Also, McUmber said Clarion Borough needs to improve participation in its existing recycling program for other materials.

McUmber attended council’s Nov. 6 meeting to further explain DEP’s stand on the issue.

Council members, in turn, defended the borough’s voluntary participation program and questioned DEP’s methods for determining recycling rates.

The borough provides a leaf drop-off site near it maintenance building along Veterans Drive . Tree trimmings and other compostable waste also is accepted at the site. The materials are then transported to the county’s main composting site at the Clarion County Park in Paint Township .

Since its inception, council has commented each year about the success of the drop-off point and the heavy use by borough residents.

Nancy Freenock, borough manager, said this month the deadline for applying for grant funding for a leaf bagger is quickly approaching and asked for permission to seek the funding.

Freenock said by refusing to implement a curbside collection program, the borough could risk losing other DEP funding.

Council members Rich Herman and Earl Zerfoss, however, vowed to continue their opposition to a twice-yearly curbside pick-up program.

“I still come back to the 1991 letter the DEP sent us,” said Herman. “That letter gave us permission to do what we are doing. I’m willing to go to court to prove the point.

“I’m sick and tired of government making an agreement with a borough like Clarion and then through their own doing deciding to break that agreement.”

Herman said it is the DEP holding up a proposed sale of the Clarion Area Authority’s sale of its sewage collection and treatment system to Pennsylvania-American Water.

“They sent us a letter, it was an agreement, the law hasn’t changed, the letter should still be good.”

In an Oct. 22, 1991 letter to the borough, , Guy G. McUmber, sustainability coordinator for DEP’s office of energy and technology deployment in Meadville , wrote, “(Act 101) requires the borough to implement a curbside leaf collection program. (Borough) council stated that curbside collection was not feasible in the borough due to manpower and financial constraints.”

McUmber went on, “In order to resolve the issue, it was agreed that the borough would conduct a drop off program with leaves being composted at the approved Clarion County Park site. The department will monitor the program’s progress and if it is found successful, no enforcement action will be taken due to the borough’s failure to provide a curbside system.”

McUmber added, However, it was agreed that the borough would institute curbside collection if deemed necessary by the department.”

 Council member Earl Zerfoss said he has received numerous comments from borough residents, all supporting his stand against the mandatory program.

“It’s wrong, wrong, wrong,” Zerfoss said of the DEP’s demand. “I’m not here to be threatened by other government agencies.”

Herman agreed, saying, “This is not the way it’s suppose to work. We need to make a stand.”

Herman said DEP offered to monitor the borough’s drop-off program and to work with the borough on improvements and a possible curbside program.

“Until they come down here and show us what they are doing is not blackmail, and that they will work with us, I don’t think it’s right,” said Herman.

Zerfoss added, “They should be working with us, not threatening us. No more grants? The hell with them.”

Council members agreed Freenock should work on the grant application and they will vote on submitting the form at council’s June 3 meeting.

Council also agreed to ask McUmber to attend that session to address council and borough residents.