Brownfields Needed Backing

Beaver County Times, August 27, 2004

Beaver County Times, September 2, 2004

 

 

A man just bought a property on Duss Avenue in Harmony Township, only to find petrochemicals just a few feet down in the soil.  I would be amazed if he has anywhere near enough cash to pay for the clean up.

 

This site is called a Spot Brownfield.  Cleanup is provided by EPA's Brownfield Program.  Any former industrial or commercial site can be included.  It is specifically designed for petrochemical waste, asbestos sites, and sites that are less than 70% current and best use.  It is not the usual grant structure of 80% federal, 15% local, and 5% personal funds.  In the end, Brownfields pays the whole thing.

 

I met with Melissa Hart and Pat Geho last year and urged them to contact Dr. Lange at CMU.  They could have developed a working understanding of the program, and then gone to every township, boro and ward in Beaver County to develop an inventory of all the eligible sites. 

 

They could have worked with Dr. Lange, Commissioner Donatella, and others to prioritize this list and develop a Beaver County Brownfields Program.  Hundreds of sites could have been cleaned up at substantially less cost. 

 

Nothing happened.  I know of five spot Brownfields just along Duss Avenue which may never get cleaned up because of a lack of representation.

 

I have talked to Steve Drobac about Brownfields and he gets it.  Something will happen.

 

If you want to clean up the neighborhood, generate some development, and create some jobs, give Steve a call.  He's on the web.

 

Roger Thomas

Harmony Township

 

 

 

Kiss Hart Goodbye

Beaver County Times

October 12, 2004

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13121049&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478566&rfi=6

 

 

On July 26, 2002 Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) won a resolution (H.R. 5005) that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from awarding contracts to off-shore tax havens.  Rep. Melissa Hart voted against the resolution. 

 

Tax havens are designed for purpose of avoiding American and Pennsylvania taxes.  Democrats, like Steve Drobac, have been fighting them for years.  Hart wants the Federal government - in this instance the Department of Homeland Security - to do business with them.

 

DeLauro's motion passed the House 318-110. Originally only seven Republicans voted for cracking down on the tax havens.  When it became apparent that the motion would pass, more than 100 Republicans switched their initial vote to side with Democrats and join the fight.  In the end, all but one Democrat supported the measure, and Republicans split evenly at 109 to 109.

 

Hart was one of those 109 who voted in favor of doing business with corporations that don't pay taxes.  She wants you to pick up the tab.

 

This is another example of why I'm voting for Steve Drobac.

 

Danny Sainovitch

Ohioville