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Environmentalists plant green agenda in County Council
Wednesday, February 02, 2000 By Don Hopey, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
As the machinery of Allegheny County's new government cranks up, several environmental groups want to make sure its emissions are clean and it's painted green.
Clean Water Action took that message to the County Council meeting yesterday, urging adoption of an "environmental agenda" that it says will improve the local environment and residents' health.
"The new county government is just getting down to business and we haven't heard much at all about where the members are coming from environmentally," said Myron Arnowitt, Clean Water Action's Western Pennsylvania director, before the meeting. "We're interested in seeing the new government take on some environmental issues; ones that haven't been adequately addressed before."
Also appearing at a news conference outside the courthouse were representatives of the Neville Island Good Neighbor Committee and Stand for Children.
The Clean Water Action agenda, presented to council by Arnowitt, calls for better enforcement of environmental laws by the county Health Department, reductions in pesticide use at county parks and golf courses, an increased commitment to recycling and an end to county subsidies for environmentally destructive projects and companies that violate their permits.
"The Deer Creek Crossing mall project in Harmar, for example, would destroy eight acres of valuable wetlands, yet it's in line for a $25 million county tax break," Arnowitt said. "We'd like the new council to reopen that agreement and take into account the environmental issues."
Arnowitt also asked council to appoint new members with environmental backgrounds to the county Board of Health and commit county resources to protecting area rivers and drinking water, with special emphasis on reducing sewage overflows that occur during and after most rainstorms.
"The sewage issue is not just an environmental issue, it's also a serious development issue," he said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has mandated improvements to the sewer systems in most of the county's municipalities, more than 16 billion gallons of raw sewage flows into area rivers and streams every year.
In spring 1997, the EPA threatened to fine the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and its 83 municipal members $275 million for sanitary sewer overflows on 50 to 60 days a year. The sewer system repairs could cost Alcosan $1 billion and the municipalities up to twice that.
Councilman Charles Martoni, D-Swissvale, called the sewer system "an absolute disaster" and said County Council will have to get involved.
"We've only been in office a month, but I haven't even heard anyone utter the word environment," Martoni said. "It's time we took on some of these issues. We need to get the state, with all of its surplus money, to create a kind of 'Marshall Plan' for area municipalities facing big sewer reconstruction bills."
Mike Crossey, D-Mt. Lebanon, who was endorsed by the Sierra Club, said he will support environmental programs but only after the county gets its finances in order.
John DeFazio, D-Shaler, an at-large representative who is council president, said the body will have a better idea about environmental issues after committees are appointed next week and begin their work.
Arnowitt said the environmental groups will seek meetings with each of the new council members in the next few weeks.
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