An appeal has been made on this acid rock issue to contact officials and agencies and protest the possibility of acid rock and fly ash being dumped at the Mine #24 site (Robindale) in Pine Township. More letters need to be written in light of the fact that RNS Services, Inc. has submitted new applications for the mixing of acid rock (pyrite) and fly ash at the Mine #24 site. Below are letters which were sent out to officials and agencies since the acid rock issue flared up. These were sent out after the initial letter had been sent to the four newspapers in the areas of Cambria and Indiana Counties -- that letter is at the main area where the issue is introduced.

At the bottom of this area is a link dealing with the question, "What Can I Do?" In it are suggestions as to what an individual can do when confronting serious issues of the day rather than just sitting back, whining, and complaining with the mouth going in high gear but nothing else is ever done!

I N D E X

Indiana & Cambria County Commissioners

Troop A - State Police - Indiana & Cambria Counties

State Police Headquarters - Harrisburg PA

Officials and Appointed Persons at Agencies - A number of persons, elected and some appointed, were contacted -- including Governor Rendell and the Secretary of Department of Environmental Protection. A few were actually contacted twice -- through the USPS and by email!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Cambria & Indiana County Board of Commissioners

(Names of Commissioners in each county)

Gentlemen:

First, I would like to thank you for your support in opposing the plan in which PennDOT was going to truck a huge amount of acid rock (pyrite) from the stalled I-99 road project in Centre County to Pine Township in Indiana County and mix it with equal amounts of fly ash which would be trucked from generating stations in the area that would have included Seward and possibly Ebensburg. For the time being, the plan is on hold and some other possibilities are being explored.

Second, I am writing to inform you, if you haven't heard as yet, that RNS, Services, Inc. has submitted new applications with the DEP and public notices of such were printed in the Indiana Gazette on March 7 and 11. The first application specifically mentions the mixing of pyrite rock and fly ash at the Mine #24 site in Pine Township. The other application has to do with variances which are also a very serious matter.

It seems to be RNS's attitude that they will wait the governor out, possibly until after the election. So the issue is not really dead. With politics being the ugly business it is in Harrisburg and Washington DC and high powered lobbyists on special interests' and company payrolls doing what they do, and with millions of dollars at stake, we have no absolute guarantee that acid rock will not be brought into Pine Township at some future date!

Environmentally, it seems no real issue has been made of the fact that trucks hauling acid rock and driving through rain then become vehicles hauling a hazardous substance -- sulfuric acid is indeed a hazardous substance, is it not? And the I-99 site is ample proof as to what happens when rain and oxygen mix with pyrite rock! So, if and when they transport the stuff -- will the trucks be identified as hauling hazardous material and will the drivers be certified to drive such vehicles?

I have listed the issue at www.crrange.com/acidrock.html at my web site, and details of the RNS applications are at www.crrange.com/acidrock4.html. Thank you for any help in protesting you can give in this ongoing environmental "war" which will have a profound negative impact upon many lives in Cambria and Indiana Counties if RNS Services, Inc. has its way in the matter down the road in the future!

Still contending at www.crrange.com

Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor

Take me back to the index right now!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Pennsylvania State Police
Cambria and Indiana County Areas - Troop A

Dear PA State Police Officers:

The purpose of this letter to you who are based in Cambria and Indiana Counties is to register a complaint of the most serious nature. The problem at the heart of this complaint has been constantly growing over time.

It involves the reckless and irresponsible driving on the part of a lot of tri-axle truck drivers and not a few of those driving 18 wheelers, particularly on Rts. 422, 271, and 56. There are other roads, but my experience will focus on 422 and 271 (south from Belsano through Twin Rocks and into Nanty Glo).

My wife (on 422), waiting to make a left turn, was nearly in an accident because of a tri-axle driver not being able to stop due to high speed -- the driver coming on saw what was happening and veered sharply to the right -- the idiot truck driver went flying by my wife on the left side and narrowly missed the oncoming driver!

Our daughter-in-law was rear ended by a tri-axle with her infant son in the back seat as she was waiting to make a left turn on to the road that leaves 422 toward the Colver co-gen plant. Fortunately, both she and our grandson survived, but no thanks to the tri-axle driver who hit them -- some people don't survive these things!

Those guys are crazy -- and they give the 2 per cent who heed the speed laws and weight laws a bad name. I've had them run stop signs on me at Belsano, Twin Rocks (as they haul out of Vintondale area), and Strongstown. And they will tail gate you and intimidate you to move faster even when you are at speed limit.

I followed one who ran a stop sign on me at Strongstown all the way into Belsano -- his top speed going down grade was over 70 MPH! And just a few days ago as I was going to Nanty Glo a loaded tri-axle ran the stop sign (never so much as slowed down for the sign) on me at Twin Rocks -- I followed him all the way and he was hitting 60 MPH when he came to the Nanty Glo borough sign -- speed limit is 35 MPH from Twin Rocks to Nanty Glo! Since I confessed, am I subject to arrest and fines, but since the trucks seem to be ignored, I'll just plead that the vacuum they created just sucked me along!

During the recent acid rock fight I set up an area at my web site with documentation and a lot of pictures about the truck problem which would only have become a nightmare even worse than now if PennDOT had followed through with its plan. It is at www.crrange.com/acidrock.html and shows something needs to be done!

Thanks for listening and please forget about the 4 lanes on 422 outside of Indiana and 219 south, and concentrate on the life threatening situations on the 2 lanes of 422 (Strongstown to Ebensburg) and 271 south from Belsano to Nanty Glo -- that's where the real danger is!

Still contending at www.crrange.com

Clayton D. Harriger
cc: Pennsylvania State Police, Harrisburg, PA

Take me back to the index right now!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Pennsylvania State Police
7820 Allentown Boulevard 2nd Floor
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17112

Dear PA State Police Officials:

Enclosed please find copy of letter sent to members of Troop A in Cambria and Indiana Counties which provide details of a growing problem.

The problem is an excessive number of tri-axle dump trucks and a bunch of 18 wheelers on top of that traveling Rts. 422, 271, and 56 in particular in Cambria and Indiana Counties, although Rt. 22 gets pretty wild much of the time as well.

A majority of the drivers of these trucks have a total disregard for speed limits and stop signs as detailed in the letter. A fatal accident in the central PA region a few months back involved a tri-axle driver going over the speed limit and in attempting to avoid a vehicle, went into a skid and collided with a car, killing the driver and injuring the wife of the victim. He was charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment, but had those charges dismissed by a district magistrate -- so much for justice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!

The letter appeals for hard and consistent enforcement. I mention that the troopers should forget about their radar set ups on the 4 lanes approaching Indiana or Rt. 219 south to Johnstown and concentrate on the area described where the danger is at a very high level. One can travel more safely at 75 or 80 miles per hour on those 4 lanes than you can by keeping within the speed limit where the menace of tri-axles and 18 wheelers on an every day basis threatens the safety and well being of residents along the routes previously mentioned!

Thank you for any help you can give and influence exerted on Troop A to shift its priorities to what is really important on maintaining traffic safety where too many truck drivers feel traffic laws do not apply to them!

Still contending at www.crrange.com

Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor
AND risk-taker on Rts. 422 & 271 in Cambria & Indiana Counties!

Take me back to the index right now!

Monday, February 27, 2006

Name of official or appointee, including Gov. Rendell & Sec'y of DEP
Address of the individual

Dear nnnnnnnn:

I am writing out of very deep concern about the PennDOT proposal to transport a huge amount of acid rock (pyrite) material from Centre County to a dumping site in Pine Township in Indiana County many miles to the west.

The proposal also involves trucking a massive amount of fly-ash from power stations in the Indiana and Cambria County areas to the same site in an effort to neutralize the effects of air and water on the pyrite material.

If this plan is given approval by the Department of Environmental Protection, it will have nothing short of extreme devastating effects on the community and the many families living in the area as well as along the routes to be traveled by hundreds of trucks on a daily basis.

It is not possible in this short space to detail all the fall out which will take place from this debacle. It is very much on target to say that there will be an opening of a Pandora's Box of monumental proportions which no state agency will be able to close in the future, if PennDOT gets away with this scheme.

Many more details plus a lot of pictures addressing this issue are found at my web site at www.crrange.com/acidrock.html

The acid rock problem is located at the stalled I-99 construction project in Centre County. Keep it there and do what is necessary to resolve it, including trucking all the fly-ash needed to that location, rather than splitting the number of trucks and bringing the pyrite stuff into Indiana County. You have a measure of influence which can help to stop PennDOT's insane proposal!

Still contending at www.crrange.com

Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor

Take Me to the Front Door Where I Came in to This Area!

Many times people get very frustrated when acts of injustice take place or actions are pursued which threaten the safety, health and well being of masses of people. And often there is a throwing up of the hands in despair with the statement, "I'm just one person -- what can I do?" I have worked on possibilities as to what an individual can do in order to help make a measure of difference.

Go to What Can I Do? for some ideas that you might want to consider. Not everything mentioned there may apply to your situation, but there are some possibilities for everyone who is concerned enough to do something beyond complaining to your next door neighbor and nothing more than that! If you do go to that area, use the reverse feature on your web browser to come back here. The link below will return you to the main area where the acid rock issue has been introduced.

Take me back to
Acid Rock, Fly-ash, PennDOT, and DEP - A Deadly Mix in Any Man's Language!

For comments, complaints, or just plain axe-grinding, contact C. D. Harriger by clicking on Penelope, efficient mail hostess of Circuit Rider's Range, and she will set up the email form for you to fill out and send on its way