Year: 2023

23, 2023

Getting real-time information on those materials is nearly impossible because in a post-9/11 environment, railroads aren’t required to share that information.

Reporters for LNP | LancasterOnline and WITF sought detailed information about train cargo from 12 central Pennsylvania counties. Only three of those counties said they had lists of specific chemicals being carried by trains. None had real-time information.

That secrecy means emergency responders might not know what hazardous materials they’re dealing with until they reach the scene, and that there is no single, consistent way to find the information at the scene — all of which could slow response time or put them in danger.

Lancaster County responded with a commodity list from 2021, the most recent available, that detailed 28 most common hazardous materials running through the county on rail. The county also later provided the Hazardous Rail Transit  (HART) Plan for Lancaster County, which addresses railroad transportation risks and gives emergency responders a general response plan.

Municipal responses

Calls to municipal officials throughout the county for records of hazardous materials moving on trains were largely unsuccessful.

Officials from municipalities including East Donegal Township, Columbia, Manor Township, Conestoga Township, Martic Township, Drumore Township and Fulton Township did not return calls for comment. Others from Conoy Township and West Hempfield Township, when asked if they had any type of documents detailing hazardous materials on trains, said no.

State and federal legislators are calling for greater transparency, as ongoing Congressional testimony has shown first responders weren’t able to access information about the chemicals in the overturned cars in Ohio right away.

“There’s not enough information upfront, and it is frustrating,” said Duane Hagelgans, emergency management coordinator for Millersville and Manor Township. Hagelgans also is the fire commissioner for Blue Rock Fire Rescue and a professor of emergency management at Millersville University.

Norfolk Southern, the railroad at the center of the East Palestine disaster, has rail lines in 25 Lancaster County municipalities including Columbia, declined a phone interview and did not give specific details on hazardous materials in the county.

Federal Rail Administration representatives said government officials can request information from railroads annually, but they aren’t legally required to provide the information.

County officials, when asked about hazardous materials, said that information is compiled for emergency preparedness and isn’t shared publicly.

The 2021 list was created by county personnel, who went to rail lines, observed trains and recorded the hazardous material codes from placards on the side of the cars, said Michael Fitzpatrick, a county government spokesperson, and Zack Gibbons, the hazardous materials administrator for Lancaster Emergency Management Agency.MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/toxic-trains-real-time-hazmat-info-hard-to-get-even-for-lancaster-countys-first-responders/article_8eb195e4-259e-11ee-8bc6-9f99975f5e4e.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Bob Smith (right) and Bob Warfel hang a Hometown Hero banner on Walnut Street Friday morning. 

Bob Smith and Bob Warfel resumed hanging Hometown Hero banners at locations around town on Friday morning (7/21/23). The operation was on hiatus since May 15 due to other obligations. 

More banners will be hung on Manor Street Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 415. Currently, there are 115 additional banners to be hung, according to Smith, who spearheads the project.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers.

The Golden Whisk Bakery, 245 Locust St., Columbia, July 12. Pass. New food facility in operation more than 90 days and has not employed a certified food employee as required. Food facility has an employee that has taken food safety training program; however, the food safety program was not an ANSI/CFP-accredited certified food manager program. Old food residue in the hand-wash sink in the front service area, indicating uses other than hand-washing. The hand-wash sink in the back food preparation area was blocked by a table, chair and cooling cart, and not accessible at all times for employee use. A child’s toys; one under the drying rack in the food preparation area and one in the receiving area. The back receiving doors located in the rear of the food facility has a gap and does not protect against the entry of insects and rodents. Several live spiders and webbing at the back receiving doors of the facility. A working container of surface sanitizer was stored hanging above food and food equipment on the storage rack in the back food preparation area. A bottle of Bacti-free cleaner and cans of butane fuel were stored on a shelf with food equipment in the back food preparation area.

Rising Sun Nutrition, 50 Lancaster Ave., Columbia, July 12. Pass. No violations.

Knights of Columbus Home Association, 400 Maple St., Columbia, July 11. Pass. No violations.

Tom Strickler 

[Columbia Spy file photo]

At its June 13 workshop meeting, the Elizabethtown Area School District Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Tom Strickler as its new Chief Finance and Operations Officer. Strickler replaces Dan Forry, who accepted a similar position with the Penn Manor School District. The Board hired Strickler following an extensive search process that involved a series of interviews. The interview team consisted of district administration, support staff, and school board members.

Strickler’s professional experience includes being the superintendent of schools from 2018-2020 for the Columbia Borough School District. At Columbia, Strickler directed daily operations and long-range planning; hired staff and worked with school board members to secure additional resources; and managed fiscal operations, supervised school principals and district staff, administered curriculum for K-12 students, and ensured compliance with and faithful execution of all Commonwealth of PA laws and regulations.

Strickler also successfully served as Director of Operations at the Eastern Lancaster School District (Elanco). At Elanco, Strickler implemented a comprehensive review of expenditures and obligations to identify pathways for fiscal consolidation; recruited a chief information officer, chief financial officer, and director of human resources to spearhead and lead the drive to increased efficiency and profitability; and successfully achieved cost savings of over $500,000 for the district. Strickler has also been the director of operations for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Resources and a security supervisor for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts.

Strickler graduated from Elizabethtown College, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration – Accounting. Strickler holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Strickler is active with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, the Mental Health Association of Lancaster County, the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, and Junior Achievement of Central Pennsylvania.

Strickler began his duties with the Elizabethtown Area School District on June 14.

Source

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/lUnQeViHoH8Columbia Borough officials recently discontinued livestreaming meetings in favor of recording them and posting them on the borough’s YouTube channel the next day. The July 11, 2023 meeting, held a week ago, has not been posted. Columbia Spy has posted an audio recording of the meeting, above.

At the meeting, Pastor Wayne Scott (shown above) of Ashley Tabernacle Church of God gently chided Columbia Borough officials about their focus on the downtown at the expense of other aspects of the community: 

“While we’re building up downtown – we love what you’re doing – don’t forget the poor. Don’t  forget the rest of the community.”

His comments, which were made during a discussion of a block party to be held on South 5th Street, start at 31:45 on the recording. 

Columbia Borough, PA NOTICE: 

PA DEP just announced that an aerial black fly suppression operation has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 19th, on the Main Stem of the Susquehanna River. This operation will include flights in Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and York Counties. This operation will start in Lancaster and York County at approximately 0800am and work north towards Northumberland County. The helicopter will be a Bell 205 with the tail number N658HA and is painted white with blue stripes.

The bridge was decaying even then:

https://columbiapa-17512.blogspot.com/2013/06/but-seriously-is-bridge-falling-apart.html?m=1

07/17/2023

​Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today a weight limit has been established on the Route 462 Veterans Memorial (Columbia-Wrightsville) Bridge over the Susquehanna River connecting the Borough of Wrightsville, York County and the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County.

The bridge has not previously had a weight restriction. The new restriction will limit the weight of each vehicle to 10 tons except for emergency vehicles permitted by the Department. Vehicles exceeding the posted weight limit are suggested to use Route 30, an approximate 8.7-mile detour, or other alternate route. In addition to regulatory signs specific to this 10-ton weight restriction, the Department will enact a truck detour for Route 462 to assist in routing trucks safely across the river.

Trucks traveling eastbound from the Wrightsville (west) side of the river should take eastbound Route 30 to the Prospect Road exit, then turn right and head south to Route 462.

Trucks traveling westbound from the Columbia (east) side of the river should take westbound Route 30 to the Route 462/Wrightsville exit, then turn left and head south to Route 462.

The weight restriction was implemented after a routine inspection uncovered deterioration to the primary load carrying members of the open spandrel concrete arch spans along portions of the bridge. The Department is working towards interim repairs to the bridge and will re-evaluate the posting while repairs are being made.

Creating the weight restriction will reduce strain on the bridge and will preserve safe passage until more significant interim repairs can occur. Given the necessity to change the design scope of work on the bridge, now potentially including bridge deck, floor beam and column replacement, work on the bridge for the permanent condition is now not anticipated to occur until 2025.

The historic Route 462 bridge was built in 1930 and is classified as being in fair condition. Approximately 11,548 vehicles use the bridge daily, with 5%, or 601 trucks anticipated to be affected by this posting. The remaining 95% of traffic is anticipated to be below this limit and can continue to use the structure without restriction.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties at PennDOT District 8.

Information about infrastructure in District 8, including completed work and significant projects, is available at District 8 Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at PennDOT Projects.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

CONTACT: Dave Thompson 717-418-5018, dmthompson@pa.gov