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Lawmakers ask Turnpike for “100 percent” of effort to address McDonald flooding

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The latest in a chain of floods stretching back at least a year that have hit McDonald prompted two Washington County lawmakers to ask the state Turnpike Commission to step up efforts to control erosion and sediment problems at a work site just outside the borough.

Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll, and Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Cecil, told Turnpike Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton in a letter Tuesday flooding had once again “deluged” people in the area during a storm the night before.

“Many of the intermediate steps that were put in place to control storm water, like the new silt socks and cleaned out storm drains, were quickly overwhelmed and failed to hold back the flood waters,” they said in their missive.

More than 60 people attended a June 14 meeting organized by Ortitay following several floods earlier that month. At least since last July, residents and business owners along Route 980 near the site of work on the Southern Beltway project have complained about being inundated with muddy runoff following heavy rain.

Joseph B. Fay Co. is handling construction on a 3.2-mile leg of the project between the Panhandle Trail and Cecil Reissing Road under a $90.6 million contract executed early in 2017.

The lawmakers wrote following last month’s meeting they welcomed a “‘punch-list’ of proposed solutions” from Turnpike staff “and the positive progress that has been made,” but those steps haven’t been enough.

“In light of (the most recent flood), we must demand that the Turnpike and your contractors focus 100% of your efforts on completing the storm water retention areas and other flood prevention measures before continuing with work on the Southern Beltway project,” the lawmakers’ letter said.

Turnpike spokeswoman Rosanne Placey said Thursday afternoon officials “are in regular contact with (Bartolotta and Ortitay) as well as with the residents of that area.”

“Obviously, we take all of this very seriously and want to come to a workable solution,” Placey said. “But we’re just in receipt of the letter and we will respond.”

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