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It has been a year since construction of the proposed fueling station/convenience store adjacent to Old Crow Wetland in Huntingdon was halted. This preliminary construction resulted in the pollution of the wetland with sediment and heavy metals. For six years prior to that, members of the Coalition to Save Old Crow Wetland testified at innumerable public meetings regarding the harm that an adjacent development would cause to the wetland. The DEP, the Huntingdon County Conservation District, the Smithfield Township Board of Supervisors, and PennDOT ignored or dismissed the warnings.
The DEP approved the developer's plans in 2024 and Old Crow Wetland was degraded by pollution from the construction site less than a month after construction started in 2025. The degradation continues to this day. The conclusion is that the DEP improperly issued the permit for this development without thoroughly assessing the site, as demonstrated by pollution events occurring repeatedly since construction began. No corrective or punitive action has been taken.
Furthermore, PennDOT ignored the threat that the development posed to the wetland, which is a PennDOT mitigation site established to compensate for the destruction and degradation of wetlands due to road construction. PennDOT received Federal Highway Administration credits for Old Crow Wetland, but PennDOT has done nothing to protect it.
Today, we witness continued degradation of Old Crow Wetland. What a fiasco and farce this whole long travesty has been. The incompetence and dereliction demonstrated by those who should be protecting our resources are obvious for all to witness.
Stan Kotala
Altoona