Harveys Lake speeds phosphorus plan

HARVEYS LAKE – The borough council is halfway to reaching its long-term goal of limiting the amount of phosphorus from storm water entering Pennsylvania’s largest natural lake.

To continue on the path to success, a new nutrient separation baffle box will be installed off Wood Street in September. The baffle box is specifically designed to filter out sediment and phosphorus from runoff before it enters the lake.

In the late 1990s, the borough sought assistance from Princeton Hydro LLC of Exton, Pa., to help with creating a healthy eco system within the lake.

Wood Street is one of 23 strategic sites Princeton Hydro identified to efficiently reduce sediment and phosphorus from entering the lake.

The baffle box’s purchase price and cost of installation totals $73,969, which will be covered through a 319 grant the borough received in 2008 under the Clean Water Act, said Fred Lubnow, director of aquatic programs at Princeton Hydro.

Lubnow said the long-term goal is to reduce the 230 pounds of phosphorus entering the lake.

“We are halfway there,” he said.

He said 1 pound of phosphorus has the potential to produce up to 1,100 pounds of cotton candy-like algae.

Lubnow said the reason baffle boxes were chosen was due to their efficiency in removing phosphorus and sediment and they are easy for the borough to maintain.

In other business, council announced the newly formed Hearing Board on Gas Drilling received a draft of changes to the Zoning Ordinance addressing the gas industry from Jack Varaly of Pasonick Engineering.

Council Chairman Francis Kopko said the draft includes items such as buffer zones and road use to protect citizens against the gas drilling industry.

The draft was just received earlier this week, he said. It should be ready for public review by next month.

Also, council approved a bid of $8,123 from Auto Wholesalers of Hollidaysburg to purchase a 1998 GMC dump truck from the borough.

Other bids received were from Kenneth Wentzel, $3,000; Michael D. Veneziano, $4,101; Bernard Saylor, $2,863; Shae Adamshick, $3,550; Albert Russo, $2,609; and Gregory Preate, $2,529.50.

Also, council is seeking residents with construction or engineering experience to serve on a Board of Appeals. The board would hear disputed cases of residents not accepting the decision of Pasonick Engineering, the borough’s third-party engineer inspector.

Those interested may contact the borough office at 639-2113.