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Washington PA OBSERVER REPORTER:
Waste hauler accused of illegal dumping 3/18/2011 3:31 AM
By Tara Kinsell, Staff writer
tkinsell@observer-reporter.com
WAYNESBURG - A well-known Greene County waste hauler and his corporation were charged Thursday with illegally dumping millions of gallons of wastewater from natural gas drilling, sewage sludge and restaurant grease into streams and mine shafts in a six-county area.
After a two-year investigation, the state attorney general's office filed 98 criminal counts against Robert Allan Shipman, 50, of 432 Renner Creek Road, New Freeport, and 77 counts against his company, Allan's Waste Water Service Inc. of 1487 Toms Run Road, Holbrook.
"This was a calculated and long-running scheme to personally profit by illegally dumping wastewater, regardless of the potential for environmental damage," said acting Attorney General Bill Ryan.
Shipman is accused of orchestrating a scheme to dump waste products into streams, mine shafts and business properties across Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Proecutors said the activities took place between 2003 and 2009.
Charges include participating in a corrupt organization, criminal conspiracy, theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, pollution of waters, tampering with public records and violations of the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, Solid Waste Management Act and Fish and Boat Codes.
According to grand jury testimony, Shipman and his company were hired by multiple businesses in the region to haul and dispose of wastewater by-products.
Several former employees testified that Shipman instructed them to mix various wastewater products together in what they referred to as a "cocktail" and then dump that mixture at various locations throughout the region. Ryan said the reason behind the cocktail was to conceal the true contents of the wastewater, allowing it to be disposed of in an improper manner, as well as to increase the volume of disposals that were billed to various customers.
According to the grand jury, Shipman directed his drivers to falsify manifests so his company could bill customers for the full capacity of their trucks, regardless of the amount of waste actually being transported and disposed of.
Agents from the attorney general's office said they identified forged manifests for numerous businesses operating in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Penneco Oil Co., American Oil and Gas, Luzerne Township Sewage Authority, Menallen Township Sewer Authority, Washington Penn Plastics and others.
Ryan said Shipman is accused of stealing in excess of $250,000 from clients as a result of the over-billing practices.
April Morris, a former administrative assistant for Shipman's company, told the grand jury she was often instructed by Shipman to shred or discard the customer's copy of the manifest. She said Shipman would then instruct her to complete blank manifests with fraudulent information regarding the quantity of waste hauled, sign drivers' names to the manifests and send the manifests to customers.
Testimony by former drivers indicated that Allan's Waste Water was responsible for transporting and disposing of production water from gas wells owned and operated by CNX Gas. According to the drivers, CNX's gas wells began to generate more production water in the summer of 2007 than the company was capable of handling.
"It is a lot of information we need to digest," said Shipman's attorney, Christopher Blackwell of Washington. "Our contention has always been that this is a group of disgruntled employees who have made these accusations."
Blackwell said it appears the case is going to come down to the credibility of the witnesses who may have "an ax to grind with Allan Shipman."
The drivers told the grand jury that Shipman showed them how to leave water valves open at gas wells in order to allow production water to flow onto the ground and into nearby waterways. The drivers said this was typically done after dark or during heavy rains in order to conceal the illegal discharge.
Areas where Shipman is alleged to have directed wastewater to be dumped include Green Hill Tank Farm along Rush Run in Greene County, Morris Run Creek and Rush Run. It was further alleged by the former employees that Shipman directed them to dump residual wastewater left in the trucks at the end of the day down a drain at his business. The drain leads to Tom's Run, a tributary of Dunkard Creek.
It is also alleged that Shipman directed waste products to be dumped into the Morris Run air shaft at the abandoned Blacksville No. 1 Mine along Morris Run Creek in Brave. Consol Energy is permitted by the EPA to dump production water into the Morris Run shaft via a series of piping inlets. The airshaft leads to a mine pool that ultimately discharges into Dunkard Creek, according to Samuel Harper, DEP Water Management Environmental Program manager, who verified that Shipman and his company were not permitted to discharge waste into that location.
The criminal charges filed Thursday carry substantial prison terms upon conviction, along with fines in excess of $1.5 million for Shipman and $1.2 million for his company.
Blackwell said the defense is in the process of interviewing drivers from the company who have indicated that Shipman never directed them to do any of the things alleged in the complaint. Blackwell said these witnesses have also said that they never witnessed Shipman illegally dumping anything.
"There were a number of documents found in the trucks that Allan was unaware of what the drivers were doing while they were out," Blackwell said. "Maybe the lines at the dumping facilities were so long that they didn't feel like waiting in line there."
Christopher M. Capozzi, attorney for Allan's Waster Water Services Inc., had no comment.
Shipman is free on $500,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 6-7 before District Judge Glenn Bates.
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
EDITORIAL:
'Proactive' approach, well after the fact 3/17/2011 3:33 AM
It's interesting to juxtapose the comments made by Consol Energy and environmental officials when Consol announced that it would pay $6 million to settle claims stemming from hundreds of violations of the Clean Water Act at six of its coal mines in West Virginia, including discharges that resulted in a massive fish kill along Dunkard Creek in 2009.
The energy company will pay $5.5 million to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and another $500,000 to West Virginia agencies in connection with the fish kill, but it is doing so without admitting any liability. One company official talked about Consol's desire to avoid "pointless litigation."
By pointless, we have to assume Consol means ligitation from which it no doubt would emerge on the losing side. We doubt the company would make such a payment out of the goodness of its corporate heart. Of course, for an outfit that had revenue of $4.6 billion and profit of $540 million last year, perhaps $6 million is viewed as simply a minor annoyance, a pittance to be paid as a cost of doing business the wrong way, in terms of the environment, all those years.
Consol announced that in addition to paying the penalties, it would spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a new water-treatment plant to counter high levels of chlorides discharged from four of its mines in northern West Virginia.
In a news release, Consol President Nick Deluliis touted the company's "proactive demonstration" of its commitment to operating in an environmentally friendly manner.
Hardly. A proactive approach would have been to install the necessary water-purification equipment before the company's discharges repeatedly fouled the water and wiped out aquatic life along 30 miles of Dunkard Creek.
Statements from environmental officials carried a different tone.
Shawn Garvin, regional EPA administrator, said, "We are committed to cleaning up the waters of Dunkard Creek and the Monongahela watershed, and holding those who pollute it accountable."
And Ignacia Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, noted that in the settlement, "Consol takes responsibility for its past failures to abide by the terms of its Clean Water Act permits."
Consol might not admit liability, but accountability and responsibility will work just fine.
Now, if Consol would only drop its appeals and ante up the money needed to repair the dam at Ryerson Station State Park's Duke Lake, which the state Department of Environmental Protection determined was damaged by the company's longwall mining operations in the area.
Another "proactive" approach would be much appreciated by the people who have lost the use of that wonderful recreational resource.
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
Charleston Gazette Friday 18 March 2011:
19 delegates call for Marcellus permit moratorium
March 17, 2011 by Alison Knezevich
In the final hours of the legislative session Saturday night, Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor, was writing to state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman and collecting signatures from fellow delegates for the letter. With the failure to pass any legislation to regulate Marcellus drilling, Manypenny and others are asking Huffman to issue a moratorium on new permits.
Manypenny and Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, plan a Capitol press conference tomorrow at 1 p.m. to discuss the proposal.
According to the West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization, the other delegates who signed the letter are:
Larry Barker, D-Boone; Anthony Barill, D-Monongalia; Bonnie Brown D-Kanawha; Ray Canterbury, R-Greenbrier; John Doyle, D-Jefferson; Nancy Guthrie, D-Kanawha; Bobbie Hatfield, D-Kanawha; Linda Longstreth, D-Marion;
Dale Martin, D-Putnam; Clif Moore, D-McDowell; Don Perdue, D-Wayne; Mary Poling, D-Barbour; Virginia Mahan, D-Summers; Pete Sigler, R-Nicholas; Margaret Staggers, D-Fayette; Joe Talbott, D-Webster; and Danny Wells, D-Kanawha.
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 7:18 pm and is filed under Environment, House of Delegates.
March 17, 2011
House, Senate conferees wrap up state budget work
House and Senate budget conferees completed work on the 2011-12 state budget bill (HB2012) Thursday evening -- a bill that designates how state agencies are to spend a total of more than $11 billion for the budget year that begins July 1.
By Phil Kabler
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- House and Senate budget conferees completed work on the 2011-12 state budget bill (HB2012) Thursday evening -- a bill that designates how state agencies are to spend a total of more than $11 billion for the budget year that begins July 1.
The bill does not include additional funding to hire additional inspectors for new Marcellus Shale drilling sites.
On Wednesday, Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, had requested an additional $2 million for the Department of Environmental Protection budget, in light of the Legislature's failure to pass a bill to regulate Marcellus drilling.
However, House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said conferees will recommend that Tomblin submit a supplemental appropriation bill that would direct about $1.05 million of state funds that will be left over when the current budget year ends on June 30 to the DEP.
Legislators are expected to vote to approve the 2011-12 spending plan -- and act to correct and re-pass any bills vetoed by Tomblin for technical errors -- Friday.
That would mark the first time in recent years that the budget session, which this year started Sunday immediately following the end of the regular session, has not extended into the weekend.
White said it helped that the House and Senate versions of the budget bill were relatively similar, and that the Legislature did not pass a lot of bills with new spending initiatives.
"When we sat down and looked at the bills, we were really pretty close," he said.
Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, did have to build in about $67 million for pay raises for state and public school employees, judges and the adjutant general.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- House and Senate budget conferees completed work on the 2011-12 state budget bill (HB2012) Thursday evening -- a bill that designates how state agencies are to spend a total of more than $11 billion for the budget year that begins July 1.
The bill does not include additional funding to hire additional inspectors for new Marcellus Shale drilling sites.
On Wednesday, Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, acting as governor, had requested an additional $2 million for the Department of Environmental Protection budget, in light of the Legislature's failure to pass a bill to regulate Marcellus drilling.
However, House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said conferees will recommend that Tomblin submit a supplemental appropriation bill that would direct about $1.05 million of state funds that will be left over when the current budget year ends on June 30 to the DEP.
Legislators are expected to vote to approve the 2011-12 spending plan -- and act to correct and re-pass any bills vetoed by Tomblin for technical errors -- Friday.
That would mark the first time in recent years that the budget session, which this year started Sunday immediately following the end of the regular session, has not extended into the weekend.
White said it helped that the House and Senate versions of the budget bill were relatively similar, and that the Legislature did not pass a lot of bills with new spending initiatives.
"When we sat down and looked at the bills, we were really pretty close," he said.
Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, did have to build in about $67 million for pay raises for state and public school employees, judges and the adjutant general.
New initiatives in the budget also include about $6 million of additional funding for the Public Employees Insurance Agency and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), to expand coverage to include treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders, and $6 million of Lottery revenue for a fund to allow Eastern Panhandle counties to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities under a federal mandate to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
White noted that, unlike many states, West Virginia's economy has been relatively stable. He said the budget bill does not impose any significant funding cuts, even though the current budget was balanced using about $200 million of one-time federal stimulus funds.
"The Senate president and ourselves feel pretty comfortable with the future finances of the state," he said.
However, he noted that the state budget is heavily reliant on extractive industries, including production of coal and natural gas, and on gambling.
The 2011-12 general revenue budget -- the portion of the budget funded through state tax collections -- will top $4 billion for the first time in state history, an increase of about $250 million.
Overall, though, the total $11 billion spending plan will decrease by about 2 percent from the current budget, primarily because of reductions in federal funds.
"We've tried to keep it as tight as we can," Prezioso said of the budget plan.
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
New initiatives in the budget also include about $6 million of additional funding for the Public Employees Insurance Agency and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), to expand coverage to include treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders, and $6 million of Lottery revenue for a fund to allow Eastern Panhandle counties to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities under a federal mandate to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
White noted that, unlike many states, West Virginia's economy has been relatively stable. He said the budget bill does not impose any significant funding cuts, even though the current budget was balanced using about $200 million of one-time federal stimulus funds.
"The Senate president and ourselves feel pretty comfortable with the future finances of the state," he said.
However, he noted that the state budget is heavily reliant on extractive industries, including production of coal and natural gas, and on gambling.
The 2011-12 general revenue budget -- the portion of the budget funded through state tax collections -- will top $4 billion for the first time in state history, an increase of about $250 million.
Overall, though, the total $11 billion spending plan will decrease by about 2 percent from the current budget, primarily because of reductions in federal funds.
"We've tried to keep it as tight as we can," Prezioso said of the budget plan.
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
Wheeling WV THE INTELLIGENCER:
Halt To Drilling Permits Wanted Some lawmakers seek moratorium until new rules are put into place March 18, 2011 - By CASEY JUNKINS Staff Writer WHEELING - A group of West Virginia legislators wants the state's Department of Environmental Protection to stop issuing natural gas drilling permits until new regulations are in place.
State Sen. Orphy Klempa, D-Ohio, is not sure such a moratorium on new drilling permits would be worthwhile, however, because the DEP has already issued more than 900 such permits for gas companies to work in the Marcellus Shale.
"Having 15 inspectors for 59,000 wells is clearly inadequate. We need to drastically increase the number of inspectors," said Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia.
DEP Secretary Randy Huffman has said his Office of Oil and Gas now has 17 positions for well inspectors, but not all of those jobs may be filled. If there currently are 15 inspectors, that means each would be responsible for overseeing 3,933 wells.
Fleischauer and about 20 other legislators have already signed the moratorium request they are forwarding to Huffman. However, none of these legislators hail from the Northern Panhandle.
Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said he was unaware of the moratorium request, emphasizing his commitment to see the natural gas industry operate in an effective and safe manner throughout the state.
Klempa recognizes the need for action, but said preventing the issuance of more drilling permits would not solve the problem.
"I am hearing now that the industry doesn't really need any more permits right now. Now, their problem seems to be that they don't have enough drilling rigs to act on the permits they already have," he said.
There are now several well sites established in Ohio County that have recently seen gas rigs in use, including the Didriksen site on Dement Road and the Gantzer site near The Highlands.
"I think that after the special primary election, we will be able to have a special session to get this Marcellus Shale legislation done," Klempa said in reference to the May 14 gubernatorial primary election. "I feel we will get some meaningful legislation on this."
During the regular legislative session that ended Saturday, senators passed a bill that would have increased horizontal well drilling permit fees from $650 to $5,000. The bill failed to clear the House, however.
"We were close to an agreement, but just ran out of time," Fleischauer said. "There was no one thing that de-railed it."
The delegate said she does not believe allowing the industry to operate the way it does now is "an alternative worth tolerating." Fleischauer also questions acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's plan to ask the legislators to increase revenues for the DEP as part of a new state spending plan.
"Our proposal would have made the drilling companies pay for more inspectors," Fleischauer said. "The governor wants us to direct money that we would already be using for something else to pay for the inspectors. If this industry is going to reap such huge profits, they should have to pay for more inspectors."
The governor has also told Huffman to pursue new regulations for these drilling operations, in the absence of legislative action.
Tomblin cited Huffman's in-house rulemaking powers and said that "West Virginians deserve a comprehensive regulatory structure" governing this industry." However, Fleischauer does not see this as a real solution.
"The regulations as written are the law. The fees to charge for permits are written in the law," she said.
Natural gas compressor station worries Fayette residents
By Cindy Ekas FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, March 18, 2011
Fayette County residents expressed concerns about water, soil, air and noise pollution Thursday night at an informational open house for Burnett Oil Co. Inc.'s proposed construction of a natural gas compressor station.
The site is on county-owned property in the New Salem area.
Evelyn Hovanec, a member of the Fayette County Marcellus Shale Task Force created by county Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink, called the session held at the McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Department informative.
"I'm concerned about how the compressor station will affect soil, water and air quality in the future," Hovanec said. "If you look at history, what's taking place now is very similar to what happened with the coal industry in this area. We have to be concerned about protecting the environment for future generations. We also have to concerned about protecting tourism and our natural resources."
More than 100 residents who attended the open house were directed to various informational tables where Burnett officials and subcontractors answered questions about the project.
Erin Fronczek of 72 E. Main St., New Salem, said she lives across the street from another compressor station that was recently constructed.
"No one even told us that the first compressor station was coming," Fronczek said. "We were never even given an opportunity to voice our concerns. At least, we're getting a chance to ask questions and talk about our concerns this time."
Burt Walker, engineering manager for Burnett Oil Co. Inc's Canonsburg office, said the proposed compressor station site is about 200 feet south of New Salem Road.
He explained that a compressor station takes low pressure natural gas from multiple wells and prepares it for transfer into a transmission pipeline by removing water from the gas and increasing the pressure to match the transmission line pressure. The proposed Shoaf compressor station would have six compressors and water removal equipment.
Burnett Oil Co. has reached an agreement with Texas Eastern Transmission Co. to feed gas into its pipeline, Walker said.
"This pipeline travels from east to west across Fayette County north of the intersection of Krulock and New Salem Roads," he said. "The natural gas will be transported along the East Coast from Baltimore, Md., to New York City."
The proposed location for the compression station was selected specifically because of its distance from homes and other buildings, he said.
Walker said there will be vehicles traveling to and from the site while building is under way.
"We anticipate this traffic to amount to 20 to 30 vehicles per day," he said. "Construction is expected to last about three to four months. After construction, typically, one vehicle per day will enter the compressor or meter station once construction is complete."
Walker said state Department of Environmental Protection prohibits companies from allowing odors to escape from such sites.
DEP will conduct periodic inspections of the facilities to ensure that they are within compliance, he said.
Zimmerlink attended the open house. Commissioners Vince Vicites and Vincent Zapotosky did not.
Murrysville mayor voices Marcellus concerns
By Daveen Rae Kurutz MURRYSVILLE STAR Friday, March 18, 2011
Concerns about air and water quality spurred a Murrysville official to ask state legislators for help.
Mayor Bob Brooks, after reading a series of articles in The New York Times detailing hazards associated with wastewater from the Marcellus shale fracking process, sent a plea to Sen. Don White (R-41), Rep. Eli Evankovich (R-54) and Rep. Joe Markosek (D-25).
In his letter, Brooks requested the legislators take a stand to protect water and air near shale drilling sites.
"Air and water are state responsibilities because you are supposed to have access to the expertise," Brooks said in the letter. "Surely, the state can get the money from that industry to police it and protect us. There can be no excuse accepted. You must depend on accountability. It seems to me that 'your responsibility' must be to stop the process until the state gets it fixed."
This was not Brooks' first public support of a moratorium on Marcellus shale drilling. Last year, he sent a letter to legislators requesting a two-year moratorium from the state so that the Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies would have enough time to prepare for shale drilling.
"What you've got to do is hold up a little bit," Brooks said. "Then, let the permits get going again. It needs to slow down a bit."
Currently, there are no permits issued to drill a Marcellus well in the municipality. Council is reviewing a proposed ordinance that would restrict where drilling occurs in Murrysville; however, that ordinance has been met with a mix of resistance and support from the community.
Recent public hearings, as well as regular council meetings, have had numerous resident comments against drilling in the municipality. However, the past few meetings have seen additional residents supporting the ordinance.
Brooks said he addressed the state legislators because local officials have no authority to regulate air and water. The state Oil and Gas Act gave that responsibility to state officials.
"If people want to put those restrictions or controls or tests on Marcellus shale, they need to go to the state," Brooks said.
Evankovich, who serves on the House Environmental Resources and Energy committee, said he has received a lot of information about shale drilling since taking office in January.
"The simple truth is we are being presented with a mixture of information, some factual, some emotional," Evankovich said. "We have to separate the two and understand what is going on. We need to make sure this process is being done as safely as possible."
Evankovich said he isn't against drilling, but he wants to make sure his constituents and their communities are safe.
"I support fixing the industry," he said. "I do not support destroying the industry. We need to make sure what needs to be done and what is being done meet the high standards we set for ourselves."
Evankovich said there will be public hearings and many more discussions about the air and water quality near shale drilling. Joe Pittman, White's chief of staff, said the same thing will be coming out of the Senate. Pittman said White has been concerned about the negative impacts drilling could have on water and air quality in the commonwealth. White sits on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committee, which is taking a closer look at the New York Times report, which questions the safety of Pennsylvania's water.
That committee is planning hearings and reviewing legislation that would institute additional water and air protections, Pittman said.
"Sen. White absolutely believes we need to make sure public safety is the number one priority," Pittman said. "If there are pollution issues, they need to be addressed and corrected."
But so far, there haven't been major pollution issues, according to DEP.
The department reported Monday that tests of water located downriver from treatment plants that handle shale wastewater didn't show dangerous levels of radioactivity.
The samples, which were taken in November and December, came from the Monongahela, Conemaugh, Allegheny, Beaver and Tioga rivers, South Fork Ten Mile Creek and the west branch of the Susquehanna River.
Daveen Rae Kurutz can be reached at dmclaughlin@tribweb.com or 412-856-7400 x8627.
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Archer
To: Beth Little
Cc: Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 1:34 PM
Subject: Lewisburg drilling resolution, ordinance
http://www.register-herald.com/local/x449494771/Gas-drilling-regulations-ina...
March 17, 2011 Gas drilling regulations inadequate, council says
By Tina Alvey Register-Herald Reporter The Register-Herald Thu Mar 17, 2011, 12:03 AM EDT
LEWISBURG — State regulations pertaining to the development of the Marcellus shale gas reserves are inadequate, according to a resolution that Lewisburg City Council voted Tuesday evening to send to legislators and the acting governor.
In the resolution, city officials expressed their concerns about the lack of protection afforded the state’s water resources, particularly the Greenbrier River watershed, which is the source of water for Lewisburg’s regional system, serving 4,732 customers.
“State regulations do not adequately regulate the amount of water that can be withdrawn from aquifers and public bodies of water by Marcellus shale development companies in West Virginia,” the resolution reads.
Reference is also made to “contamination from liquid byproducts of hydraulic fracking technologies being released into public bodies of water.”
The resolution points to a lack of funding for adequate numbers of inspectors at the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to monitor the Marcellus developers.
“Its not (DEP’s) fault,” Mayor John Manchester said, noting that regulatory legislation proposed but not acted upon this year would have increased permit fees, thereby providing a revenue source for hiring more inspectors.
The mayor said DEP currently employs only 19 inspectors, but the state has issued more than 50,000 gas drilling permits.
The resolution calls for the governor to call a special session of the legislature to address the regulatory issue in a timely fashion and to declare a moratorium on horizontal drilling permits in the Marcellus shale until adequate regulations protecting water supplies are in place.
Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has shown no inclination to convene a special session on the Marcellus issue, instead calling on legislators to find more money in the budget to hire additional DEP inspectors and instructing DEP Secretary Randy Huffman to formulate new regulations within the department.
In a related matter, council approved the second and final reading of an ordinance prohibiting “locating, drilling, equipping or producing of any oil and gas” in any district within the city limits.
In other business:
Council adopted a general fund budget of $4.37 million for fiscal year 2011-12, as well as a $15,000 coal severance budget.
The coal severance revenue is once again being allocated to parks projects and, upon the mayor’s request, $8,000 from contingency funds will be set aside “to allow for projects as they may show themselves” to tout Lewisburg’s recent selection as America’s Coolest Small Town in a Budget Travel magazine contest.
Public Works director Mark Carver predicted the Route 219 North sidewalk project will begin in late April or early May. When complete, the sidewalk will link the downtown business district to Wal-Mart.
Carver noted interest in recycling is increasing, leading the city to obtain containers from the Greenbrier County Recycling Center in Ronceverte for pre-sorting at the city shop. He also reminded would-be recyclers to wash out containers before depositing them for pickup.
— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com
Julie Archer
WV Citizen Action Group
1500 Dixie Street
Charleston, WV 25311
(304) 346-5891
(304) 346-8981 FAX
www.wvcag.org
From: Beth Little
To: Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 9:23 AM
Subject: Lawsuit over gas royalties
Ah, those gas companies.
http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=6694922
Don Strimbeck, Sec/Treas Upper Mon River Assoc UpperMon.org MonRiverSummit.org WVU t-shirts & prints - FindHarri.com 109 Broad Street, P. O. Box 519 Granville WV 26534-0519 304-599-7585 (fax 4131) dcsoinks@comcast.net