Part one discussed the effect of the Milford Warehouse project on the aquifer. Part two examines the impact of climate change, and what will happen to the community.

People are aware of the effects of climate change: More extremes. Intensified rainstorms and more devastating prolonged droughts. 

The LVL Engineering mega-warehouse designers are not dealing with the reality of this future, because their filtration systems could never manage 25 inches of flooding in six to eight hours, or even the floods we have already experienced in our area over the years. 

This project will put more stress and risk on top of a water system already stressed and taxed. Why would any community want to do that to their drinking-water source? It is illogical and dangerous to our future economic prosperity, the health and safety of our community, and the small-town charm that makes Milford such a beautiful and desirable place to live and visit. 

Let’s look at LVL Engineering more closely with a critical eye. On question 40 in their application to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, “Will the project impact a public drinking water source?”, LVL had the audacity to say, “No.” 

They DO NOT want to do a hydrological aquifer study for their Milford Township application process. The LVL lawyer even said, “There is no evidence of this water.” 

The wetland specialist LVL uses is Dr. John Crow from C&H Environmental. In his original summary statement, he said, “Reportedly, there is much ‘to do’ about the aquifer location... I see no inherent reason this site cannot be used to develop a Distribution Center.”

That is all you need to know. 

The study to which the LVL representatives are referring is actually a surface-water flow study, that does not officially and scientifically acknowledge the aquifer below. That is nowhere even close to the $50,000 aquifer study needed. They said it was too cost-prohibitive. Need I say more? 

They also claim to have done an environmental and community impact study without doing an air pollution study identifying the effects of concentrating 350 polluting large diesel truck trips per day, along with 499 car trips per day, in one small area. Their insufficient traffic study does not talk about the inadequacies of the I84 interchange in its current dangerous form. 

Now put 350 truck trips, and 499 car trips per day, on top of the already congested I84/Route 6 corridor. Everyone knows what it is like here during the tourist season. Bumper-to-bumper traffic. Plus they will not guarantee that truck traffic will not go through town. 

They say they did a community impact study. To do so would require a cost/benefit analysis study that would weigh the pros and cons of this project for the taxpayers and voters of this area to consider. When their community planning expert testified, he acknowledged he only did an assessment, not a study, and that he found no community downsides to this project—“only upsides.” 

They say this mega-warehouse is needed because of “modern shopping trends.” LVL’s lawyer said that my asking for the cost/benefit analysis study was “nonsense.” He also said that my idea for them to put money in escrow just in case they contaminate our drinking water was “silly.” 

In this community impact assessment, there is no discussion of the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars needed if they contaminate our drinking water supply. No discussion about the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to improve the I84/Route 6 interchange to accommodate 350 large truck trips per day. 

So once again LVL Engineering uses smoke and mirrors to hide the true environmental and community impacts of this irresponsible project.

Consider the future of Milford. When you look at this mega-warehouse project with a critical eye, using history and science as your guide, you’ll see that this project needs to be stopped. Most of us live in this area for the surrounding natural beauty, the quality of life and the fact that Milford is a diamond in the rough, in the ever-encroaching concrete jungle. 

A conditional-use hearing on this project (with its new amended application) is scheduled forMonday, May 22 at 6 p.m. at the Delaware Valley High School auditorium.

Vito DiBiasi is a member of the Friends of the Milford Aquifer. He lives in Dingman Township.