The Aug. 8 Tyrone visit of the Department of Environmental Protection and Army Corps Engineers might have been D-Day for thousands of Tyrone residents who may lose their homes to eminent domain in a flood-control solution that would make "green space" of the Little Juniata flood plain.
That's the DEP-CAE solution to control flooding in Tyrone.
The new flood plain includes all of Park Avenue, all of Washington Avenue, all of Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and 10th streets, Pennsylvania Avenue, Blair Avenue, Bald Eagle Avenue and parts of Logan Avenue from the Moose to the borough building, much of Lincoln Avenue extending all the way to 21st Street, much of 15th Street and even includes Oak Street.
The DEP will buy and level all those houses for 50 cents on every dollar they're worth. And the remaining Tyroners will also suffer when they have to absorb - pay - all those lost taxes.
But it doesn't have to happen.
Let's recap a little history.
For years, Tyrone mayors and councils have sought DEP permission to clean up the Little Juniata. And for years, a Spruce Creek sport fishing syndicate has screamed "fish kill," blocking cleanup - no matter that the syndicate is in the fish-kill business for big bucks.
Time after time, the Spruce Creek syndicate has imperiled Tyrone. When the DEP asked for Tyroners' input, there
wasn't any, so it bowed to the syndicate who even tried to buy the creek. As a result of all this, plus Tyroners complacency, this new flood control plan has evolved.
All is not lost.
A band of flood-plain residents are circulating petitions demanding the Little Juniata be tamed and the "green space" plan be abandoned.
Sign it! Get on the Internet to the DEP. Make a bigger noise. Tell the DEP and the Spruce Creek syndicate we're mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore.
Dan Meckes
Tyrone
