday.
Jim Pillsbury, an engineer with the WCD, said the plan was revised after input gathered at an initial public hearing held in May.
“Water is really our most important resource,” Pillsbury said at the public hearing.
Recent rainfall has brought flood control to the forefront in the county, where 5% of county land is in the 100-year floodplain and nearly 9,200 residents – or 2.5% of the county population – live in areas that could face a catastrophic flood every century.
Pillsbury said the plan isn’t a reaction to recent flooding. In December 2015, the commissioners passed a resolution to begin the process and after 3 陆 years of work that has included numerous studies.
The process – identifying problems and possible solutions – has been a partnership between the WCD, the county’s pubic safety and planning departments, and the commissioners. The process also got municipal solicitors and engineers involved.
According to Pillsbury, the problems outlined in the plan includes water used by thermo-electric, water use by unconventional gas well drilling and stream impairment in the Indian Creek Watershed.
The plan will allow various municipalities to obtain funding to deal with individual challenges in stormwater management.
The plan “relies strongly on partnerships and everyone working together,” said Pillsbury. “We’re not here to impose one solution on every problem.”
Revisions included in the updated plan include changes to definitions and clarifications, a time limit on reviews and areas of the plan where individual municipalities can edit the plan to suit them.
The 162-page plan is available for review online at www.westmorelandstormwater.org.
After the commissioners approve the plan, the state Department of Environmental of Protection will review and approve the plan. Once approved by DEP, municipalities in Westmoreland County will have six months to enact an ordinance in accordance with the plan.
Five county residents signed up to speak at the hearing, but instead of comments on the plan, most laid out specific issues of flooding in their municipalities. One resident, Emil Bove, who is also an engineer, spoke in favor of the plan.
“Every municipality is up stream from another municipality. Everyone can do their part,” said Bove. “This is a good plan for the county.”
In addition, Chris Tantliner of the county’s public safety department spoke at the hearing.
“When stormwater solutions fail, it can cost people their lives,” said Tantlinger. That’s why public safety and 911 were involved in the process, he said.
The county’s public safety department fields hundreds of calls after a flooding incident and charts those calls to help with future flooding abatement planning.
The resolution to approve the plan will appear on the commissioner’s regular agenda on Thursday, and the commissioners are expected to approve it.