January 3, 2002

The argument about whether a prison can be built in Northumberland County somewhere other than Brush Valley has now been settled absolutely, beyond a doubt, and with total certainty…and the answer is YES!

In a report prepared by the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Mine Reclamation, the last great excuse made by the Brush Valley destruction advocates (that no other sites are available because of past mining) has been, in no uncertain terms, proven wrong. In fact, the state's findings agree almost exactly with those of the Brush Valley Preservation Association (BVPA) in that there is more than adequate acreage at the Natalie East site to construct a Federal prison.

Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection David E. Hess writes in the cover letter for the report: "All of the alternate sites (in the Bureau of Prisons environmental studies) were discounted because of alleged historic underground mining and underground mine fires. It is not known if this issue raised from security concerns or from the potential for mine subsidence. Regardless, evaluation of geologic data and mining information clearly show a portion of one of the alternate sites, known as Natalie East, in neither underlain by coal nor by abandoned underground mine workings."

The last paragraph of the report makes an undeniable conclusion about the Natalie site by stating, "all sources of information available for this investigation are consistent. In the east-central portion of the Natalie East site the coal-bearing formations have eroded away. The Number 1 seam does not exist in the area. The area with no coal is not undermined. This area includes about 195 acres within the approximate boundaries of the Natalie East site". Information gathered by the BVPA shows that the actual buildings of the proposed prison would require less than 10 acres.

Much of the rest of the report is devoted to explaining the sources of its data and just how accurate and reliable these sources are.

It is interesting to note that BVPA has been told by people in the Department of Environmental Protection that they were contacted by neither the Bureau of Prisons, nor by the political figures who are promoting Brush Valley for a prison, concerning information on the alternate sites.

Most, if not all of the contentions made by the BVPA over the past two years are now being confirmed by an expert agency, or by the emergence of unquestionable facts:

Brush Valley is much too unique and fragile for the building of ANYTHING, ANYWHERE in it. This has been clearly stated by the state and federal agencies that oppose its destruction.

Our county is in such dire financial straights that county leaders cannot and should not be involved in such an expensive project with so much potential for mismanagement.

It is evident when looking at all the closed businesses and vacant homes in our area that all of the recently built prisons have done little or nothing to help our economy.

There ARE ways of obtaining the funding to have Brush Valley preserved.

Finally, the above sighted mining report proves once and for all that we CAN save Brush Valley AND have the prison.

The only question that remains now is how will the Brush Valley prison proponents react to the news that Natalie East is suitable for a prison. Will Mr. Kanjorski, Cwalina, Helfrick, and Belfante use their influence to take advantage of this opportunity, or will arrogance, ego, and agendas cause them to maintain their mislead quest to destroy Brush Valley for no good reason? Will the local press and chamber of commerce finally begin to explore the possibilities expressed by the BVPA, or will they continue to promote and advocate what the overwhelming majority of our residents consider to be a flawed and reckless plan? Will the water company and the Bureau of Prisons recognize the value of the boost in public relations by doing what can only be described as the "right thing"?

BVPA sincerely hopes that everyone now at least considers the facts that have become so apparent. We cannot afford to let the tunnel vision and self-serving plans of a few jeopardize this potential benefit for all our people.

John R. Faraguna
President/BVPA