On February 22, Department of Environmental Protection Regional Director Mike Bedrin joined Rep. Mike Carroll (D-Luzerne) and local leaders to discuss Avoca Borough’s challenges with flood control and how the bipartisan Restore Pennsylvania infrastructure proposal will help prevent future flooding.

“Like other municipalities across Pennsylvania, Avoca faces a flood control problem, with recurring flooding on Mill Creek bringing damage to local businesses,” said DEP Regional Director Bedrin. “With the increased frequency of extreme weather, the problem isn’t going away anytime soon. The community needs a lasting solution. Restore Pennsylvania gives us that solution, on the scale we need.”

Restore Pennsylvania, the $4.5 billion bipartisan proposal funded through a commonsense severance tax to rebuild Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, will increase resources for storm preparedness and disaster recovery.

Avoca has a history of floods and ice jams near the York Avenue bridge on Mill Creek. DEP dam safety expert Doug Hill discussed a proposed two-part, public-private project to create a floodplain and then raise the bridge and modify the channel.

The floodplain work is underway, with $150,000 in grant support from DEP, but additional funding is needed to support the project’s estimated remaining $1.5 million cost.

If passed, Restore Pennsylvania would be able to fund this project and others like it around the state.

Restore Pennsylvania is a statewide plan to aggressively address the commonwealth’s vital infrastructure needs. Funded through a commonsense severance tax, Restore Pennsylvania is the only plan that will help make Pennsylvania a leader in the 21st century.

To learn more, view the full Restore Pennsylvania plan.

(Photo: Mike Bedrin, DEP Regional Director.)

NewsClips:

State Officials Proposed Funding Flood Protection With Natural Gas Severance Tax

Help Sought For Flood-Prone Mill Creek In Avoca

2-Part Plan Could Prevent Flooding On Mill Creek In Avoca

Grafius Run Flood Mitigation Project Moves To Next Stage In Lycoming

Pittsburgh Corps Of Engineers Said It Prevented $1 Billion In Flood Damage

Related Stories:

PaEN: DEP Secretary Promotes Restore PA Bond Proposal To Get More Funding For Environmental Improvement Projects

Gov. Wolf Proposes To Shift $75.7 Million From Environmental Funds To Pay Operating Costs Instead of Funding Community-Based Projects

Gov. Wolf Proposes A $4.5 Billion, 4-Year Restore Pennsylvania Community & Environmental Infrastructure Investment Program

Growing Greener Coalition Opposes Using Community Environmental Project Funds For Agency Operating Costs; Issues Call To Action

Related Stories This Week

PEMA: Over $101.5 Million In Flood Damage Not Covered By Feds In 2018; Intense Flooding Events Increasing In PA

[Posted: Feb. 22, 2019]

2/25/2019