= 85 NO. 26
DALLAS;
PA. TWENTY CENTS
Dallas Area Municipal Authority
(DAMA) voted to reassess all end-of-the-
line properties for sewerline front foot-
age. The “Case Four Assessment Rule,”
states-that anyone at the end of a sewer
line will be charged full front footage, not
to exceed 75 feet, for their assessment.
Several of the 400 property owners in-
volved have objected to paying the front
footage assessment because they only
had a few feet of sewer line in front of
their property. These objections have
been thoroughly investigated by DAMA,
and after much study, it has been decided
to reassess and rebill those involved in
the “Case Four Assessment.”
authority, said that anyone who has al-
Concern for pollution, safety, property
devaluation and overall infringement on
the basic rights to peace and tranquility
brought 75 irate taxpayers to a Jackson
Township Zoning Board of Adjustment
hearing Monday night.
The group ¢laims that the American
Asphalt and Paving Company’s plans for
the recently-aeqeired Forrest Hablett
property will deprives them of these rights
and others.
Atty. John Aponick, engaged by the
township, set the stage for the hearing.
He said tie purpose vetie ses. was Lo
allow American Asphalt Company, rep-
resenf@ijl by Atty. Bex Jones III, vice pre-
sident®Bernard Banks Jr. and John
Banks, president, to formally submit
their request and to hear pertinent and
eK claims by taxpayers in either
suppo® or disapproval of the matter. All
prior grievances, dissatisfactions and
irrelevant innuendos were prohibited.
American Asphalt’s original request
was for an exception as permitted by Sec-
tion 2.05 of the Zoning Ordinance of Jack-
son Township, which provides for the ex-
cavation of sand, gravel, coal or other
materials. Mr. Banks submitted that they
would comply with all the provisions of
this section, including the erection of a
six foot weaved wire fence around the
face of the quarry and any drop off in ex-
cess of two feet within a distance of 200
feet of the excavation.
At several points during the meeting
Atty. Jones and Bernie Banks alluded to
the fact that the 26 acres of land had been
previously mined in violation of the zon-
ing ordinance and without any action
taken/@gainst its former owners. As the
meeting progressed they created a credi-
bility gap by attempting to obtain a
blanket M-1 mining district classifica-
tion.
Atty. Aponick clarified that although
and Dallas Ambulance Association
have ¥nerged and will be known as the
Dallas Fire and Ambulance Inc.
The merger was announced by Fire
Chief Don Shaffer after the fire company
and ambulance association held an ad-
vertised meeting June 23, at which time
the merger became official.
Chief Shaffer said that the same men
are members of both organizations, so
the merger should present no problems.
He also noted that there will be no change
in policy for either organization.
The notification of change has been
sent to Harrisburg. Upon receipt of a
reply, in approximately two weeks, there
will be an election of officers.
The Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Company
was officially chartered in 1927 and the
Ambulance Association was founded in
i Henry M. Laing Fire Company
and most of Dallas Township and often
are called to assist other parts of the
Back Mountain area.
y
the terms ‘‘exception’ and ‘‘variance”’
were used interchangably, they are not
synonomous, but separate and distinct.
An exception is a temporary grant, dura-
tion not to exceed 12 months, for some-
thing already provided for in the zoning
code. A variance is an allowance of some-
thing strictly prohibited by the code. He
also explained that in a hearing of this
nature it is incumbent upon the zoning
board to justify that granting this request
would be adverse or detrimental to the
public interest.
After much discussion Mr. Banks out-
lined American Asphalt’s present inten-
tion regarding the préperty. It will be ex-
cavated, toremove for sale, sand, gravel,
peat moss, top soil and landfill. The de-
pression in the ground will be filled with
the sludge waste of their adjacent mining
operation and this material may be ex-
cavated and sold as a marketable
commodity should the demand arise.
Atty. Cohen, Gerry Bernstein and John
Filip were among the many taxpayers
who strenuously voiced their objections
to this exception request. Water, air and
noise pollution, incompatability with
area profile and character, wildlife con-
servation, were added to the many rea-
sons stated in substantiation of claims
that issuance of this exception would
create adverse conditions for the general
public.
(continued on PAGE NINETEEN)
Mrs. Paul Sawyer, Crestview Drive,
Shrine Acres, Dallas, has been appointed
as midshipman to the U.S. Naval
Academy at Annapolis by Hon. Daniel J.
Flood.
Timothy, a 1974 graduate of Dallas
Senior High School, is a member of the
Dallas High School chapter of the
contributed to Dallas High School athletic
program participating in football, wrest-
ling, and baseball.
ready paid their assessment will be re-
funded the proper amount automatically
and those who have not yet paid their as-
sessment will be rebilled.
At their regular meeting Thursday
night, members of DAMA also voted to
refuse non-Back Mountain septic tank
‘trucks from emptying their loads into the
system after July 1. After this date, only
trucks from the three municipalities ser-
viced by DAMA—Dallas Borough, Dallas
and Kingston Township, can use the facil-
ity. The DAMA system is the only system
which will accept solid waste in the Lack-
awanna and Luzerne County area, and it
cannot continue to handle the tremendous
amount brought to the plant.
A representative from Elmcrest Woods
requested that that development be put
on the Number One Expansion for
sewers Mr. Martin replied that to include
this area would mean a whole new appli-
cation for Federal and State funds, and
this would put DAMA on the bottom of the
list of these to be funded. DAMA Exten-
sion One is about 79th on the current list,
and it is hoped funds will be available
next year for grants. Mr. Martin stated
that be could not jeopardize DAMA’s po-
sition for funds in this area, but he would
do everything he could to help Elmcrest
Woods.
Solicitor Merton Jones requested $515
property owners.
notified Jan. 31 about their delinquent
sewer rental bills. Liens will be filed this
week.
(continued on PAGE NINETEEN)
by Gary Van Scoy
for Sunday’s big race.
Dallak Bord Couns.
out what kinds of chemicals the North-
eastern Pennsylvania Vector Control As-
sociation’s mosquito control division uses
to combat mosquitos before council de-
cides to take advantage of the free ser-
vice.
Vector control has sent letters to all
townships and municipalities instructing
Results of the Acid Rain Survey,
conducted by members of the Luzerne
Lackawanna Environmental Education
Network in Luzerne and Wyoming
pollution in our air basin.
Several students from Dallas High
School participated in the survey.
“The acidity of rainfall is primarily an
indicator of sulfur dioxide levels,” com-
mented Katherine Keim, LU-LAC staff
member. ‘High levels of sulfur dioxide
mean poor air quality and are revealed
by pH readings that show extreme
acidity.”
Test results ranged from pH 3.0-pH 6.0
The average and most common pH read
ing was 4.5, as compared with 5.7, the
accepted “normal” reading. The acid
rainfall was approximately ten times as
acidic as the normal level.
“Interestingly enough, we did not find a
great variation between urban, subur-
ban, and rural areas in rainfall acidity.
This greatly reinforces the contention
that air pollution problems are every-
body’s business. It demonstrates that
dispersing pollutants rather than abating
them amounts to exporting air pollution,
rather than ending it,”’ added Miss Keim.
All three Wyoming County sites, how-
ever did register near-normal pH acid
rain levels.
Sulfur dioxide gas is particularly
dangerous to persons with cardio-vas-
cular ailments or susceptibility to heart
attacks. Acid rainfall also contributed to
increased acidity of lakes and rivers,
leaching of soil, and corrosion of struc-
tures.
Results of the acid rainfall survey will
be sent to specialists at Cornell and Yale
Universities who have done specialized
studies of acid rainfall, to Current
Science Magazine, which conducted a
similar study, and to the Air Quality Staff
of the Pennsylvania Department of En-
vironmental Resources.
Participating schools include Meyers,
Pittston Area, Wyoming Valley West,
Wyoming Area, Tunkhannock, Northwest
Area, Crestwood, Hanover Area, G.A.R.,
Plains Jr. High, St. Nicholas-St. Mary’s
Junior High, and Wyoming Area Jr. H.S.
The Luzerne Lackawanna Environ-
mental Council is a division of the Tuber-
culosis and Health Society of the Wyo-
ming Valley (Lehigh Valley) and North-
east Pennsylvania.
themeato apply ino vital or the
procedures, chemicals used, or
amount of training the control crews
have received was given in the letter.
Many area governing bodies have
down on the mosquito population without
chemicals will do to birds, game, benefi-
isms in water which ultimately provide
food for fish.
damage than it is worth,” Council
president Jerry Machell said at last
week’s borough council meeting. “We
simply have to have more information
before we can get into anything like this.”
instructed to write a letter to the Vector
Control Association asking for a detailed
report on the procedures and chemicals
used in the service.
(continued on PAGE NINETEEN)
A Luzerne Borough business man “put
one over’’ on sewer authority chairman
Rudi Leandri several weeks ago and
caused a change in sewer authority
regulations on the type of pipe allowable
for hookup to the new sewer system.
“A couple of weeks ago, on Sunday, a
merchant on Main Street called me up
and asked me to make an inspection of
his sanitary pipe. He pleaded with me to
make the inspection.
“I went down and looked at the job. I
told him it was a wonderful job-the work
was neatly done and I thought he used the
proper materials. He used PVC Schedule
40 pipe.
“I found out later that our specifica-
tions say that PVC Schedule 40 pipe can
be used only in residential hookups.
Commercial and industrial buildings
must use cast iron.
‘I went back to the guy and told him I
was aware that he had put one over on me
and the guy said ‘yes, and you had better
not order me to dig it up or I'll take you to
court-and I'll win, too.’ ”’
Solicitor Arthur Piccone said he would
indeed win.
Mr. Leandri said he then looked up
exactly what kinds of materials could be
Si ERR)
put through the Schedule 40 pipe and
found it suitable for just about everything
expect possibly naptha and ether. He also
checked with Dallas Borough officials
and found they had approved Schedule 40
pipe for commercial and industrial
establishments. He suggested Luzerne do
the same.
PVC Schedule 40 is a heavy duty plastic
pipe that is more expensive than cast iron
and won’t crack or rust out.
One citizen stated Mr. Leandri was
trying to get himself bailed out of a
mistake. He said several other Luzerne
residents who had put in improper pipe
had had to tear it out.
“I made an honest mistake because
I’m too soft hearted.” Mr. Leandri said.
The authority approved the change un-
animously. One authority member said,
‘Rudi, we don’t want you to make any
more inspections.”
an estimate for a storm drain system for
Chapel, Charles, Main and Tenner
Streets which would flow into Toby’s
(continued on PAGE NINETEEN)
RG
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