Officials mark opening of Wyoming Valley Levee maintenance facility in Hanover Township

Board approves preliminary agreement related to proposed railroad crossing modifications

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During a Tuesday tour of the new downstream Wyoming Valley Levee maintenance facility in Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney earnestly thanked Luzerne County Council members for allocating funding to complete the project.

Council had earmarked $8 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding to the county Flood Protection Authority that oversees the Susquehanna River levee system, and approximately $1 million of that was spent to create the Hanover Township maintenance facility, officials said.

“Your investment in the levee is helping us protect residents,” said Delaney, who serves on the flood authority board. “I don’t know how we could have done this without the funding.”

“It’s money well spent. It will benefit the region for decades,” replied county council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton, who attended the ribbon-cutting along with Council members LeeAnn McDermott and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. and others representing the township and state legislators.

The property at 398 Delaney St. will speed up levee maintenance in the township, Plymouth and Wilkes-Barre because crews won’t have to work solely from the maintenance garage near the authority offices in Forty Fort, officials said.

In addition to storing grass-cutting equipment and electrical components needed for the levee, the facility will provide levee crews with a place to prepare and clean up after herbicide spraying required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said authority Deputy Director Laura Holbrook.

After purchasing the building from the township for approximately $6,000 in 2019, the authority removed and abated hazardous material in the structure and installed a new roof so it would be stabilized until rehabilitation funds were available.

Levee fencing

In the subsequent monthly meeting held at the Hanover Township facility, authority board members approved a preliminary engineering reimbursement agreement with the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. related to proposed modifications at three railroad crossings, including one surrounded by fencing that blocks the levee recreational path in Edwardsville.

Last month, the authority submitted an application with the state Public Utility Commission to make the Edwardsville levee railroad crossing public and identify a solution that could eliminate the fencing.

A June 5 meeting has been scheduled at the Edwardsville crossing for the authority, PUC and Norfolk Southern representatives to discuss options, said authority Executive Director Christopher Belleman.

The engineering agreement is necessary to compensate Norfolk Southern for its participation, officials said.

Belleman said Norfolk Southern has expressed a willingness to work with the authority on another solution. The authority is proposing elimination of the fencing and installation of signs and a device that would light up and sound a warning when a train is approaching.

The estimated payment to Norfolk Southern would be up to $42,925, but Belleman said a past payment was far lower than the rail operator’s estimate at the time of planning for a flood control modification that resulted in the fencing barricade.

While the agreement was approved, board Chairman Dominic Yannuzzi said he wants to hold off on signing it until he can check with the PUC representative at the June 5 meeting to ensure the payment is a reasonable amount.

In another project covered by the county’s American Rescue allocation, the authority approved a $1.04 million contract with Ohio-based Pro-Tech Systems Group to upgrade control systems in 13 levee pump stations. Yannuzzi noted the board reduced the project cost by $800,000 through modifications that won’t compromise the quality. Belleman said Pro-Tech previously performed work on the levee pump stations.

The board also voted to reject three bids submitted for the Forty Fort levee maintenance facility expansion — another county American Rescue-funded project — to reconsider options that will lower the project cost.

William Hardwick and John Maday also serve on the authority board. Council is expected to fill the fifth vacant seat next week, Yannuzzi said.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.