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ATS-Chester Engineers Selected for Sewer-Line Project in North Belle Vernon

VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Friday, August 20, 2004

NORTH BELLE VERNON — Residents will once again hear the rumble of loud machinery Monday as a massive sewage line project will restart and a new engineer will take over.

Council President R.J. Sokol said ATS Chester Engineers of Charleroi was hired by the board at a special meeting Tuesday night.

The firm replaces McTish, Kunkel and Associates, the engineering firm hired to lead its multi-million dollar sewer separation project.

Council fired McTish, Kunkel and Associates and barred the company from authorizing the installation of more sewer lines.

The project has been a rocky one from the beginning. In May, council learned engineering fees for the $4.9 million sewer line project were nearing the $1 million mark, and Sokol and other council members voiced dismay at ongoing disputes between their engineering firm, McTish, Kunkel and Associates of Rostraver Township, and the contractor it is overseeing, W.G. Tomko Inc., of Finleyville.

The borough's initial contract award to Tomko in 2002 was $4.35 million. Sokol said engineering costs continue to climb, while Tomko has requested change orders of more than $700,000. As of June, council approved change orders of nearly $200,000.

Borough officials have said that, under McTish, Kunkel's direction, line trenches have been improperly filled and numerous line breaks have made the system unusable.

Nearly 70 percent of the sewer-separation project is complete, yet residents haven't been able to connect their properties to the new lines. Residents have also already received their first bill.

Sokol said Tomko will not charge the borough for any shut-down fees. Stacy Wolford can be reached at swolford@tribweb.com or (724) 684-2640.