Dam Debate: Ross Commissioners Spar Over Stalled Water Retention Project

While Ross Township waits to see if a state grant will be extended, work has come to a standstill on a 25-foot high dam designed to control storm water runoff into Girty’s Run.

The $1-million dollar grant from the Pennsylvania department of Environmental Protection to pay for the project in Ross Township expired at the end of the state’s fiscal year, on June 30.

The dam is supposed to bridge the steep-sided valley that runs parallel to a portion of Cemetery lane and is designed to control storm water runoff into Girty's Run near Babcock Boulevard. 

In addition to the funding question, Ross Public Works Director Michael Fund told commissioners Monday night there are other issues.

“We have a lot of issues with DEP right now as far as putting the stream back in place, fencing, boundaries, there’s a lot of issues going on with the dam," Funk said. "The contractor has hired an outside engineering firm to try and get back in compliance with DEP. As of today, it’s not happened.”

Township manager Doug Sample said until the state makes a decision, the project is on hold.

“Until we receive that extension, we’re not going to do any construction because we don’t want to be stuck with a partially-built dam,” added Funk.

The issue then prompted this exchange between commissioners Dan DeMarco and Pete Ferraro.

DeMarco: “Last week, all it would have taken was for that storm to have moved north 12 or 13 miles and we would have businesses under water, we’d have a revival of the problems we had five years ago, we’d have a packed room in her tonight, guaranteed, and they’d be saying, what are you doing about the problem? Now imagine what if this board rejected any type of solution to the problem, how much worse it would be? We get blamed by the people in Millvale, we get blamed by the people in upper Shaler, and most importantly we get blamed by the people right down here.”

Ferraro: “The finding says that with the dam, the amount of remediation is less that one percent. For less that one percent, I don’t see spending a million dollars. I would rather see them dredge Girty’s Run and do something that is going to have a remedial effect in my eyes, more so than one percent reduction on storm overflows.

DeMarco: “With all due respect Pete, this was explained by our former engineer, that this was the beginning of a long term plan of water control in that watershed. This is only a part of it. It’s not going to be just one million dollars, it’s going to be several million dollars. 

Ferraro:  “And who’s going to bear the responsibility for maintaining it? Right now, the way it’s set up, Ross Township is the only one responsible for maintaining that dam down the road. I’m not in favor of that.”

DeMarco: “Well guess what, I’m in favor of doing something rather than nothing and having businesses up here blaming us time and again for the problem of flooding.”

Who do you agree with, Commissioner DeMarco or Ferraro? Tell us in the comments box below.

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