Jul. 24--Blairsville Borough Council at its Tuesday night meeting recognized the approval of more than $13.4 million in state funding to expand the Blairsville Municipal Authority sewage treatment plant and to help reduce storm sewer infiltration that places an unnecessary burden on the plant.

Addressing council, BMA Chairman Michael LaMantia thanked all those involved in pursuing the funding package approved earlier in the day by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVest). The funding includes a grant of $10,455,044 and a $3 million low-interest loan for the project, which will increase capacity of the treatment plant to accommodate growth in the Rt. 22 corridor of adjacent Burrell Township.

The plant capacity will increase from 900,000 gallons per day to 1,353,000 gallons per day. Also, 13,625 feet of new sanitary sewers will be installed in the borough to eliminate 13 combined storm sewer overflows.

LaMantia thanked his fellow BMA board members and others who helped with planning and arranging financing for the project -- including council, the township sewer authority and supervisors, county officials and local state legislators. Council, in turn, praised LaMantia and the BMA board for their efforts.

Many months of meetings were involved in hammering out an agreement between the authorities for sharing of project costs.

The resulting project, LaMantia said, is "going to save Blairsville millions and millions of dollars over the coming years. We're going to have a completely updated sewage system."

He said it's the result of cooperative efforts toward a common goal, noting that BMA is "trying to do the right thing for the community."

Council President Ron Evanko agreed: "I thank everybody who worked together to accomplish this."

Funding for the sewage project also includes a PennWorks grant of $2,488,956 approved by the state Department of Community and Economic Development in January 2007.

Work on the project is expected to begin by the end of this year and wrap up by the end of 2010.

Also Tuesday, council accepted LaMantia's letter declining an additional appointment to the newly formed Blairsville Community Development Authority, which has taken over operation of the Main Street improvement program for the town's business district and will be in charge of future revitalization efforts, including a proposed Elm Street program for improvements in residential areas.

In his letter, LaMantia didn't cite a reason for turning down the post, but he pledged to work with the borough to promote revitalization of the town.