November 8, 2000

The special meeting of the Supervisors of Franklin Township, held in the 
Township office, was called to order by Chairman John Sachar at 1900 hours.  
Present were Sachar, Denver Ireland, David Henderson and Attorney Felicia 
Schroeck.  No visitors present.

Discussion was held on the PennDOT snowplow contract in light of DEP's 
restriction on the use of salt brine on the roads.

Henderson - we had an analysis done several years ago and just had a new one 
done at Church Labs that isn't back yet.  It didn't test for several things DEP 
requested.

Ireland - DEP says a 50-gallon lane mile limit.

Sachar - you might as well not even run the truck for that.

Henderson - PennDOT applies 200 to 500 pounds of salt per lane mile every 
time the truck goes down the road.  We average 29 brine rounds a year.  There 
is only 21 pounds of salt in 50 gallons of brine.

Ireland - even if we bought brine from Seneca Mineral, we'd still only be allowed 
50 gallon a lane mile.

Sachar - is Seneca Mineral pure brine or does it have other metals in it?  Their 
analysis was reviewed.

Schroeck - the 30 days to appeal was up on Monday.  We wanted our appeal in 
before the deadline.  We will follow it up with another letter to Mr. Hassinger 
asking if we can use brine.  If you purchased brine from Seneca Mineral it still 
doesn't meet their definition of a product.  We have 20 days to amend this 
objection dating from Monday the 6th.  Discussion on the Seneca Mineral 
Certificate of Analysis.

Schroeck - we're objecting to the ban on the use of brine to de-ice roads.

Henderson - the permit is to spray brine on anti-skid.  Pre-wetting is spraying 
anti-skid, anti-icing is the use of brine before a storm, de-icing is spreading brine 
after the storm.

Henderson - the background is:  we received a letter from Jeff Alio on 11/2/00.  
He used the term de-ice incorrectly in the letter.  I had the permit requirements 
faxed to us.  The only thing the permit references is pre-wetting and anti-icing.  
De-icing is not included.  I gave Jeff Karr a letter asking to get out of the 
snowplow contract.  I had an analysis test started on Mountain Resources brine.  
Brad thinks his will be the same as Seneca Mineral.  Karr and George Backo 
came here and suggested we buy brine from Seneca Mineral.  Brine from them 
would cost us $27,500 a year, rock salt would cost $10,00 to $12,000 a year.

Ireland - what did Karr and Backo say about our use of brine.

Henderson - they want us to plow their roads.  I called Hassinger about de-icing.  
He was to have faxed us a letter saying the permit didn't cover de-icing.  It didn't 
arrive in time so we filed the appeal.  His letter arrived on the 6th.  I would 
suggest having the Solicitor contact him and get rid of the smoke and mirrors.  
He said de-icing will soon be added to the permit.  At this point there is no permit 
regulating de-icing but soon will be.  Even if we manage to remove the confusion 
and can use brine to de-ice, we'll be back in a pickle unless they increase the 
gallons per lane mile.  Last season we used 100 to 150 gallon a lane mile for 
anti-icing.

Meeting was recessed at 1930 hours for an executive session.  Back on 
record at 1934 hours.

Schroeck - a major modification to the permit would take time.  They have no 
application rate for de-icing so it may be quicker.

Henderson - short term is to get Hassinger to send a letter okaying de-icing.  For 
pre-wet and anti-ice we could use Seneca Mineral and that would give us a 
window to get our anti-skid material under cover in next year's budget.

Schroeck - the letter should state that de-icing is not listed in the permit.

Henderson - we can stop anti-icing.  Last year was the first year we did it.

Ireland - are we the only ones using brine?  Does Frosty plow Crane?

Henderson - he uses rock salt and has had Brad tanker some out there.

Ireland - I think we are bound by the contract.

Henderson - I can't get rock salt.  It is outside of the contract time.  We would 
need a building for storage.  We can't carry on with the contract unless we de-ice 
with brine or rock salt.

Sachar - you're looking at 400 ton a year of rock salt.  Can't you buy a load at a 
time?

Henderson - not unless you're in the contract.  Without a contract you would 
have to contact Morton Salt and if they had it, they'd bring it to you.  It would cost 
$12,000 to $15,000 a year.

Henderson - it becomes a push financially if we have to buy rock salt.  Why take 
the liability risk and we may get hit with a bad winter.

Discussion on whether it would be financially feasible.

Henderson - this will come under a permit sooner or later.  They restrict the use 
of brine more and more.

Sachar - they want to get it out of the environment.

Discussion on the definition of product.  Seneca Mineral is selling brine as their 
main product and selling off the gas as a by-product.

Ireland - can we cut down the application rate?

Henderson - sure but it won't do the job.  We'd be back out there a lot more.

Henderson moved to have the Attorney get the de-icing problem straightened out 
with Mr. Hassinger, to buy brine from Seneca Mineral to spray our anti-skid pile 
at 20 cents a gallon and to build a storage building next year for our anti-skid 
material.  Ireland seconded.  Carried.

Henderson - there is at least a 90 day time period before they could put de-icing 
into a permit.

Schroeck - I will ask them if we can buy brine from Mountain Resources, it's the 
same product.

Henderson - we could drill our own well.  Hayfield and Vernon Township in 
Crawford County use brine.

Sachar - get some rock salt.  I don't want to let the PennDOT contract go.

Discussion on cash flow.

Schroeck - I will get a clarification from Mr. Hassinger regarding the permit.

Henderson - I will ask PennDOT to cover the roads in case it snows while we 
straighten this out.

Schroeck - with the upcoming snow season, the more people involved the more 
pressure we can put on them and the more seriously they will take this issue.

Oshkosh as a SME - Dave said that the Oshkosh paperwork came back and 
Karl Boyes advises forgetting trying to register it as special mobile equipment.

The Solicitor was authorized to send a letter to the Department of Transportation 
saying that state law says the truck is a SME and if you don't register it as such 
we will sue.  The law clearly states that a snowplow is special mobile equipment.     

ADJOURN
Sachar called the meeting adjourned at 2008 hours.

Bonnie J. Bernhardt, Secretary