CURWENSVILLE – Following two meetings in one night, the Sunnyside ethanol project got the green light to begin work on their nearly $400 million project.
The Sunnyside project will be a waste coal powered plant at the old Howe’s Leather Co. site. Plans are for the plant to produce 80 million gallons of the fuel per year.
The Curwensville Planning Commission met first.
Prior to any action, public comment was accepted and borough resident, Citizens for a Clean Curwensville and Curwensville Borough Council member Sam Ettaro took the floor.
Ettaro stated that Sunnyside has yet to get a wastewater discharge permit. He also brought up issues that were brought to council’s attention at a previous meeting concerning the economic feasibility of the project and a letter from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Ettaro also stated that he believed a prior planning commission meeting was in violation of the Sunshine Act.
Mark Curulla, planning commission chairman denied that any violation occurred.
Ettaro was the only person to speak during the public comment period.
The commission, their solicitor and engineer presented representatives from Sunnyside with 13 final land development plan approval conditions.
Sunnyside questioned some of the conditions. Rick DeCesar, vice president of Sunnyside, noted that many of the issues they questioned pertained to timing issues.
DeCesar touched on the wastewater discharge permit issue brought up by Ettaro. He said that Sunnyside has been in contact with the Curwensville Municipal Authority.
“They want samples before we start cleanup,” said DeCesar. “We will do that.”
DeCesar said that water collected during the cleanup cannot be discharged into the Susquehanna River but will be processed by the municipal authority.
Among the conditions:
-Sunnyside must make all necessary improvements deemed necessary for the project to Cooper Road, Schofield Road and River Street as determined by the borough and its engineer.
DeCeasar noted that while Sunnyside is willing to accept responsibility for Cooper Road, they had some issues with accepting full responsibility for Schofield Street and River Street.
“You’re going to have as much as much if not more traffic on these roads as anyone else,” said Laurance Seaman, solicitor for the borough.
DeCeasar stated that PennDOT study found that more than 2,000 vehicles traveled on Schofield Road daily.
Seaman said the wording would be changed to take into account the proportionate use on the roads by the applicant.
-Sunnyside was also required to make an additional deposit with the borough in the amount of $19,000 towards the review fees incurred by the borough.
That amount was paid after the planning commission meeting.
-Sunnyside provides all easements deemed necessary by the borough and its engineer.
-If determined necessary, Sunnyside shall formally dedicate to the borough property required for the Cooper Road right-of-way.
-No construction, including, but not limited to, demolition of existing structures and excavation, except as is related to the execution of the soil erosion and sedimentation control plan and site closure plan, shall be commenced upon the lands until there has been sufficient compliance with the conditions set forth, as determined by the borough and its engineer and conveyed in writing to Sunnyside.
The full list of conditions is available at the Curwensville Municipal Building.
A motion to recommend the plan to Curwensville Borough Council was passed and the planning commission adjourned their meeting.
At 7 p.m. borough council met to decide on the planning commissions recommendation.
A motion to approve Sunnyside’s final land development plan subject to the conditions proposed by the planning commission was passed, with council member Ettaro opposing.
After the meeting Sunnyside CEO Erik Wallace said that Sunnyside will preorder equipment and the first order of business will be the sludge pond remediation at the former Howe’s Leather Co. site. He said that Sunnyside is also working to get an arrangement with an oil company.