Fairchance gets $600,000 for spillway repairs
Fairchance mayor Thomas Tanner (left) and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg enjoy a few minutes with others after Shuster visited with officials at the borough building. Shuster presented $600,000 grant from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Fairchance Borough that will be used to repair the spillway of one of the borough's water reservoirs.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, presented $600,000 grant from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Fairchance Borough that will be used to repair the spillway of one of the borough's water reservoirs.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Fairchance mayor Thomas Tanner (right) greets U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg. Shuster presented a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Fairchance Borough that will be used to repair the spillway of one of the borough蘑菇视频 water reservoirs.
FAIRCHANCE 鈥� Fairchance Borough officials accepted $600,000 in federal funding to help rebuild the spillway at one of its aging water reservoirs.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, delivered the money for the Cave Hollow reservoir spillway project Wednesday.
He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allocated the money from its Section 313 program, which is derived from the Water Resources Development Act of 1992.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to make sure these spillways and dams are safe,鈥� Shuster said.
He commended borough officials, state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, and Fayette County Commissioner Vincent Zapotosky for supporting the project.
鈥淧eople working together make things happen,鈥� Shuster said.
Mayor Thomas Tanner and council President Howard McGhee thanked Shuster for his help in obtaining the money and said the borough would not have been able to afford the project without the federal funding.
鈥淲ithout your help, we wouldn鈥檛 have gotten that dam taken care of,鈥� Tanner said.
Mahoney said securing funding for the project was an example of local, state and federal officials working together.
Zapotosky said Section 313 funding is competitive and obtaining funding was a great accomplishment.
The funding requires a 25-percent match from the borough.
The borough and its water customers rely on the Cave Hollow and Askren Hollow reservoirs for drinking water. Cave Hollow was built in the 1920s and Askren Hollow was built in the 1960s.
Shuster said the Cave Hollow dam is in worse condition than Askren Hollow, but both dams need repairs.
Borough engineer J. Scott Bush said Cave Hollow is undersized when compared to current regulations and has suffered damage from weather.
He said he has started conducting calculations to determine the size of the new spillway and it will take at least a year to obtain a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to rebuild the spillway.
The DEP classifies both dams as high hazard dams because of the potential loss of life and property that could occur if the dams fail.