August 2, 2017
Here is a copy of the current deed on file with the Potter County Register and Recorder. And it reflects the property CAMA's sewage plant sits upon belongs to the "Borough of Coudersport." It belonged to the Borough of Coudersport since 1985.
CAMA board members planned and negotiated for 15 months. Negotiations took place behind closed doors and the public did not have an oppertunity to review plans before CAMA entered into the lease agreement. CAMA simply refused to answer questions or address the many environmental, health and safety concerns that were raised before signing the lease. These lingering questions have gone unanswered. Economic and health concerns and those related to permitting, air quality, traffic and safety have also gone unaddressed.
There was no transparency during the process, no accountability and nobody on the CAMA board was willing to talk with the area residents about their concerns. The public was simply cut out of the entire process.
And perhaps more importantly, not one CAMA board member contacted regulators at the North Central Regional Office of the Department of Environmental Protection to discuss the proposal with the engineer and others whose jobs are to review waste treatment facility plans and permit applications.
CAMA's discussions began in April of 2016, The following is a snip from the April CAMA Meeting Minutes:
(If viewing from a mobile device see page 2 here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hMAKEOQ3IxsK_KFiW-sZUp-Kgfnsx3DT1Tb0ZhPiQ4Y/edit )
And as planning progressed the Aug. 22, 2016 CAMA minutes indicate board members became aware CAMA did not own the property they were planning to lease to Epiphany. The following are snips from that meeting. Here is a link to the meeting minutes:
( If viewing from a mobile device see Page 7 here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hMAKEOQ3IxsK_KFiW-sZUp-Kgfnsx3DT1Tb0ZhPiQ4Y/edit )
( If viewing from a mobile device see page 12 here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hMAKEOQ3IxsK_KFiW-sZUp-Kgfnsx3DT1Tb0ZhPiQ4Y/edit )
The following are snips from November 22, 2016 CAMA minutes:
(It's important to note, Coudersport did not own the property until 1985.)
After Aug, 2016 CAMA board members had to lubricate themselves in order to move around the elephant in the room.That room also sits on Borough of Couderport's property.
CAMA seemingly ignored the little "ownership" detail. Instead continued planning and commited to invest in engineering, site prep, E&S permit and gravel, plumbing and electrical to prepare land and leased to Epiphany, land that CAMA simply did not own.
All to benefit the wealthiest industry in the world.
(see page 7 here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwV75wo6lhJPTEJtSmRqUkJCVms/view?usp=sharing )
And In June 2017, CAMA's solicitor explained to the public,CAMA is "three and a half million dollars in debt." And if they don't lease they need to raise sewage bills.
People in the neighborhood of the proposed waste treatment facility and also someone who works for the county have repeated rumors, saying a CAMA board member plans on purchasing the Signet land across the street from the sewage authority.There are no records on file at the deed office to back up these claims. And at this point they are just rumors. However if these rumors hold true and a CAMA member does purchase the property across the road from the sewer plant, it would open up an entirely different can of worms. And while the worms are being scooped back into the can, Epiphany may decide to start over and try to change their plans and try to build their frack waste facility across the street.
So now we wait to see who, if anyone jumps into bed with Epiphany while the spot that just opened up is still warm.
So don't crack open the champagne just yet!
