The Herald, Sharon,
PA Published Saturday, January 9, 1999

NORTHERN MERCER COUNTY

Petitioners seek help for quake damage


By Erin Remai
Herald Staff Writer

Like more than 100 of his neighbors in the Greenville area, Mike Allen saw his well go dry after the Sept. 25 earthquake.

Allen, who lives along East Jamestown Road in Greene Township, said he believes the government is not helping him and his neighbors enough, so he started a petition drive. He hopes to send the petition to Gov. Tom Ridge to see if he can help local residents get federal aid for new wells. “There are earthquakes in California all the time,” Allen said. “The federal government helps people in California all the time. Why shouldn’t they help us?”

Allen started the drive after he found out his name — and those of several others — were not on the county commissioners’ list of people who lost well water.

“The commissioners are working very hard on this issue, but I explained to them that if maybe I got missed, others got missed,” he said. “I’m not contradicting anything (state Rep.) Rod Wilt or (state Sen.) Bob Robbins are doing. I just thought the government needed to hear something from the people affected.”

Allen said he is also trying to contact Crawford County commissioners to set up a fund for residents who lost well water there.

“If we get funds from the government, then we can get it to them,” Allen said. Residents whose wells were affected by the earthquake can sign the petition at the Hempfield Township municipal building, 278 S. Mercer St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Spouses and anyone age 18 or older living in the affected residence can also sign.

Questions can be directed to Allen at 588-2275.

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Updated January 8, 1999
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