It's about the location

After reading Mr. Alan Manges' letter to the editor, "What about the quarry?" - Dec. 11, 2007, and his making myself (Joseph Cominsky) the "true" centerpiece of his article, for whatever underlying reason. I believe a response by myself is not only expected, but in order.

His quote, "the rain water runoff from the quarry is discharged into Piney Run and Clear Shade Creek. This industrial operation has been going on for years, why hasn't it adversely affected these high quality streams?"

Your quote Mr. Manges that New Enterprise's stone quarry discharges water into Piney Run and Clear Shade Creek is totally false and untrue! I have personally been in contact with representatives of New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company. I asked them if any water from the quarry is being discharged into Piney Run which then flows into Clear Shade Creek. They said, absolutely not! All water from the quarry flows toward Central City and eventually into Dark Shade Creek, which as you know, Mr. Manges, is polluted by acid mine drainage.

New Enterprise officials were very cooperative in regards to my inquiring into water discharge from the quarry. They also volunteered permitting information, permit numbers in regards to Federal NPDES permits as well as PA permitting (DEP).

Also, your quote Mr. Manges, "Joseph Cominsky owns land less than two miles from this quarry. Why, in all these years is he suddenly worrying about Gamesa and has never said a word about New Enterprises stone quarry." As you well know, Mr. Manges, the quarry is adjacent to Berwind Corporation "stripped" lands. The quarry is not located in the "heart" of the Piney Run Wilderness Area - Gamesa's proposed industrial wind project would be!

The quarry is one operation with active quarrying being done on approximately 30 acres - self-contained. Would Gamesa's Wind Project be self-contained - I don't think so! Where the quarry is one operation - Gamesa would have 30 operations - for starters! Gamesa's 30 operations would be located in the "heart" of the Piney Run Wilderness Area, atop the many ridges where below, the exceptional value streams flow.

The destruction from sight clearings, turbine installations, plus approximately 18 miles of interconnecting roads and transmission lines over the many ridge-tops would devastate not only the land area, but also the bird, fish, wildlife and eco-system of Shaffer Mountain.

Mr. Manges, in your article you reference, Windber Water Company (Windber Area Authority) and the Central City Water Authority. Your quote, "Maybe these organizations are not as concerned about the water quality as they would like us to believe. Maybe they are just "windmill haters" and they are grasping for any reasons they can to sway public opinion."

Seeing as how you brought this into your article, I would in turn ask some questions of you, Mr. Manges. Is it true that you serve as a board member on the Central City Water Authority? Is it also true that the Central City Water Authority pumps its water from "shallow-wells" which are prone to surface contamination of drinking water?

Is it also true that as a board member, you never informed the Central City Water Authority of your "dealings" with Gamesa or the leasing of your own lands to Gamesa - lands within the Central City Water Authority Watershed? Am I right in my assumption that at a regular meeting of the Central City Water Authority, an entity other than yourself informed the board as to the proposed Gamesa Wind Project - within the authorities watershed and recharge area?

If these questions asked of you Mr. Manges are true, you have an awful lot of explaining to do - not only to the Board of the Central City Water Authority, but also to the readers, of this forum letter to the editor!

In closing, Mr. Manges, I am not a "windmill hater," as I and others have repeatedly said, site them on the massive "strippings" of Berwind Corporation - adjacent to the stone quarry! Also, I would suggest to you, it is time, a long time overdue, for you to assume your fiduciary responsibilities in regards to your seat on the board of the Central City Water Authority instead of trying to do the "Gamesa Spin" (this could be a new dance) in regards to the stone quarry!