Despite the critical problems with the wellhead ordinance, Milford Township has scheduled a public hearing for Monday, October 2 at 7 p.m. at the township hall.

Consultant Thomas Shepstone wrote it as a wellhead protection ordinance, but does not use the definition of a “wellhead” as prescribed by PA Code 25 109.1. Instead, he uses the “surface water” definition. Because these protection zones are drastically different, this leads to permitted uses that are inappropriate for the hydrologist-delineated Zone 2 of Milford Springs.

Similarly, according to the PA Municipal Planning Code - Section 603.1, a municipality’s ordinance is supposed to “promote, protect and facilitate… the public health, safety, morals and general welfare,” along with “the provision of a safe, reliable, and adequate water supply… as well as preservation of the natural, scenic and historic values in the environment and preservation of forests, wetlands and aquifers.”

The ordinance does not follow these PA rules for ordinance writing. This improper ordinance fails to answer even basic questions: Where is the aquifer? What are its boundaries? What township properties are in or out of this Aquifer Zone based on proper mapping? What technical tools or parameters are going to be used to protect the aquifer? What uses should be restricted from this sensitive aquifer area? Should there be waivers given because of the Aquifers Zone’s presence?

This was all done to protect Milford Township’s development district. Why? Because if the body of this ordinance properly recognized the aquifer in definition, text and mapping, most of the development district would be directly on top of or on steep slopes bordering the aquifer. 

Milford Township is also amending this ordinance to make it easier for more mega-warehouses to be sited on top of our aquifer. The ordinance strengthens the definition of the current narrow warehouse definition to the more expansive definition of a “truck terminal” or (“distribution center”)—400 feet or 1.3 football fields from the Milford Springs. 

Instead of placing any limits on the size of a warehouse, as Dingman Township did, Milford is doing the opposite. They are codifying into land use law a truck distribution center of any size.

Milford Township is failing to respect the rights of its surrounding municipal neighbors, the importance of the aquifer and the economic draw of the exceptional-value Sawkill Creek. This is very similar to what the current commissioners and county Economic Development Authority (EDA) are doing. These policies are destructive to our quality of life, our right to clean water, our property values, our roads, our historical legacies, our pursuit of the jobs of the future for a vibrant economy, and for our continued health and safety—all things we are obligated to pass down to future generations.

When our immediate leaders are failing us in these critical ways—it is the civic duty of every voter/taxpayer to take the actions needed to protect their own critical interests. The destruction of the essential elements that make Pike County such a beautiful and rewarding place to live needs to be stopped now.

Vito DiBiasi is a member of Friends of the Milford Aquifer. He lives in Milford Township, PA.