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<p>As part of a promise to step up communication about a new stormwater fee, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority has scheduled its first public information session on Jan. 31.</p><p>The session will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at the authority&#8217;s wastewater treatment facility board room, 1000 Wilkes-Barre St. in Hanover Township.</p><p>While authority representatives have attended numerous municipal meetings, this is its first mass-invite gathering scheduled to address concerns since bills were mailed to approximately 68,900 Wyoming Valley area residential property owners at the start of the year.</p><p>According to an announcement about the session:</p><p>Authority board members and administrators will provide updates on the regional stormwater management program and stormwater fee billing and be available to answer questions.</p><p>The session also will provide answers to commonly asked questions the authority has been receiving by phone, email and at public meetings.</p><p>In addition to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the authority has invited U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton), U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Lehigh Valley), U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Moosic) and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Dallas).</p><p>The authority also attempted to secure a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative at the session but received messages indicating nobody would be available at this time due to the government shutdown, said Donna Gillis, the authority&#8217;s public relations/regulatory liaison.</p><p>Due to a public outcry, the authority announced earlier this week it has delayed the payment due date for the new stormwater fee to March 15 and eliminated all appeal fees for those contesting the authority&#8217;s calculations.</p><p>Authority officials also said they have been meeting with state officials and exploring legal options that could lower the fee.</p><p>As it currently stands, the authority&#8217;s monthly stormwater fees are based on these nonabsorbent impervious areas, or IAs, within each parcel: 100 to 499 square feet, $1; 500 to 6,999 square feet, $4.80; and 7,000 square feet or more, $1.70 for each 1,000 square foot of IA.</p><p>The fee was imposed to fund street sweeping, catch basin cleaning, mapping and other projects to comply with an EPA pollution reduction mandate being enforced through the state DEP.</p><p>This mandate requires less sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus washed into the Susquehanna River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, over the next five years.</p><p>Thirty-two municipalities opted to participate in the authority&#8217;s regional project, with the expectation a group approach would be cheaper and eliminate the risk of noncompliance fines.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Stepping up outreach, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority has scheduled a public information session about a new stormwater fee on Jan. 31 at its treatment facility in Hanover Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL011219WVSA2-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Stepping up outreach, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority has scheduled a public information session about a new stormwater fee on Jan. 31 at its treatment facility in Hanover Township. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

WVSA sets stormwater fee public information session