Charlestown Township Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) Meeting Minutes Monday, July 10, 2023

Meeting was held at Township Office 11 General Warren Blvd., Suite 1. Armstrong opened the meeting at 7:08.

June minutes were approved.

Place Holders

• Brightside Farm Riparian Buffer Planting, Deerfield Riparian Buffer
• Battery Recycling Program
• Education Series
• EAC web page where residents can get information on disposing of household items
• Friends of Charlestown.us website
• Weed Warriors
• Kendig and Jenkins conservation parks
• Synthetic turf in Charlestown Park
• Invasive Species
• Charlestown Park riparian buffer
• Battery Collection
• Naming of creeks and tributaries in Charlestown Township.
• Bird Town

New Business

1. Buckeye Pipeline off Pikeland Rd. – Supposedly an abandoned oil pipeline. Goodman reached out to Buckeye. Pipeline exposed on creek bed and on one side of the stream. it can catch debris and if a tree ends up in the creek it could pull the pipeline out. Buckeye not responding. County has gotten involved. The pipeline is only 1-2 mi above the reservoir which supplies water to residents. Kevin Kuhn also aware. Waiting for Buckeye to respond.

   Had most recently been an abandoned oil pipeline. Goodman reached out to Buckeye. The pipeline is exposed on creek bed and on one side of the stream, and Goodman’s concern is that it can catch debris. If a tree ends up in the creek it could damage the pipeline.

   Josh Maxwell, ChesCo Commissioner, also responded by email asking for attention to securing the pipeline. The pipeline is only 1-2 mi above the reservoir which supplies water to residents. Kevin Kuhn also aware. Waiting for Buckeye to respond.

Ongoing Business

1. Storage Closet (in township meeting room) Shelving – Stephanie sent specs to Csete.
2. Riparian Buffer in Charlestown Park and Pickering Creek – Armstrong and Goodman talked to Stroud about taking on this restoration. They looked at the site and didn’t feel it was big enough to use as a project for the current grant they are seeking from PA DEP. However, Stroud is willing to build some funding into their grant restoration work along the Pickering riparian buffer. They feel it would be a great use of their resources. Calen Wylie of the Stroud Water Research Center who visited the stream in Charlestown Park thought that it was still a good site for restoration, even if all the invasives cannot be removed, and made recommendations for the plantings to consider should we wish to improve the site (plantings would cool the stream aquatic life, contribute to better water quality, and augment biodiversity). Stroud will include the Pickering Trail buffer site in their grant application the PA DEP Growing Greener program.
3. PA Dept. of Transportation Road Adoption program – The EAC’s clean-up of Charlestown Road will start at the mill and continue to the elementary school. Walker waiting to get approval from PA for the Adopt-a-Highway program from PennDOT. Notification in NN, website, newsletter, social media. Armstrong expressed concern about young children not being included.
4. Naming of headwater tributary at Charlestown Park – perennial stream that starts near Charlestown Park. Armstrong met with Jeremy Johnson from the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma when he was at visiting West Chester University. He is going to send Armstrong some ideas for names.
5. Single Use Plastic bags/items ban – Anu S. to develop a proposal to present to the township and bring back to the EAC for review and approval. Impact is very important. She will try to get this topic on the supervisor’s agenda for September.
6. Nature News topic for July – sent out - feedback by the 17^th.
7. Battery Collection – Armstrong researched other options as the boxes are expensive and heavy to lift to send back but found that our current vendor appears to be our best option. Can get 5 large boxes for a savings. Can’t get discount for small boxes. If they keep filling up as fast as they have been we may exceed our budget. EAC agreed to buy one more set of boxes and see how fast they fill up. Armstrong will discuss with the Township Manager if we can use our budget for an additional five boxes..
8. Riparian buffer at Brightside – Armstrong has been maintaining on her own and planted the rest of the American Plum Trees. Difficult work to get through the overgrowth. EAC (Goodman) will ask township if they can cut a lane through the rows of trees to manage the overgrowth every year so easier to maintain on an ongoing basis and allow access to the plants. Proposed to do in late winter.
9. Invasives – so far only one nursery has committed to donate plants for Charlestown Day invasive plant replacement project. Solomon will put an announcement of the project in the Charlestown newsletter. Further communication to residents will occur after presenting a plan at the July meeting for how residents can qualify. Residents will have to present evidence that an invasive will be replaced. If we only have one committed donor, the EAC agreed that we would pick up the cost to buy replacement plants. There will be no limit on how many people can qualify. Only nursery that has committed to date is Sam Brown.
10. Township Newsletters – (due dates are 1/15, 4/15, 7/15, 10/15):
    1. July 15 - article about invasives - incorporate feedback and send to Csete. EAC email address to be included if they have questions.
    2. Future topic ideas include:
       what to do when you hit a deer (good topic for fall).
11. Community Education – Instead of a lecture or webinar presentation, we will strive to do outreach to community residents – the invasive removal project (see #9 above) is an example. No other updates.

    Other ideas include:

    1. Bird Town programs
    2. Tour of invasive species in township
    3. Watershed friendly property certification

Meeting adjourned at 9:00.