Covington Township Tioga County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 15
AREAS OF SPECIAL CONCERN
§ 27-1501 Rationale.
[Ord. 12-10-12(E), 12/10/2012, § 27-1501]
Some areas of the Township have been deep mined in the past. This mining took place at multiple levels in the bedrock. Much of this mining occurred in the 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the records have been lost. Even those records which exist are suspect as to accuracy. Voids may exist in the bedrock and this introduces the possibility of subsidence. Any surface activities which involve blasting, the use of heavy equipment and/or the storage of heavy materials or materials which must be isolated from the environment because of health concerns are subject to the following conditions.
§ 27-1502 Core Boring to Establish Bedrock Support.
[Ord. 12-10-12(E), 12/10/2012, § 27-1502]
The property owner or his representative must provide the Township with proof that the bedrock of the area in question will support the activities discussed in § 27-1201 prior to any work in the area. This must be done by having a driller approved by the Township drill core bores to the depth of the deepest known deep mines in that area to prove that there are no voids which might collapse and cause the release of materials which must be isolated from the environment or cause damage to persons or property.
§ 27-1503 Geotechnical Requirements.
[Ord. 12-10-12(E), 12/10/2012, § 27-1503]
1.
Operations involving the handling or storage of materials which are on the federal or state list of known carcinogens and/or radioactive materials must drill no less than 10 core bores per acre for the complete area the operator is seeking permission to permit or utilize even if only part of it is judged by the Township to be undermined.
2.
Operations involving the storage or handling of materials which may generate liquid waste known as leachate or those which store large quantities of animal wastes in small areas (CAFOs) must drill no less than six core bores per acre. The complete area the operator is seeking permission to permit or utilize shall be drilled even if only part of it is judged by the Township to be undermined.
3.
Operations utilizing subsurface storage tanks for fuels must drill no less than three core bores per acre over the area being permitted and/or utilized even if only a portion of it is judged by the Township to be undermined.
4.
Home builders, camps builders and other small builders including communications towers, must prove to the Township that at least 15 feet of solid bedrock exists beneath the building site before work may commence.
5.
The Township shall determine the placement of the required number of core bores at the expense of the applicant. The location of any voids on the property shall disqualify the entire property from being used for the proposed use.
§ 27-1504 Core Bore Responsibility.
[Ord. 12-10-12(E), 12/10/2012, § 27-1504]
1.
Financial responsibility for the drilling of core bores shall fall upon the property owner.
2.
It shall also be the responsibility of the property owner to close the boreholes per Commonwealth of Pennsylvania regulations.
3.
The driller performing the work shall prepare and submit copies of his findings to the Township and the party seeking permission to utilize the property prior to any significant work being performed on the site.