Export officials on board with $5M-$10M Turtle Creek remediation project

Export officials voted unanimously Tuesday to grant a conservation easement to their neighbors in Murrysville, for the use of borough-owned property as part of a large-scale acid mine remediation project in the Turtle Creek watershed.

Murrysville and Export are home to two of the largest mine-water sources in the Turtle Creek Watershed. Long-abandoned mine activity, combined with the natural flow of stormwater, has resulted in the slow leakage of various chemical elements over the years.

The Murrysville Area Watershed Association is requesting the conservation easement for a large property that Export Borough owns in Murrysville, off Borland Farm Road. Export officials are a few years into a long-term plan to do selective timbering on the property.

The project comes with a price tag of $5 million-$10 million and would include an automated lime slurry treatment plant, which would clean impurities like sulfur and aluminum run-off from mine water before pumping it into publicly accessible ponds where game fish can be raised and caught.

“If this project comes to fruition, I think this is going to be a big deal for everyone along the Turtle Creek watershed,” borough solicitor Wes Long said.

Council voted to grant the easement as well as consent to right-of-entry for state Department of Environmental Protection officials, who will also be involved in the project.

Watershed association executive director Jim Morrison said the easement is a crucial component in the pursuit of grant funding for the project.

“When we apply for funding, they’re going to want to know if we have control of the property,” he said.

Paving partnership

Export officials are debating whether to include Harding Street on a list of roads to be paved in partnership with Murrysville officials this summer.

“I think we have some questions about Harding,” council President Barry Delissio said. “We’re not certain whether it’s a public or a private street.”

Harding Street has two spurs that come off the middle of Roosevelt Avenue, each of which run past a handful of homes. However, the road is only partially paved, and the upper spur runs directly to a private garage.

“We’ve been plowing the street since I was in my 20s,” said councilman and public works director Steve Opsitnick. “But we haven’t done anything apart from plowing.”

Councilman Vince Harding said old Google Maps images show that in 2013, Harding was paved.

“But do we know who paved it?” Long asked.

Long said borough officials will look at what historical documentation they have regarding the street, and will make a decision at their July meeting.

Delissio said they may opt to swap it out for a small section of Lincoln Avenue between Kennedy Avenue and the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.

Festival to honor ‘62 graduates

Export’s annual Ethnic Food & Music Festival will take place Aug. 17, and the theme will honor the last graduating class at the former Export High School.

“This year’s theme will be ‘62 for 62,’ because it’s been 62 years since the Class of 1962 graduated,” said Councilwoman Melanie Litz.

Alumni from the class are invited to a 3 p.m. ceremony at the festival.

In addition, vendor spots remain open for the festival. They are $100 per space, and the deadline to sign up is July 15. The festival schedule will be released later this summer.

For more, see ExportPennsylvania.com.