Schuylkill Township has been awarded a $500,000 Department of Community and Economic Development grant, which it will use to replace water lines in Tuscarora.

The township's supervisors made the announcement during their meeting Wednesday. They credited former supervisor Linda DeCindio and secretary Mary Bubel, who were instrumental in applying for the grant in 2011, and following up on its progress."Mary and Linda did a lot of the work that made this possible," Chairman Charlie Hosler said.He added that during next month's township meeting, Schuylkill County's grant writer Gary Bender will make a formal presentation of the grant and provide an overview of the project.Tom Slane, who heads Emergency Management for the township, said the project is extremely important for Tuscarora."The system is old and with the hills, it's hard to get adequate water flow from the hydrants (to fight a fire)," he said. "The water line will be replaced in a loop, in the area where the pressure is bad Broad, Wyoming and Walnut streets, and some side streets in that area."Citizens spoke out with kudos to the township's snow removal, prompting Bubel to mention the work done by Hosler."Charlie gave us 133 hours of his own time this winter, removing snow, fixing plows and backhoes, and he didn't bill the township," Bubel said. "There aren't many people who would do that and he saved the township a lot of money."Residents also commented on road conditions in Brockton, saying that trucks operating for Tuscarora Coal Company are causing deterioration of the roads. Lester Androscavage asked if the coal company could contribute financially to the upkeep of the roads.Township solicitor Mike Greek said that the first step would be to have a representative from the township's engineering firm, Alfred Benesch & Co, Pottsville, assess the condition of the road. After that, the township could approached the coal company."But if they're (the coal company) already there and operational, it's difficult," Greek said. "But you may be able to set some sort of impact fee."In other business involving township roads, supervisor Christine Verdier reported that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation did a traffic study on Tuscarora and Brockton Mountain roads. In recent months, residents had argued that the current 30 mph speed limit posted on both roads be raised.Verdier said that two spots, one on each road, were studied for two mid-morning hours. Fifty cars used the roads, and 85 percent of those vehicles were traveling at about 45 mph. The conclusion is that the speed limit should remain as is.Verdier added that she's waiting for a response from PennDOT regarding the township's request to ban brake retarders on the flat sections of Valley Road, which is Route 209.The township is still seeking a code enforcement officer. Supervisor Chuck Fayash has been researching code enforcement rates and firms that are used in other townships and municipalities.