Pa. DEP report: No violations found at New Eagle properties

By ERIC SEIVERLING
eseiverling@yourmvi.com

After a month-long investigation that followed environmental complaints in the Borough of New Eagle, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released its findings Tuesday.
The report comes after the DEP ordered the borough to shut down a popular dump site behind the public works garage in March due to illegal dumping.
In the report, the DEP investigations of Ave and Belle Estates, Demolition Downfall, a residence on Seventh Avenue and dump sites owned by the borough and Morgantown, Pa.-based New Eagle Management LLC, found no violations, although DEP Community Relations Coordinator Lauren Fraley stated “potential violations were observed at some locations.” She also stated that the DEP referred potential drainage and erosion issues to the Washington County Conservation District for follow up. She said the DEP will also follow up the investigation.
New Eagle Borough Council President Jack Fine and Councilwoman Tanya Chaney said they haven’t seen the report and declined comment. Council members Saundra Bobnar and Barry Williams and Solicitor Tim Berggren did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the report, DEP agents investigated Ave and Belle Estates, located at 135 Union St., on March 22 after the DEP received a complaint of illegal burning. According to the report, DEP agents found a dump pile that consisted of couches, a China cabinet, arm chairs, mattresses, lumber, dry wall, carpet, tires and Christmas trees. According to the report, there were no visible signs of burning.
The report said DEP agents met with the site’s owner, Chuck Smith, who told them the debris was put on his property illegally by other individuals.
According to the report, DEP agents gave Smith one month to dispose of the debris appropriately.
On April 5, agents returned to Ave and Belle Estates for a follow-up visit, and agents reported a Big’s Sanitation dumpster was on the property filled with waste that was to be picked up that day and an empty dumpster would be dropped off at the site. Agents say Smith told them he planned to install a metal gate across his access road to deter illegal dumping on his property.
A person who answered the phone at Ave and Belle Estates Wednesday declined to comment on the matter.
Also on March 22, DEP agents investigated a popular dumping site behind the borough’s public works garage near Tubby Hall Park.
At the site, agents say they found acceptable items such as soil, concrete blocks and stone. However, agents reported unacceptable items such as construction debris, ready mix concrete and asphalt pavement were found on the site.
A follow-up by DEP agents on April 9 with Public Works Foreman Jason Miller states the waste was removed, the fill area has been closed indefinitely to the public and the site’s locks have been changed.
Another DEP investigation on March 22 occurred at Downfall Demolition located at 146 Chess St. In that report, agents say they observed numerous scrap heaps and oil stains, but they did not observe any active oil leaks or spills. Agents say they observed a fire pit on the property that consisted mostly of paper products and a cat play tower. Agents reported no violations on the property.
A call to Downfall Demolition for comment was not returned.
In the report, DEP agents also investigated the New Eagle Management LLC dump site adjacent to 918 Marion Street Ext. on March 23.
According to the report, agents observed the site consisted of “acceptable clean fill materials such as concrete chunks and soil.” The report does say the fill material is lying in the valley that drains into the tributary to Mingo Creek and “changing the natural course of water flow and as a result eroding the hillside.”
DEP agents said the erosion on the hillside will be referred to the Washington County Conservation District for follow up, and, “there are no waste concerns at the moment.”
DEP agents also conducted an investigation March 24 at a residence in the 300 block of Seventh Avenue after the DEP received a complaint of illegal burning and oil dumping on the property. In the report, agents say they drove by the property and observed “no signs of a burn pit or accumulated waste awaiting to be burned. There were no observed drums or containers of oil or signs of oil staining from potential dumping.”