Protect Mount Pleasant and East Huntingdon: Pause the Asphalt Plant and Reject Public Financing Until Residents Get Answers

I live in the beautiful, serene area of Mount Pleasant, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, winery’s and orchards; including Green Dance winery and Sandhill berries and surrounding farms. For years, our community has thrived on the natural beauty and fresh air, which are now under threat due to the proposed construction of an asphalt plant in our area.

We are residents, neighbors, property owners, parents, farmers, small-business supporters, and community members who care deeply about Mount Pleasant, East Huntingdon, and the surrounding countryside.

This area is known for homes, farms, orchards, wineries, outdoor spaces, and local businesses that depend on clean air, safe roads, and the rural character of the community. The proposed asphalt plant would be located along Route 119 in East Huntingdon, off Old Route 119, and not far from Greendance The Winery at Sand Hill and Mt. Pleasant Area Junior/Senior High School. More than 1200 people have already signed an online petition opposing the plant.

Sand Hill Materials has sought up to $10 million in bond financing through the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Authority, and the Authority tabled the request so it could review the application and public comments before deciding whether to move forward. Public money and public financing should not move faster than public review.

Residents are not asking for slogans or assurances. We are asking for answers.

Before any approval or public financing is granted, the applicant and public officials should fully disclose the complete financing application, the proposed sources and uses of funds, projected employment and economic benefits, market studies, public-assistance disclosures, environmental approvals, stormwater controls, and all material financing terms. The public should then have a meaningful opportunity to review those materials and respond before the request is taken off the table or approved.

The claimed public benefit also needs careful scrutiny. Separate RACP materials for the East Huntingdon Infrastructure Supply Project list 0 current employees at the project site and 10 jobs to be created. Those materials show a $10 million project budget, including $5 million in requested RACP funding and $5 million in private equity. The same project materials claim that municipalities, PennDOT crews, and contractors in Westmoreland and surrounding counties must rely on asphalt transported from outside the area.

These statements don't make sense because there are multiple existing asphalt production facilities within roughly 5 to 21 miles of the proposed site, including a Mount Pleasant facility approximately 5.1 miles away. Public officials should require proof of an actual unmet public need before supporting another private asphalt facility in an already-served market.

Residents also deserve clear answers about environmental and site-readiness issues. The project’s air plan approval application has reportedly remained under technical review by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and concerns about apparent sediment-laden runoff affecting nearby property have been submitted to the Westmoreland Conservation District and Pennsylvania DEP. These issues matter to the people who live nearby, drive these roads, operate local businesses, and rely on the health and safety of the surrounding community.

An asphalt plant in this location could affect air quality, odors, truck traffic, noise, stormwater, property values, tourism, agriculture, and the daily enjoyment of nearby homes and outdoor spaces. The burden should not be on residents to accept those risks without a complete record. The burden should be on the applicant to prove that the plant is necessary, properly permitted, safely designed, financially justified, and truly in the public interest.

Mount Pleasant and East Huntingdon should not be asked to bear the risks of a private industrial project without transparency, accountability, and a complete public review. Please sign this petition to oppose the proposed asphalt plant and to demand that no public financing or approval move forward until residents receive the answers they deserve.