Wednesday, July 4, 2001
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Wednesday, July 4, 2001 |
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Tyrone disputes wetlands violation charge By JOHN THOMPSON
Tyrone Town Manager Barry Amos said his town's environmental record can be matched up against any entity in the county. Amos made the statement Monday after allegations by noted biologist and environmentalist Dennis Chase that the town destroyed wetlands when building its new ballfields. Chase's full allegations can be found on the editorial page, but Amos said the whole discussion is premature. "There are no jurisdictional wetlands on that site," he said. Chase accuses the town of knowing wetlands were present at Redwine Park and filling them in to build the town's new ballfields. After Chase appeared at the Town Council meeting in January, the town hired a consultant to determine if there were any wetlands on the site, Amos said. The consultant reported that if there were any wetlands, as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it would be less than an acre, according to Amos. Chase has charged that the town's request for funding from Fayette County in its fiscal 2002 budget was targeted to help pay for mitigation of the destroyed wetlands. But if the Corps of Engineers delineates the small acreage as wetlands, Amos said the town already owns plenty of land that could be used for mitigation purposes. "There will be no expenditures needed by any government agency," Amos said. Amos said he has asked Chase for the information that he had about the site, but has never received it. Chase also accuses the town of erosion control problems at the park, but Amos disputed the account. "Tyrone has always placed more emphasis on the environment than most communities. The town believes its environmental record is exemplary," Amos said.
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