The Robeson Township Board of Supervisors discussed a proposed sewage treatment plant Sept. 16, but the board wants to meet with the Department of Environmental Protection before voting.
Gary Cupppels, Stewart & Conti engineer, had been expected to address the board and those in attendance on matters concerning the proposed wastewater treatment plant for Green Hill Estates and Green Hill Lakes. Standing in for Cuppels was Attorney Henry Koch.
The proposed treatment plant could, economically speaking, significantly affect many residences of the Green Hills Lake area. The board approved Act 537 plan of 2009 does give builder Stewart & Conti reasonable right to expect public sewage according to Solicitor Chris Hartman. However, the supervisors have several concerns they would like to address during a meeting with the DEP before moving forward.
The possible addition of another developer coming in could result in far larger sewage collection well exceeding what was originally estimated in the 2009 537 act. Also the township is unclear if the treatment plant would remain private or public. Such a change between private and public would result in the township being responsible for maintenance and the cost of maintaining the facility, according to Hartman.
“It is not to say there shouldn’t be or won’t be a sewage plant built. It may still be the right outcome, but to the extent of change in some of the facts, it raises the question should there be some additional planning,” said Hartman.
Attorney Koch joked, “I can assume then the board is not prepared to vote yes on the new wastewater treatment plant.”
The board is attempting to hold a meeting with DEP in the next several weeks before moving ahead.
In other news, Board members approved for Chief Road Master Billy Lonza to purchase piping needed for Buck Hollow Road in the hopes work can get a head start in the case of a mild winter.
The board also approved the attendance of Galen Brown, Board Secretary and Tom Keim, Manager, to the Berks County MS4 Cooperative Education Committee Training Event. The MS-4 Storm Water Management Program is a pollution prevention program for municipal operations and maintenance.
“Everything is getting tightened up from how it was done in the past,” said Kim. Brown added, “The program looks to make up for the sins of the last 300 years.”
Also, Tom Bebb, representative for the Birdsboro Climb & Clean held for the last eight years at the Birdsboro Quarry, presented the board with this year’s safety plan for the event, noting the information was complete with a liability release form and emergency plan and access maps. In addition to the group’s earlier submission of an official address to 911, the board asked that emergency routes through the quarry be better marked this year.