PHOTO PROVIDED The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors are pictured during its voting session on Thursday night.

MILL HALL — The Keystone Central School District Board of Directors approved a $50,000 expense for emergency repairs to the Bucktail Storm Water Drain.

The contractor was hired by the Western Clinton County Sewer Authority, but due to the location of the issue, the district would pay part of the cost.

Board Vice President Butch Knauff — who serves on the authority’s board — offered a summary of the issue.

Knauff noted discussions about the stormwater issue near Bucktail have been going on for some time. The stormwater drain crosses not only through the district’s property but also Chapman Township, PennDOT and Conrail properties.

“They all have water that goes into this storm drain that goes across Keystone Central property out to the (Susquehanna River),” Knauff said.

About a week ago, Knauff said a district employee noticed — after a day that brought an inch of rain — the pipe that carried the stormwater had eroded enough to take out a 40 foot section of bank. This erosion exposed a section of sewer line, specifically a force main that brings all the sewer authority’s waste from North Bend to its plant in Renovo.

“If something happened to that line it would be an environmental disaster,” Knauff said.

Knauff said, due to the immediacy, the authority’s board met with township supervisors, the school district and soil conservation to find a solution.

Knauff said the project won’t replace the entire stormwater pipe, just about 80 feet.

“That’ll bring it out to the bank, replacing the wing wall that was there and building it back up with large stone, tapering it down to smaller stone and then putting the top piece with dirt and planting grass over top of it,” he said.

The total cost is $50,000 to which, Knauff said, township supervisors are reviewing ways to contribute to the cost.

“Hopefully the school district doesn’t pay the entire amount,” Knauff said. “We’re hoping it’s divided between the district and the township because ultimately, it’s their responsibility also.”

Board Member Dr. Bill Baldino asked how the district would be in charge of handling the storm water pipe.

“Truthfully I don’t know how you would define who owns it. It comes across our property and goes to the river. But it’s over on the mountain and comes across (Route) 120, Conrail’s line, comes across another property and then comes in,” Knauff said.

Board Member Chris Scaff noted he put Property Services Director Sam Hoy in contact with the county’s emergency management coordinator and PEMA about possible grant funding to assist with the stormwater project when it was initially discussed last year.

“My understanding is the school district couldn’t apply for it,” Superintendent Dr. Francis Redmon said. “It would have to be the township to apply for the money.”

Knauff said the township received the information but hadn’t pursued the funding up until now.

Scaff asked that Knauff push for the supervisors to consider applying for funding.

Following discussion, the emergency purchase was made in a 7-1 vote, with Knauff abstaining due to his role on the authority.