DUBOIS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied Sandy Township’s request for disaster assistance, reported Township Manager Dick Castonguay at Monday night’s board of supervisors meeting.
The request was submitted via the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) due to the flood event at the end of June in Sandy Township, he said. Castonguay noted he had recently visited the Pentz Run area with Public Works Director Dave Monella and observed the flood-related issues there.
Castonguay additionally noted that the township’s disaster assistance request included a $60,000 – $70,000 line item for Pentz Run. Because the township will not receive any assistance for flood repairs, he said it will have to endure the costs of them.
According to Monella, the road crew finished the Old Bliss Road Bridge last week, and flood damage repairs have been completed on Clear Run Road. The crew, he said, will be working on asphalt patching and some drainage issues in the following weeks.
Resident Pamela August, who spoke out about the cleanup of Pentz Run at a previous Sandy Township meeting, advised the supervisors they can contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the issue. The supervisors, she said, should be able to obtain emergency permits. Castonguay said he and Monella went to Pentz Run, but they might need to get permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection before beginning the cleanup.
The Sept. 2 meeting would have fallen on Labor Day. As a result, the supervisors approved canceling the meeting.