Watershed meeting Tuesday
Discussion about how to use settlement $$$ to begin

A meeting to be held on Tuesday night in Emporium will go a long way toward determining how millions of dollars will be spent for environmental improvements in Cameron County.

Bucktail Watershed Association is hosting the 7 pm meeting at the courthouse. Its purpose is to begin assembling volunteers who will decide what work should be done and to assist in other ways. The money is coming as the result of a settlement between Norfolk Southern Railroad and the state over the June 2006 train derailment that resulted in a catastrophic lye spill near Gardeau.

Bill Crisp from the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission and Todd DeLuccia of the Cameron County Conservation District (CCCD) will conduct Tuesday night's meeting. They will present updated information on where the settlement stands and how the funds can be used.

"This is the time for local citizens, sportsmen, camp owners and all others interested in the local environment to come together," said a CCCD spokesman. Among the suggested options are repairing acid mine drainage in Sterling Run, trout habitat projects on Portage Creek, tree plantings along unshaded trout streams and restoration of eroding stream banks.