Munhall Borough councilors and residents discussed relocating a municipal salt storage bin and siting an electric-vehicle charging station during the Aug. 12 workshop after Duquesne Light raised access and safety concerns and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sent guidance about the salt bin’s walls.

Why it matters: Salt storage, EV charging and nearby power lines intersect permitting, public-safety and utility-access rules. The borough faces potential additional costs — councilors said the EV program and associated electrical work could require up-front funds and coordination with Duquesne Light.

Residents and public works staff described the salt bin’s long placement and recent DEP direction that salt storage be covered; staff said the bin originally lacked a roof and was later covered to comply with evolving rules. Volunteers and staff described Duquesne Light engineers raising objections to any structure near overhead lines and saying the utility needs vehicle access for bucket trucks. Borough staff said they had met Duquesne Light engineers in the field but had not received written approvals.

Officials repeatedly advised the borough to finalize engineered plans and secure written approvals from Duquesne Light and DEP before moving forward. One council speaker urged the borough to rebid projects if cost estimates had increased. Staff reported they were exploring multiple relocation sites — including a municipal lot adjacent to an auto body shop, and waterfront property farther from neighbors — and examining route-distance impacts for winter plowing and response time.

The borough also discussed timing: residents urged acting during appropriate construction seasons and asked to be notified of DEP meetings and outcomes; staff said plans would be presented at the DEP meeting and that bids may be rebid if costs rise. No formal votes were taken; councilors directed staff to get engineering plans and written confirmations from Duquesne Light and DEP prior to committing to relocation or installation work.

Ending: Council and staff agreed to assemble engineering proposals, submit plans for written utility approvals, and, if necessary, rebid for updated cost estimates before construction.