Jackson Township supervisors' plan to enact an ordinance regulating the delivery of treated waste solids in the township is on hold while their solicitor checks into a recent court ruling against a Center County township that tried to do the same thing.

"There's been a loss in one of the townships of a substantial amount of money because of one of these ordinances," township solicitor Robert Kochems reported Wednesday. The recent ruling concerning Rush Township may result in the township being sued by a waste solid hauler for more than $2 million, Kochems said.

Township residents have been in an uproar since the dumping of sludge from Allegheny County Sanitary Authority began May 16. The waste is being spread as fertilizer on about 900 acres of farmland owned by Roy H. Neer of Slippery Rock Township. Residents in June asked that the township pass an ordinance restricting the hauling of the treated waste solids into their community at the June Township meeting.

"I want to look at a copy of their ordinance before I draft it. If it's not going to work, we could get sued and those figures are outside of the ballpark of what the township can afford," said Kochems, who is also a county assistant district attorney.

Township Supervisor Brian Patterson also told the 20-plus residents at Wednesday's meeting that Neer has agreed to allow the township to hire an independent, on-site certified inspector to check the spreading of the sludge and make sure it is within the 300-foot setback limits from other people's property.

"It's to make sure things are going by the rules and regulations," said Patterson.

"Wouldn't he just be someone to pass the buck on to," questioned Robert Grant of 1536 Franklin Road, who is also the president of the Jackson Township Concerned Citizens Committee.

"My feeling is anything is better than nothing," said Patterson, adding that at least it was someone on the property representing the residents.

"I can go along with that. I can see the good of that, provided he has protective gear," said Grant. "Unless he's listening to the party line."

Kochems suggested that the citizens committee hire the independent inspector to protect the township from possible lawsuits.