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EDITORIAL Local legislators must do more about Southern Beltway flooding problems

2 min read
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The floodwaters flowing from the Southern Beltway construction site near McDonald have receded, but the questions about what environmental problems the project is doing to the area haven’t.

Heavy storms that drenched the area earlier this month have sent water funneling down the hillside where crews are working on the highway, leaving businesses and homes flooded twice in less than a week.

Understandably, the residents are searching for answers.

State Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Cecil, organized a town hall meeting June 14 so those affected by the flooding could pose questions to officials from the Turnpike Commission and state Department of Environmental Protection about what impact the toll road is having on their community. State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll, and local officials also attended.

Turnpike officials claimed they are working on a solution to ease flooding that should be implemented by the end of June. But some residents felt the meeting was more of an opportunity to pay lip service to their problems rather than offer an explanation.

“Nothing was resolved tonight,” McDonald resident Jeff Spalvieri said about the meeting. “They dodged a lot of questions.”

These McDonald area residents want answers and deserve solutions.

While Ortitay deserves credit for organizing the meeting and Bartolotta was there to hear the concerns, both must do more in their legislative roles to hold both the Turnpike and DEP accountable. This is when their work as our elected representatives is most important. They are the government liaisons for the people who are being impacted by this transportation project.

One town hall meeting alone won’t solve the problem. They must be dogged in their pursuit of information from the state agencies that are overseeing the project and demand immediate changes to prevent future flooding.

We’ll know if they’ve done their jobs after the first big storm in July.

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