A state inspection found numerous deficiencies in the installation of erosion and sedimentation controls at a highway excavation site in McDonald, but unusually heavy rain likely was more responsible for flooding of a half dozen homes and several businesses last week.
The Washington County Conservation District report released Wednesday cited the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and contractor Joseph B. Fay Co. for installing a sedimentation trap without permission, for failing to install other control items such as two basins to catch water and for having compost filter socks in need of repairs. Fay is excavating a hill above Reissing Road and Route 980 to prepare the site for abutments that will support a bridge for the Southern Beltway.
“We wouldn’t be able to say these deficiencies caused the flooding,” said Lauren Fraley, spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Resources. “These controls are specifically designed for a storm that happens once every two years [2-2.5 inches of rain in 24 hours] and we believe this incident was significantly more than that.
“We can’t say definitely yes or no whether [installing approved erosion controls] would have prevented flooding.”
The special inspection of the flood area was conducted by the Washington County Conservation District for DEP. Conservation District Manager Gary Stokum couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, but he said last week that wet weather in the past month made it difficult for the contractor to install some of the erosion controls.
The district does monthly site inspections to make sure the turnpike and contractor comply with approved erosion control plans as site conditions change throughout a project. The previous report issued near the end of June found no deficiencies.
Ms. Fraley said inspectors will return to the site Aug. 7 and if decide what action it should take if the deficiencies aren’t corrected.
Turnpike engineers are reviewing the report and the agency won’t have any comment until it files its response with DEP, spokesman Carl DeFebo Jr. said Wednesday.
Turnpike representatives made emergency repairs and took insurance reports from residents and businesses to effected by the flooding. The contractor also made immediate changes such as installing a sandbag dam behind on home that had damage to its kitchen and a first-floor bedroom.
The excavation work is part of Fay’s $90.6 million contract to build a 3.2-mile section of the Southern Beltway project between the Panhandle Trail and Cecil Reissing Road in Cecil. When all sections of the beltway are completed, it will connect the Mon-Fayette Expressway in Jefferson Hills with Route 22 near Pittsburgh International Airport.
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1470 or on Twitter @EdBlazina.
First Published: July 20, 2017, 1:59 a.m.
