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DEP inspected Creek Street washout; resident says borough-built walls need repair
Summary
A resident summarized a recent DEP inspection of the creek at Creek Street, saying DEP found missing concrete and failed walls and told the borough the sections originally constructed by the borough are the borough's responsibility to repair; DEP reportedly will issue a follow-up letter.
Resident Jim Dudash reported that two weeks earlier DEP staff had inspected the creek at Creek Street and walked the channel with borough representatives to assess a washout and missing concrete sections. Dudash said inspectors examined poured concrete, collapsed walls and sedimentation and concluded the borough-installed structures were subject to borough repair.
"Two weeks ago, we met with the DEP, they were there, and they physically went down into the creek. From the bridge, they looked up beyond it, how the cement was poured in the bottom and how it's all controlled...they said the borough put those in, the borough is responsible to repair those," Dudash said at the meeting. He said DEP representatives told attendees they prefer to work cooperatively and would issue a letter in about 10 days to two weeks summarizing findings and next steps.
Council members emphasized they had attempted to contact DEP and would follow up. Staff said DEP had indicated the borough could perform limited stream maintenance actions that fall within the agency—s guidance (removing small debris, clearing vegetation) but that more substantial excavation or jackhammering of in-stream concrete would be executed under an agreed approach. Council asked staff and the solicitor to track DEP correspondence and noted potential costs for structural remediation.
Why this matters: A failed stream wall and washout can threaten adjacent properties, public infrastructure and safety; DEP's findings that borough-built walls are subject to borough responsibility suggest the borough will need to budget and plan remedial work.
