Representatives from PPL’s Montour power plant met recently with local community advisors to request their assistance in developing a plan to create new outdoor recreation areas at the plant’s Montour Preserve.

PPL wants to build new recreation areas for the community such as bike paths, picnic areas and nature trails using Stabil-Fill™ as a base material. Stabil-Fill is an environmentally safe product created from fly ash stabilized with hydrated lime.

Plant Superintendent Harry Spagnola said the projects will complement the local community’s ongoing efforts to create recreation opportunities. "As a major industry in the area, we believe we have a responsibility to join community leaders in their efforts to enhance the quality of life where we work and live," Spagnola said. "The best way for our corporation to be sensitive to the needs of this community is for us to have a direct dialogue with these leaders before we act."

PPL spent months researching the feasibility of expanding recreation opportunities at the Preserve and found about 772 acres of land along the East Branch of the Chillisquaque Creek to be the most promising area for development. The team of PPL employees and community advisors will now determine what types of recreational uses would best serve the community.

"I am excited about possibility of developing more recreational opportunities for residents of the area. We have already had two successful community projects that were built with PPL’s help. Stabil-Fill was used in building a baseball field at the Jerseytown Community Center and in building a shooting backstop for the Little Fishing Creek Rod & Gun Club," said Keith Leighow, Madison Township Supervisor.

Dave Decoteau, a representative of the Montour County Area Recreation Authority, said, "The level of cooperation shown by PPL in regard to working with the community is a rare quality among large companies. The time and effort PPL has taken to invite various community representatives to an open forum to discuss the goals of many different groups and concerns, goes beyond what can be expected of any company."

Spagnola said the committee will continue to meet monthly and present a final project list in early 2003.

PPL has been converting fly ash from Montour into a stabilized product for beneficial use since 1996. Spagnola said the program has had great success in a number of applications, including little league baseball fields, soccer complexes, roadbeds, golf courses and airport runways.