Colebrook Road Closed For Widening Project – August 15th, 16th & 17th
Beginning Monday, August 15th and continuing to August 17th, Colebrook Road between Donegal Springs Road and Nolt Road will be closed while a roadway widening project is underway. The roadway will not be open to traffic during nighttime hours.
There will be a signed detour route around the construction zone. Motorists are asked to follow the signed detour and obey speed limits in place. Police will be monitoring speed along the detour route.
Thank you for your cooperation during the completion of this significant roadway improvement.
Saving EMS: Northwest Municipalities Looks To Stabilize Funding For Future
Northwest EMS, which provides emergency medical services to communities in northwestern Lancaster County, is facing an emergency of its own.
It could become insolvent in three to five years.
That means if something isn’t done, the municipalities served by the county’s third-busiest EMS agency will have to figure out another way to provide those state-mandated services. Other emergency medical service agencies are also facing the same challenges.
Northwest anticipates its expenses this year will surpass $4.5 million while its budget shortfall will exceed $500,000. It has 43 full-time employees, 36 part-time employees and 10 volunteers.
Currently, funding comes from subscribers — people who pay an annual membership fee — as well as municipal contributions and insurance reimbursements. But Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements don’t cover the full cost of services, some private insurer patients don’t forward reimbursement checks to Northwest, and some patients have no insurance or are underinsured.
Memberships cost $50 per person, $65 per couple and $80 per family. Just under half — 44% — of the community Northwest serves are subscribers.
That’s not sustainable, according to officials.
Last summer, a committee of municipal officials began looking into ways to stabilize funding.
Funding solution
Creating a regional emergency medical services authority.
Such an authority would be able to assess a fee on all households, businesses and institutions in the region it serves. Essentially, if approved, the annual membership would be swapped out and replaced with an annual fee, probably around $75 a year for households.
Public meetings on the plan will be scheduled this summer, first for municipalities to consider creating an authority, and then, if approved, to set fees. If all goes as planned, the authority could be in place in January.
Each municipality that signs on would have a representative on the authority’s board.
For more information on saving EMS for Northern Lancaster visit https://savingemsfornwlancaster.org/.
LCSWMA Imposes $20 Penalty to Help Enforce Existing Tarp Policy
Securing open loads with a tarp prevents litter and vehicle accidents while protecting the environment
LANCASTER (Lancaster County, PA) – The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) is requiring that all commercial and residential customers transporting waste to any of its facilities use a tarp to secure open loads or face a $20 penalty. Second offenders will be turned away.
“The health and safety of our community matters,” Robert Zorbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of LCSWMA, said. “Waste coming loose from unsecured loads is dangerous to drivers and litters our roadways. Our employees spend countless hours collecting litter from trailers, pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles that aren’t properly tarped. The objective of the $20 penalty is to change behavior so customers abide by the existing policy,” he added.
According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, unsecured loads and debris in the road led to 200,000 crashes between 2011-2014. During that time, debris related vehicle accidents caused 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths. Data released by the same organization found that as a nation, we spend $11.5 billion combating litter, 40% of which comes from unsecured loads.
LCSWMA officials note that according to Pennsylvania’s State and Federal requirements, it’s also the law to tarp loads.
Loads must be covered with a securely fastened water-resistant cover that eliminates potential for littering and other nuisances. 25 Pa. Code §§ 285.211(a) and 299.211(a)
Facility operators and owners such as LCSWMA are responsible for knowing and complying with all relevant laws, regulations, authorizations and permits to help avoid the environmental impacts and public health, safety, and welfare issues associated with the transportation of solid waste.
When transporting any waste, objects or materials in an open trailer or vehicle, drivers should:
- Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer
- Never overload the vehicle
- Check for possibilities of shifting
- Securely place a water-resistant tarp over the entire open load
“Not only is it required by law and mandated in the Lancaster County Municipal Waste Management Plan to tarp loads, but it shows courtesy to residents and businesses located on roads leading to our sites,” said Zorbaugh. “We realize it can be an inconvenience to commercial and residential customers, but it’s proven to help protect the environment and the health and safety of our community. We are extremely appreciative of everyone who has been adhering to the policy,” Zorbaugh added.
Karen Gross
LCSWMA Communications Manager
