Supervisors opt-in to grant program, Axelton sewage issue remains unresolved

Top Forward Township Items

• Township opts to remain eligible for federal block grants
• Sewage issues in Axelton bubble up with no clear path forward
• Council of Governments meeting recap: grants and infrastructure planning discussed

Township will remain eligible for block grants

Forward Township supervisors approved a resolution to opt into the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, keeping the township eligible to apply for federal funds for the next three years.

CDBG grants fund projects that are designed to maintain viable urban communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities, especially for low- and moderate-income people. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Opting in does not guarantee funding, but it will allow the township to apply to fund projects such as the Americans with Disabilities Act-complaint bathroom upgrades in the municipal building. Maintaining the township’s eligibility ensures the township can pursue funding as opportunities arise.

Sewage issues in Axelton bubble up with no solution in sight

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has pushed the township’s Board of Supervisors to resolve a longstanding sewage problem in the Axelton neighborhood.

According to township officials, sewage from 14 homes flows into the Monongahela River, damaging the health of the river and creating a health hazard for people. DEP asked the township to build a sewer line from these homes to connect them to a system in either Elizabeth Borough or under the river to Carroll Township, which supervisors described as cost prohibitive.

Supervisor Dave Levdansky said the area from the hill near Lock and Dam Number 3 to the Westmoreland County line has never been connected to a sewerage system.

Board Chair Dan DeRosa said the most feasible plan would be to incorporate these homes into the on-site treatment plant upgrades at the former Liggett Spring and Axel Company site, off Delbert’s Drive and Bunola River Road. While the area is now home to a handful of companies, a small sewage treatment plant was built more than twenty years ago to serve around 40 employees working on the site. The sewage plant is due for improvements.

Levdansky said an older proposal to install a sewer line failed because operating the line would have required three pumping stations to move sewage uphill. In addition, the township would have needed approval to use the right-of-way from CSX Transportation Inc., the owner of the rail line.

The township has already had trouble working with CSX. In 2022 a truck servicing McCrossin’s Landing Pub, LLC got stuck on the tracks at the only access road to the business. The access road is owned by CSX. After the business owner reported the issue to CSX, the railroad said the business was not allowed to use its road unless they paid to maintain it, then barricaded it.

Supervisor Amy Cline asked whether the township is legally responsible to build and maintain a new sewer line to serve these homes.

“No one has shown me that the township is responsible to put it into the public system. Who’s responsible for funding it? I don’t want to automatically say we will do it and commit taxpayer dollars,” she said.

Council of Governments meeting recap: grants and infrastructure planning discussed

Cline gave a report on the recent Steel Rivers Council of Governments (SRCOG) meeting. Forward Township is a member of SRCOG, a coalition of 19 municipalities which collaborate on sustainable solutions to shared problems.

Cline reported that the recent meeting included:

• Regional Asset District (RAD) tax revenue
• The challenge of meeting the legal requirement to advertise public meetings with the impending dissolution of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• A presentation from the Allegheny County Conservation District detailing streamline water planning

She said SRCOG’s Government Grants Manager Jennifer Kwiatek told the members that applications for multimodal grants would be opening up and encouraged Forward Township to apply for bridge remediation.

Kwiatek also discussed the application for CDBG funding to build accessible bathrooms at the municipal building, saying it has not yet been decided whether the program will fund the improvements and offered alternative ideas for funding sources.