IMPORTANT
MESSAGE FROM YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
We are continuing to work on a
solution to resolve the issue regarding the WVSA Storm Water Fee. For many
years the Township was able to comply with the MS4 requirements with in house
employees. In September of 2017 we researched the requirements of a waiver of
the MS4 permit but due to our proximity of a five-mile radius to an “impaired”
(polluted) stream we could not satisfy the requirements and did not apply for
it. We were even successful in obtaining a grant for work on installing
infiltration piping along Jackson Road to comply with the permit requirements
at that time. When the Phase II EPA requirements to reduce pollutants and
sediment by 10% over five years took effect, it was apparent the Township was
no longer able to afford the cost of managing the program in house. It is
estimated that costs over the five years would exceed $3,000,000 which would
have required a huge tax increase. As a result, we entered into the agreement
with WVSA which would share the cost of the program with other municipalities. It
was our understanding that the cost to our residents would be in the range of
$3.00 to $4.50 per residential unit per month. As soon as we discovered that
this was not the case for many, we notified WVSA of our concerns and asked them
to reconsider their method of determining the rate. Although some changes have
been made to reduce the burden, we still believe that our residents are being
treated unfairly. As a result, we again researched the possibility of applying
for an MS4 waiver. In doing so, we discovered that some recent changes to the
map showing the impaired stream had changed. The impairment now begins outside
of Lehman Township and it is not a result of surface runoff. Any surface water
leaving Lehman does not contribute to the impairment.
It took a few weeks to prepare our
case and on February 1, 2019 we applied for a waiver of our MS4 permit. We are
confident that our request has merit this time. If we get the waiver, we will
no longer need to comply with the MS4 requirements and will immediately request
termination of the agreement with WVSA.
We are confident that we’ll have
some good news to report soon. Please share this information and follow this page so all our
residents are getting the most up to date and accurate information. Also find and follow us on Facebook for this and other Township information. Our Official Facebook page is Lehman Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Dave Sutton, Chairman
Lehman Township Board of
Supervisors