Kittanning Flood Wall Headed for Trouble
Leader Times
13 August 2011
The flood wall that runs between the Allegheny River and North Water
Street in Kittanning might become a significant monument — to the
banality of how government gets things done.
Here is the story as we have been told it:
• The flood wall no longer meets U.S. Army Corps of Engineers'
standards.
• As such, the federal agency says more people in the borough — in
areas never before flooded — must buy flood insurance. The federal
government sets the standards and then bullies those who don't meet
them. Is there discussion? Well, not much.
• The borough was denied an extension of a grant application that would
have provided $30,000 toward repairing the wall. Kittanning was to
supply labor in that amount to match the grant but found it could not
afford to supply the people to do the work. The town — not unlike so
many — is financially strapped. The grant supplier, the state
Department of Environmental Protection, said that's tough. No in-kind
work, no grant.
Here is what seems odd to us:
Locks and dams in this area were built in the late 1920s and early
1930s. The facility at Kittanning opened in 1930. These projects were
designed to pool up the water to facilitate navigation on this stretch
of the river. To be sure, commercial navigation is limited these days,
but recreational use of the pools continues.
So, in effect, the river was made into a transportation system, much
like our national system of interstate highways.
How then does it happen that the small town of Kittanning with its
limited tax base becomes solely responsible for the repair of a
federally installed flood wall? It may make sense to the lawyers, but
it doesn't make common sense.
Also, is it not curious that the very political entities — including
federal bureaus — that are designed to make our lives better and safer
are actually working against one another instead of doing the hard work
necessary to make things happen?
So, is this a political issue?
Everybody from borough council, to the county commissioners, to state
and federal lawmakers should be holding press conferences to decry this
approach. FEMA does not run the nation — and we are thankful.
Years ago, when deterioration on the locks and dams threatened their
closure, the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha was out on the river in a boat
with news reporters to discuss the value of the facilities. He got
action. Of course, his seniority and position in the Congress helped.
Maybe that approach doesn't work anymore, but let's at least get all
the parties to a single table at the same time.
Now our officials just seem to mumble privately about the absurdity of
such situations instead of using their bully pulpits to muster public
attention and support.
And if you don't know what the term "bully pulpit" means, well maybe it
is because the thing hasn't been used much of late.