Monday, February 03, 2025, 4:57AM |  39°
MENU
Advertisement

Pittsburgh officials point finger at 'bureaucrats in Washington' for sewage storage plans

Pittsburgh officials point finger at 'bureaucrats in Washington' for sewage storage plans

The chief of staff for Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto reiterated concerns today about the planned installation of a dozen "drop shafts" to connect Alcosan’s existing sewers to storage tunnels in an effort to stop the discharge of raw sewage into local rivers during heavy rain.

Flanked by environmentalists and other advocates at a news conference this morning at Allegheny Landing Park, Kevin Acklin blamed the plan on “bureaucrats in Washington” who are taking a traditional “gray-first” infrastructure approach.

“I said, 'You're not going to come to our city ... and build tunnels to tear up our riverfronts, with our money, to put it on the rate payers, unless we're part of the solution,’ ” he said, referencing a meeting this week with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice officials.

Advertisement

Mr. Acklin said he and other local environmentalists want to see the plan focus on natural, green components first.

Arletta Scott Williams, executive director of Alcosan, announces details of the $2 billion plan to address sewer overflows.
Chris Potter
Alcosan plans miles of tunnels to transport wastewater

Federal regulators have given the sanitary authority until 2026 to reduce sewage overflows. The authority's proposed solution features tunnels, more than 100 feet underground, to store water until its Woods Run treatment plant can process it. A draft map includes up to 18 drop shafts.

Organizers of the press conference lay an 8,000-square-foot plastic tarp over Allegheny Landing Park this morning, marking what they said was a would-be drop shaft area.

On Wednesday, an Alcosan spokeswoman said the number of shafts and their locations won’t be determined for years and construction won’t begin until the 2020s.

Advertisement

First Published: November 19, 2015, 5:11 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
PNC Bank corporate headquarters in Downtown.
1
business
PNC accused of short-changing clients in low-yield accounts
President Richard M. Nixon, who named the “Madman Theory” for scaring other nations into doing what the U.S. wanted. President Donald Trump has adopted it for his own foreign policy. Here Nixon points to transcripts of conversations in the Oval Office, which would later help force him to resign.
2
opinion
David M. Shribman: Donald Trump acts on Richard Nixon’s ‘madman theory’
FILE - A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna.
3
news
Alaskans say Trump can change the name of Denali but can't make people call it Mount McKinley
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a touchdown pass as Oregon defensive back Brandon Johnson defends during the first half in the quarterfinals of the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif.
4
sports
Brian Batko’s post-Senior Bowl Steelers 7-round mock draft: Best playmaker available
Elise Duckworth is a 17-year-old Pine-Richland junior who has spoken out against a proposed library book policy that would give the school board more authority over which books are permitted in the library, while allowing them to make the final call on challenged books.
5
news
Meet the Pine-Richland student fighting to keep access to books in her school
Advertisement
LATEST local
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story