News

November 18, 2009

Development’s ‘contaminated water’ noted

Wright Twp. subdivision linked to people involved in the ongoing Luzerne County corruption probe.

JANINE UNGVARSKY Times Leader Correspondent

WRIGHT TWP. – The lone homeowner in a townhouse development once known as The Sanctuary said he doesn’t want anyone else to fall victim as he did, and he wants to know who in Wright Township is responsible for making that protection happen.

Nick La Rosa, who owns and lives in the only completed house in the development that has since been renamed Whispering Ridge, brought his concerns before the regular meeting of the township planning commission Tuesday night.

“There is TCE (trichloroethylene) in the underground water, and there is no question (the developers) knew it,” La Rosa said. “Who in Wright Township protects the interests of the residents?”

The commission took no action on the development other than noting the plan is under review by the commission’s engineer. The developers have until Feb. 3, 2010, to address any concerns raised by the commission or file for an extension to keep the project on the commission’s agenda.

The development is linked by the people involved in it to the ongoing Luzerne County corruption probe. Separate from the probe linked to the juvenile justice scandal, attorney Robert Powell, former county judges Mark A. Ciavarella and Michael T. Conahan and their wives, along with Powell’s former law partner and former county prothonotary Jill Moran, guaranteed the bank notes developer W-Cat used to fund the $4.5 million project loan.

Moran, who has not been charged, agreed to cooperate with authorities. Powell, Moran’s former law and business partner in W-Cat, pleaded guilty to concealing the alleged crimes of Ciavarella and Conahan. The former judges face racketeering charges for allegedly participating in a $2.6 million kickback scheme related to construction of two juvenile detention centers and the placement of youths in the facilities. Powell had been a co-owner of the PA Childcare and Western PA Childcare.

La Rosa said he lived in Massachusetts before buying his home in 2007 and was unaware of the contamination.

He read a section from the Public Offering Statement from The Sanctuary that said in part that developers “have no knowledge of hazardous substances” on the site and relayed how when someone spray-painted “TCE tainted” by his house, the developer told him it was done by someone who was disgruntled with a lawyer associated with the project.

Wright Township Secretary Joan Malkemes said disclosure of the cancer-causing agent underground at the site is between the buyer and seller.

Planning commission members said they noted his concerns but had no authority to do anything related to the contamination. They told La Rosa he could take his concerns to the township supervisors and should have legal recourse with the developers.

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