Whenever it rains here in Pittsburgh region – even just a little bit –
stormwater runoff from rooftops, parking lots, roads and sidewalks runs into
the sewers. There is so much water that it overwhelms the system and that
sewage and stormwater are discharged into the Monongahela, the Allegheny and
the Ohio –
our beloved Three Rivers.
The federal government has mandated that the Allegheny
County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN), the main sewer authority in the Pittsburgh area, fix this
problem. This will be the region’s largest public works project ever and it is
ALCOSAN ratepayers that will bear the cost.
Ratepayers in the 83 southwestern Pennsylvania municipalities that ALCOSAN
serves will see a cost increase of 60% over the next four years to pay for the
purchase of a $70 million bond to finance the project. And that $70 million is
just a small fraction of the total projected cost of over $2 billion. Ratepayers
will be seeing many rate hikes in the future.
It is very important that the money for fixing this problem
be invested wisely, fairly and in a way that brings the most benefits back to
our communities. Other communities facing the same mandates have decided to
invest in green infrastructure strategies that catch as much of that stormwater
where it falls instead of letting it go into the sewer in the first place.
This includes planting trees, installing permeable pavement,
building green roofs etc. When those communities made that choice they found
that the got many other benefits beyond catching the stormwater. The green
investments created jobs. They raised property values. They revitalized
business districts. They produced cleaner, cooler air. They reduced flooding.
We want to live in a clean, vibrant Pittsburgh with good jobs and healthy
neighborhoods. We have the opportunity to invest in that future now. It is up
to us to ensure that this biggest ever public investment creates economic
opportunities and healthy communities for generations to come.
ALCOSAN’s original plan was to build big tunnels under the
three rivers. This plan was rejected by the EPA because it didn’t give us the
clean rivers we need and deserve. ALCOSAN is negotiating with EPA on a new plan
but their public announcements indicate they are still planning to prioritize
the tunnels.
The Sierra Club is a founding member of the Clean Rivers
Campaign. The Campaign is calling for a public meeting to support investing
ratepayer money in the wisest way possible. We want all members of the
community to pay their fair share of the cost. We want an assistance program
for ratepayers who will be unable to pay the large rate increases that are
coming. We want maximum benefits coming back to our communities.
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