Martinsburg Borough Council Discusses Future Possible Water Concerns

The pollution exposure insurance discussed at the May Martinsburg Borough Council meeting was rejected by the council at the June meeting.

Borough Manager Rich Brantner Jr. said the Martinsburg Authority has opted in to this, but he wasn’t sure if it was necessary for the borough to do so.

“[The authority] has bodies of water they’re contending with,” Brantner said, noting the reservoir.

If someone were to dump something into the reservoir and the person wasn’t found, the authority would have to pay for the cleanup. The authority also had outside tanks, while the borough’s are inside.

After discussion, the council agreed to not go ahead with a vote and to instead just decline.

Solicitor Nathan Karn informed the council that there are minuscule amounts of chemicals called Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) in one well in Martinsburg. This chemical comes from a firefighting foam. According to Karn, the chemical does not break down in the water.

The foam is found in places like Martinsburg because of the airport, which is a fire risk.

“There is not a lot known about it,” Karn said. “There are no definitive studies that say there are health problems associated with PFAs.”

According to Karn, this issue has caught the eye of the national government, which has led to testing limits being set.

Karn informed the council that there is a national litigation firm going after the makers of the product to help get funds for removal, which includes using a charcoal filter to separate the PFAs from the water. The chemical is then brought to a landfill.

Karn referenced a case involving companies Chemours, DuPont and Corveta. The companies agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle claims that “forever chemicals” contaminated public US water systems.

Karn emphasized that this is not a major issue in Martinsburg, as the amount found in the well is very low.

Councilmember Janet Blattenberger raised concerns about the amount of rabbits in the borough. Referencing the council’s involvement in removal of cats in 2022, Blattenberger asked if the council can do anything in regard to the rabbits. Other council members offered to help Blattenberger with traps to allow her to trap rabbits and safely release them in the country.

Brantner reported that he recently had a meeting with the Zimmermans of Zimmerman Family Dentistry and their contractor. They are hoping to start construction on their new location this year, hopefully by July or August.

Brantner also informed the council that Curryville has officially started receiving water from the authority. The water runs through a master meter, and Curryville will be billed monthly.

The Martinsburg Water Authority met on May 18 and awarded the water line job on Christiana Street to Terry Long Excavating. They are hoping to start that project around August. The new line will be placed between the old water line and the sewer line. Blattenberger asked if they will hit rock during contruction, and thought the answer is unknown, the consensus among the council was that they likely will.

The borough did a test on the new call out system — RAVE — on May 24. The Department of Environmental Protection requires call out systems for emergencies such as water issues. Residents received a phone call during the test.