The weather was lousy, and the developers of the proposed industrial waste incinerator had recently withdrawn their application, so there wasn't much incentive to turn out. Nevertheless, fifty or so people tried hard to fill the cavernous garage on January 12th for a hearing on a draft "clean air" ordinance. Led by New Milford Township solicitor Michael Briechle, and unlike regular township meetings, the hearing was open to comments from anyone.

Mr. Briechle described the hearing process as a way to "take testimony or evidence" from the public. Along with the township supervisors, he was joined by Gavin Biebuyck of Liberty Environmental, Inc., a consulting firm based in Reading, PA; and by James Diamond, an attorney with Eckert Seamans, a law firm based in Harrisburg hired to help Mr. Briechle draft the ordinance. Jessica Thompson, another attorney with Eckert Seamans, attended by telephone.

Hearing panel, from left, stenographer; attorney James Diamond of Eckert Seamans; Gavin Biebuyck of Liberty Environmental; township solicitor Michael Briechle; township Supervisors Jack Conroy, Don Shibley and Scott Ferenczi; township Secretary Julene Graham

Mr. Briechle asked that speakers limit their comments or questions to 3 minutes each, and that speakers take turns so that the stenographer could make an accurate record of the proceedings. He said that all related documents and letters submitted to the panel would become part of the record of the hearing. Mr. Briechle then asked Mr. Biebuyck to begin with a summary of the proposed ordinance.

Mr. Biebuyck characterized the draft ordinance as "impressive," and "extremely stringent" in the requirements that would be imposed on a waste incinerator located in New Milford Township. It is "100 times more stringent" than required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the protections it offers against cancer risk, and requires of developers a "human health risk assessment," "continuous emissions monitoring" as well as "fence-line monitoring" of pollutants that might escape the plant itself. It "protects human health to the maximum extent possible," said he. Ms. Thompson remarked that it goes well beyond federal EPA and state DEP requirements. Mr. Biebuyck said that the ordinance is believed to be "supportable" and "defensible" and should stand up well in court and on appeal. In response to a question about enforceability, Mr. Briechle said that the ordinance as drafted tried to balance enforceability with the limited resources available to the township.

Most of those who spoke expressed gratitude to the township and the team that developed the ordinance. And most of the crowd were members of, or sympathized with, the Susquehanna Clean Air Network (SCAN), a group formed just months ago to oppose construction of the incinerator by an outfit known as Tyler Corners LLP. Jacob Rosen of Harford, Co-chair of SCAN, was first to speak at the microphone mounted on a barrel before the hearing panel; when he called for a show of hands of SCAN members, most of the crowd responded. His group had prepared and submitted in advance a 22-page compilation of comments drafted largely by Mike Ewall on the proposed ordinance. Mr. Ewall is founder and director of the Energy Justice Network and has had a prominent role in the opposition movement from the beginning. Mr. Rosen said he wanted to "compliment you on your effort." He said that creating jobs in the community as the county has said was in part behind its initial support of the project, is important; but, he said, "We want to find jobs that are useful and healthful for this community."

Of the 22-page document submitted by SCAN (which the panel had not yet had time to review in detail), Mr. Briechle asked if its technical issues had been reviewed. Mr. Rosen named a number of sources consulted in the preparation of the document.

Another speaker asked if the ordinance would enforce a 12-month pre-construction environmental review as a baseline. She said that the federal EPA often skipped that for projects like this. She also asked if the ordinance took into account the frequent "weather inversions" that distinguish the New Milford area from, say, Binghamton or Wilkes-Barre weather patterns.

Mr. Biebuyck responded that the EPA generally requires "pre-construction monitoring only … for very large projects," but that such a requirement is indeed in the ordinance. Mr. Diamond said that the township could enforce its more stringent requirements regardless of the EPA or DEP. Mr. Biebuyck then said that meterological monitoring is also part of the ordinance.

Another speaker asked if the ordinance was applicable to other industries or installations besides incinerators. Mr. Biebuyck said that the proposed ordinance was not a general air pollution measure, but is "targeted at incinerators," mostly to help ensure that it was defensible in court.

Another asked why dioxin monitoring would be required only annually under the ordinance. Mr. Biebuyck said continuous monitoring for dioxin was not required under existing law and such a requirement might thus be more difficult to defend legally. Nonetheless, the ordinance does require continuous monitoring of related materials, such as hydrochloric acid.

Prominent local activist Vera Scroggins asked how the team could assert that this ordinance is the "most stringent" of its type. Mr. Biebuyck said that his assessment is based on experience and on his review of similar measures in a handful of municipalities in Pennsylvania.

Ms. Scroggins also asked if the county Commissioners had offered any comments on the proposed ordinance in New Milford Township. Mr. Briechle said that he had so far received nothing further on the matter from the county.

Another speaker asked if the ordinance could be altered once it is adopted by the township, perhaps to further strengthen it. Mr. Briechle said that any ordinance can be amended at any time in much the same way that the original ordinance is passed.

In general, comments to the panel were very positive, several speakers commending them for their efforts. Elliot Ross, a supervisor in Herrick Township who was instrumental in creating SCAN and has been active in this movement from the beginning, said, "Thank you for the gumption to do this." The panel accepted applause from the floor several times.

The hearing lasted just short of an hour. Mr. Briechle called for a break, and a meeting of the township Supervisors was then convened to consider what to do next. Mr. Briechle said that he and his team recommended that the measure be tabled so that the comments from the hearing and submitted written materials could be digested. A revised ordinance could then be offered at a regular township meeting for formal adoption. With the project now at least temporarily abandoned, the pressure of time was no longer an issue. With that, the Supervisors voted to table the matter and the special meeting was quickly adjourned into the rainy night.

"Life is a lot better when you get clean," beamed Ashley. She was one of several to tell her story of falling into drug abuse, and the difficulty of climbing back to a life of balance. Susquehanna Community Assisted Recovery (SCAR) gathered before an audience of over 60 on Thursday, January 12, 2017. Guest speakers and panelists on-stage at SCHS's auditorium included Dave Passetti of Barnes-Kasson Hospital, Counselor Judith Herschel of Trehab, and Susquehanna Mayor Nancy Hurley.

Mayor Hurley, organizer of the event, opened the hour-45 minute long meeting by thanking everyone for coming out to the meeting, as well as thanking SCSD Superintendent Bronson Stone for his role in arranging use of the auditorium for the evening. Thanks also to Susquehanna Community School Directors for their approval.

The flyer for the evening's event had advertised, "We would like to welcome every member of the community to join us as we begin the conversation concerning the addiction crisis in our area. This will be a night of sharing, caring, and truth about substance use disorder. Together we can develop solutions for a better tomorrow."

When Mayor Hurley passed the mic to Judith Herschel, CADC (Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor), Mrs. Hershel presented an introduction to the evening's discussion, as well as an overview of the problem facing the community. She noted the good turnout, the seriousness of the problem, the need for something to be done, and that change needs to occur.

Counselor Herschel's presentation included a discussion of addiction's characteristics: being chronic and progressive in nature, and having long-term impact on individuals' brains and brain receptors. She described how addiction turns a person "into the worst version of themselves," with manipulation, deception, dishonesty, and unhealthful behaviors manifesting and pervasive. In order for family members and those intimate with the addict to deal effectively with him or her, strong boundaries must be established. In fact, sometimes those who love an addict must walk away to protect themselves and to do what is best for the situation.

Counselor Herschel continued with a description of recovery. Recovery is getting your life together. Stopping is the easiest part; the hard part is the one-to-two-year period following the initial stop. During addiction, the substance abuser has learned many unhealthful coping mechanisms-the previously noted manipulativeness, dishonesty, and deceptions-that pervade everyday behaviors. The addict's brain, in effect, must learn healthy coping mechanisms for handling the difficulties of day-to-day living.

Mrs. Herschel also addressed the oft-expressed idea that addiction is a disease. Perhaps a better description of addiction is "substance abuse disorder." An addict is not so much diseased in the sense that someone is diagnosed with cancer; instead, a disorder has occurred. Disordered use (in the sense of use of a substance not required for orderly functioning) has disordered (corrupted) the normal organic-physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual-functioning of the substance abuser. This disorder creates disorder not only in the abuser himself, but those primarily associated (family) with him. In effect the whole family becomes "sick" (disordered). Addressing the problem in totality helps all those around the addict return to a state of balance also.

The next speaker was Mr. Dave Passetti of B-K Hospital. He noted his shock, when it came to his attention, that in 2015 Susquehanna County was rated second-highest, behind only Philadelphia County, in drug-related deaths per capita. What was B-K's response? In his role at the hospital, he:

(1) Closed the hospital's pain clinic. Although it helped patients who authentically suffer chronic pain not relieved by non-narcotic pain, it also attracted scores of addicts, particularly from counties south, who would go to great lengths, including medical record forgery, to obtain narcotic medications.

(2) Non-narcotic methods/procedures have been incorporated into routine first-line use for pain alleviation, particularly at the Emergency Room.

(3) Patients are screened more tightly to detect doctor-shopping schemes for drug procurement.

(4) Clinics with which B-K participates establish "pain-medication contracts," which specify a single channel for drug prescription, as well as a single pharmacy for drug-dispensing.

(5) The hospital manditorily utilizes Pennsylvania's state-wide drug-monitoring data base to detect prescription of drugs from multiple sources for the same drug.

(6) B-K is working with DEA and Drug Diversion Programs to detect prescription drug abusers.

(7) B-K has established collaborative agreements with rehab facilities to coordinate recovery efforts.

While Mr. Passetti regretted having had to shut down B-K's Pain Clinic, which benefited patients in genuine need, he said that the overwhelming number of people showing up at the clinic were seeking easy access to opioids.

The next two speakers took on the spiritual component of recovery. Mr. Frank Passetti noted his experience as a Youth Pastor in the organization Youth For Christ. He currently heads a recovery program known as "Another Voice." That program, designed for students aged 11-17, has four components: (1) a faith-based 12-step program; (2) youth mentorship; (3) educational experiences which expose participants to the ultimate consequences of substance abuse-examples included visiting a morgue to see how abuse ends, and serving meals at a homeless shelter & talking to those served to make the connection between poverty and substance abuse; and (4) giving hope: exposing participants to college campus, military recruiters, and employment opportunities, e.g., gas companies, so broaden horizons of how individuals can make a productive life for themselves.

Another panelist, Jessica, speaking to the spiritual component of recovery mentioned her connection to North Jackson Methodist Church. Participants are not required to be Methodists or church members. The group meets once per week and is self-described as a safe place where students can meet in a safe place and talk. Ultimately, Jessica expressed hope of leading groups to foreign nations where participants can engage in service projects. The planned start-up will be in February 2017, and more information will be available through the church, as well as participating students as SCHS.

What followed the afore hard information was moving, often gritty, personal testimony to the degradation of substance abuse, and to the dignity of individuals who have fought back to achieve a level of sobriety that requires moment-by-moment and never-ending vigilance. Ashley, Danielle, Ryan, and John each told their very personal stories. Even after their stories, a member of the audience stood and gave testimony of his battle with the bottle for 17 years of continuous sobriety. Here are brief sketches of what the evening's attendees heard.

Ashley has been battling addiction for six years, the last four involving heroin. From 2012 through 2014 she was in and out of jail because of her addiction. She noted that she is now in her seventh time in treatment-and this time it is finally sticking. In her own words, she said how much she had "wanted to get well AND keep using." The patent absurdity of the statement seems obvious to anyone not an addict, but it is the kind of magical thinking that afflicts every addict in the earliest attempts at recovery. Ashley continued, "Continuing to work on myself is the hardest part. [But] life is a lot better when you get clean." Ashley is now working full-time, 40 hours per week, continuing with meetings, and cognizant that, "Recovery has to come first."

Danielle introduced herself as "a woman in recovery," and told her story of falling into addiction, of being prescribed opioid medications, yet overcoming the obstacles in her way, to achieve sobriety. With that sobriety she has been able to retain custody of her daughter, mentor others, and have a fulfilling life.

Ryan told of his recovery since August 2, 2016. Ryan had grown up in Tunkhannock and gotten into trouble even as a teen. He was stuck in the role of an Appalachian teen, stuck in a small-town with few opportunities, where teens drank, and hung-out, and got in trouble, because that's just the mindset of what we're supposed to do. Ryan served four years in the military. During his service, he got into the military mindset of "work-hard/play-hard," which to him meant drinking heavily when off-duty. He was also injured during his service in Baghdad. He returned to Pennsylvania in 2009. He self-medicated to deal with his war injury. He was diagnosed with PTSD. His substance abuse escalated, and he lost his wife and children, and ended up homeless in Wilkes-Barre, where he slept under bridges. Ryan's recovery from Substance Use Disorder has moved him to help others seeking recovery. He spoke eloquently of SMART (Self Management And Recovery Training) meetings, and their role in helping him to make cognitive and rational changes in his behavior.

John shared his story of addiction and recovery. He has been in recovery and maintained sobriety since January 27, 2014, after 25 years of addiction. John had failed to kill himself on January 26, 2014, and had awakened in a jail cell, the same jail cell where 25 years earlier, as a youth, he had scratched his initials into the cell walls. He had finally hit rock bottom.

John noted that for $1.50 a person could buy a bag of heroin on the streets of Scranton. At that price addicts have no compunctions about breaking into locked cars for spare change; it's enough to get them their next fix. He added that drug dealers are purposely adulterating their heroin with other substances (notably entangle) that result in death. A normal person would recognize that there are no quality controls for heroin, and heroin laced with entangle is deadly-something to be avoided. An addict has a warped thought process, producing an entirely different response, "I want that stuff; that's good stuff!"

A question-and-answer and comment time stretched over the meeting's remainder. Some attendees expressed frustration with lack of policing in the area. Queried as to whether police had been called, one individual answered, "Waste of time!" Lanesboro Police Chief Jim Smith responded, "We can't just knock down doors. People have Constitutional rights."

Counselor Herschel noted that a family member's first reaction is "to fix the other person (substance abuser). That, she noted, is ineffective. Instead, family members must take the focus off the addict and focus on themselves. Self-care isn't selfish. Trehab has meetings for family members of substance abusers on the last Friday of each month, from 6 to 8 p.m., at their facility.

Addiction is a family disease. Family members need to (1) get help, (2) set strong boundaries, (3) go to Al-Anon meetings, (4) walk-away, if necessary, and (5) model healthy-not co-dependent-behavior.

Those seeking assistance with Trehab's Drug and Alcohol Programs can make contact at (570) -278-5221. Many thanks to this event's organizer, Mayor Hurley, and thanks also to the residents of the Tri-boro area and surrounding area who attended. The truth-telling begins with you.

Councilwoman Deborah Zayas filled in for Council President Joseph Varsik who was absent from the Susquehanna Borough meeting on January 11, 2017.  The hot topic was the two hundred and fifty thousand dollar grant awarded from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for the Ira Reynold’s Riverfront Park.  Secretary Margaret Biegert stated funding would be matched from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), who will be bringing in over one million dollars worth of remediation work.  She said it was a group effort with the Susquehanna Community Development Association (SCDA), the Fire Department, Commissioners, Northern Tier, DEP, DCNR, and the legislators to develop the thirteen-acre riverfront park.  The park will include a one-mile walking trail, twenty-four riverside lighting fixtures, pavilion, volleyball, and a synthetic ice-skating rink.  The project is expected to begin this summer with completion in 2018.

Ms. Biegert also reported the SCDA Harvest of the Arts Committee will be working with the Susquehanna Borough, community organizations and local historians to create an Art/History walking trail at the Ira Reynold’s Riverfront Park.  Varied juried pieces will be representative of the many significant events, places, periods and people that make up the rich history of the Susquehanna Depot Community.

Councilman Dana Rockwell said the River Fest would continue, and hopefully grow as an outdoor related event.  He said it would be good to have the ability for people to use a portion of the river area for camping.  Councilman Rockwell stated there is an area located in Oakland, which would be a good location for campers.

Members of the American Legion Post 86, Post Commander Gene Stewart and First Vice Commander Brian Delaney came in to speak with Council regarding the property the Haynes building occupies, but is currently under demolition.  Commander Stewart stated the Legion is requesting first option to purchase the property to expand their post.  He stated they were thinking about creating a park or something similar.  They would first like to utilize the property to gain access to the rear of the Post’s building and the building next door.  Commander Stewart said the rear property has been accumulating debris over the years, is very unsightly and they would like to clean it up.

American Legion Post 86 provided a spreadsheet to Council which itemized the donations their Post has given to local organizations, families in need, veterans organizations, donations to Susquehanna High School students entering the military, local benefit donations, and much more which totaled forty-five thousand, three hundred four dollars in 2015.

Councilman Roy Williams said it was commendable for the Legion members to come in and propose a community commitment as an organization, which does a wonderful job.  Councilman Dana Rockwell said use of the space would be better than leaving it vacant, like so many other properties in the Borough.  Mayor Hurley said it’s commendable what the Legion does for the community, and it would go into very good hands.  All Council members agreed it would be worthwhile for American Legion 86 to purchase the property, and Council asked them to put together a proposal for their plans and submit it for review.

During the meeting the large number of homes and buildings that have been left to decay by negligent building owners, and the municipals lack of codes the past forty-fifty years were discussed.  It is thanks to Code Enforcement Officer Roy Williams the dangerous, unsightly structures are being removed, and neighborhoods are being restored with property values increasing.  Besides some associated legal fees, blight removal has come at no cost to the taxpayer.  Demolition costs have been at the owners’ expense, grant funding, or impact fees.

Mayor Nancy Hurley stated there were thirty-five incidents reported by the Police Department for this month.  She expressed thanks to the Police Officers for putting their life on the line each day, and doing what they do for the community.

Police vests need to be replaced every five years, and Mayor Hurley said they would like to purchase a vest in the amount of six hundred fourteen dollars from Galls.  There is no need to waste time going to a place to be measured, the Officers can measure themselves, and Galls provides free shipping.  The current plates can be used in the new vests. 

In December an event was held at the United Methodist Church with Jon Burdick sharing bits of history through pictures of Susquehanna Depot, which were also available for sale.  Mayor Hurley stated Mr. Burdick matched and donated the money from the sale of the pictures sold at the event to two homeless shelters.

Councilman Williams stated during his Code Enforcement report, letters will be going out to homeowners with improper drainage from their property.  He said the Borough’s Public Works Department will be constructing temporary cold patch curbs, followed by permanent ones to protect the roads, and the homeowners need to do their part.

Concerning the wall that was replaced on East Street, the company did a wonderful job, and he’s very pleased with the project.  Councilman Williams said it is a great transformation in looks and will help with drainage. 

Councilman Williams said he would be working with the Water and Sewer Authority with shut offs for various reasons.  The tenants will need to find other places to live since its illegal to occupy a house without sewer and water.  He stated there are approximately twenty-five properties on the list.

Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 475, authorizing the removal of abandoned and nonrepairable vehicles by or at the direction of Police Officers from highways, bridges, causeways and tunnels.

A request from the Susquehanna County Treasurer’s office was received for council to accept any price negotiated by the bureau on each repository property in the Borough.  One property is on High Street, the other on Euclid Avenue.  Council unanimously approved the sale of these two properties at any price.

Ms. Biegert shared with Council and the Mayor events for Susquehanna Depot coming in 2017: Easter Egg Hunt, Hometown Days, River Fest, and the Christmas Festival.  The SCDA is working on other projects that will be announced at later dates as they are finalized.

Oakland Borough Council is more than ready to make the move into their new building, and speculation on how long it would be was discussed at their meeting on January 12th.  Council held their meeting at the new facility, and questioned Shane Lewis, the Codes Enforcement Officer, on his thoughts of how much more they had to complete before the final move.

Mr. Lewis informed Council he and Councilman Eric Page were just about completed with the renovations to the upper floor where the secretary and Council would be occupying.  He said he would be contacting Lyndon Wormuth, the Building Code Official to come in to do the inspection.  The handicap requirements are good, and they just need to get through the Occupancy Permit.  Mr. Lewis said the insurance company would also need to come in to inspect the premises.  Once that was done, he and Councilman Page will move the furniture and office equipment to the facility.

Council expressed their concern over the timeline since they are paying rent for the space they are utilizing, and paying the mortgage on the new facility.  Councilman Dave Dibble expressed his concern about staying within budget of the facility’s project.  Mr. Lewis stated they are trying their best to work within the budget and they will keep Council updated on the project.

Mayor Ron Beavan couldn’t attend the meeting, but he sent the Police Report for Council to view.  There were twenty-nine incidents reported in the month of December, most of them traffic stops.

Council President Brian Rhone stated a resident who was making repairs for a code violation requested an extension for the repair of a property on Prospect Street.  Council discussed this extension with Mr. Lewis, and Council decided it would be a one-time extension, granted until July 1, 2017.

During his code report, Mr. Lewis stated a property on Walnut Street would be demolished by June.  He stated he is still working with residents placing house numbers on the front of their house with the proper size and reflective material.  Mr. Lewis said approximately ten percent still have to complete this task.  He said he is also working with the water and sewer authority with shut-off actions on properties.

Councilman Doug Arthur said he has heard complaints regarding the recent snow and ice storms.  Council discussed this for a few moments commenting there is only one person taking care of the plowing and salting of the roads for the Borough, and he’s doing the best job he can.  On roads comprised of dirt, salt does not work and other measures have to be taken.  Council stated the highest elevation roads are completed first, and then the rest of the Borough.  Council President Rhone said the plow truck driver does a fine job.