At its meeting last week, the Marlborough board of supervisors heard the latest news on the permit application for the quarry and on the Reihman Road bridge project.

            The supervisors unanimously endorsed sending a letter to the PA Department of Environmental Protection regarding the Perkiomenville quarry, which is now officially the Heidelberg Materials Northeast, LLC quarry.

            The supervisors want to reiterate with the DEP that they, and many of the residents who live close to the quarry, oppose Heidelberg's request to change reclamation requirements and to add more than an acre of land to the mining area at the quarry.

            At the request of the township, its engineer, Chad Camburn, of Bursich Associates, reviewed the updated permit application submitted by Heidelberg. In a letter to the township, Camburn summed up the major concerns previously expressed at public meetings: the use of reclamation materials instead of water to fill the quarry; lack of detail about post-quarrying topography; stormwater runoff and how the Unami Creek would be affected if the quarry is filled with material, instead of water; the health hazards associated with dust; uncovered trucks leaving the quarry; and the DEP's limited ability to monitor onsite operations.

            In March, the DEP took statements from the township and Heidelberg representatives at a formal hearing held at Marlborough's township building. After the meeting, Heidelberg submitted a revised application that left open the possibility of using water, instead of solid material, to fill the quarry after the company is done with it.

            That revision reset the procedural clock and interested parties have until May 24 to send comments to the DEP.

            Camburn's summary also highlighted a clause in the application that "indicates the extent of mine reclamation (final grade elevation) will be determined by the owner based on market conditions."

            The engineer questioned if this meant the quarry might be only partially filled and who would determine when reclamation was finished.

            Supervisor Brian Doremus expressed concern about the possibility of a partial fill.  "That's something they may be able to do if they got the DEP approval. That would be a worse scenario."

            The DEP will be ruling on Heidelberg's application, from an environmental perspective, in the coming weeks.

            Whether Heidelberg's application is in conflict with Marlborough zoning laws will be determined separately.

            With field surveying and a base plan completed, the first official steps to replacing the Reihman Road bridge have been finished. As required by the PA Fish & Wildlife Commission, the site was examined for signs of bog turtles, an endangered species, but none were found.

            The PA State Historic Preservation Office must determine if the walls along the bridge and stream are "historic". President Billy Hurst and Doremus don't expect that to be an issue, conveying that a long-time resident, Clare Reihman, has said the walls are what's left of an old storage bin.

            Natural Lands Trust will take possession of Camp Delmont's 683 acres if a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant is approved. News on the grant should come in the fall and the trust could own the land by early next year, according to Township Secretary/Manager Marybeth Cody.

            The trust has stated it will transfer the property to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. The land will then be open to the public year-round as part of the William Penn Forest District.

            Cody also announced that preparations are underway to use grant money for improvements at Skymount. Meetings are being held with vendors who will supply items needed for a pavilion, benches, playground equipment and other items.

            The next step will be to meet with the parks and recreation board on June 4.

            At its work session meeting on April 28, the supervisors approved employing Alderfer Auction to manage the sale of a Swamp Creek property in possession of the township. The bidding will start at $35,000 and will be completed by July 8.

            Doremus abstained from the vote because of a conflict of interest.

            The board reluctantly accepted the resignation of Scott Emmert from the planning commission. Emmert is moving out of the area.

            The next supervisors meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11, at 7 p.m., at the township building.