Allegheny County’s only coal-fired power plant is set to permanently close in September. Houston-based GenOn Holdings LLC said Thursday it plans to close Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale by Sept. 15. The company said it also plans to close coal-fired power plants in Avon Lake, Ohio, and Newburg, Md. In
The Allegheny Valley and Cheswick volunteer fire departments hope to officially merge this year.
In the meantime, the two departments have been informally working together, pooling their resources and manpower. The two stations are five blocks apart, and both departments have been working out of the Allegheny Valley station. Allegheny Valley serves Springdale Township and Harmar.
“The number of volunteer firefighters and people able to respond to calls is declining,” Allegheny Valley Fire Chief Rick Franks said. “Our company realized that during the day we’re only getting one or two people, and maybe the other company up the street is only getting two or three people. Together we can maybe put a crew together and have a better response.”
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Cheswick Council is holding a special meeting Thursday night to address a vacancy on council.
“Pennsylvania law gives us a limited time frame in which we can appoint someone to fill that vacancy and the time period between when the vacancy occurred and our next regularly scheduled meeting was beyond that allotted time frame,” council President Michael Girardi said of the special meeting.
Council is looking to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former Councilman Brian Testa.
The special meeting, along with all future council meetings, will be held at the borough fire hall at 1411 Spruce St. Thursday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. In-person council meetings had been held at the borough building.