Pipeline Risk To Chester Valley Trail Will Be Assessed

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Risk to the Chester Valley Trail posed by the Mariner East II pipeline installation will be evaluated by a geotechnical engineering service contracted last night by Chester County commissioners.

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline approved the Geologic and Geotechnical Engineering Services and Risk Assessment in the Aug. 26 county commissioners' meeting. Geostructures, Inc. was contracted for $32,500.

Geostructures will assess the risk posed by pipeline work to county property, including risk to the Chester Valley Trail and Chester County Library, in its study.

The Chester Valley Trail roughly follows U.S. Routes 30 and 202 through central Chester County from West Whiteland Township east into Montgomery County. It is part of "The Circuit," a planned 750-mile trail network throughout Greater Philadelphia. All open segments of the trail are managed and maintained by the Chester County Department of Facilities and Parks.

No federal or state monies contribute to funding the contract.

Chester County commissioners also last night continued its spending for collaborative water resources monitoring and investigation that bring together geologists and local water resource authorities.

The total cost of that contract is $587,273, to be shared with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Chester County will contribute 53 percent of the funding, or $310,402 and the USGS will pay $227,034, or 38.5 percent. Another $49,837 will come from local partners, about 8.5 percent.

Since 1969, The U.S. Geological Survey has had a cooperative water-resources program with Chester County to measure and describe the water resources in the County. This partnership between USGS and Chester County provides the county with information needed in water-resources management.

The U.S. Geological Survey maintains 17 stations to measure the flow of Chester County streams. The county posts a presentation of the USGS water monitoring program in Chester County. An interactive map of Stream Conditions Biological and Chemical Monitoring Networks in Chester County can be found here.