A firm that intends to make Banks Township the lettuce capital of Pennsylvania, if not the world, advanced its plans Tuesday night.

Little Leaf Farms, which has already constructed two of six planned greenhouses in the McAdoo Industrial Park, went before the Banks Township Sewer Authority to straighten out its sewer.

When the first two greenhouses were built two years ago, there was some confusion over who to go to for permission to tap onto the sewer and who to pay the tap-on fee to.

The Banks Township authority administers sewer issues in the township, but the Kline-Banks-McAdoo Joint Sewer Authority administers the allocation of Equivalent Dwelling Units, or EDUs, the unit used to measure sewage volume output per customer.

“You were supposed to apply for a sewer extension, and pay the tap-on fee,” said attorney Cindy Yurchak, the sewer board’s solicitor. “You just tapped into the sewer and started using it,”

Chris Sigmon, executive vice-president of operations for Little Leaf, apologized for the mix-up, and asked what had to be done to correct the situation. Sigmon said the firm had installed a new manhole to accommodate their connection.

Yurchak said the manhole and connection would have to be dug up, and inspected by the authority’s engineer, Arro Engineering of Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County. And Little Leaf has to pay the $1,000 tap-on fee. Sigmon agreed.

He then said Little Leaf intends to purchase an additional 108 acres adjacent to the 76 the firm already has to build four additional greenhouses where the lettuce is grown hydroponically. Most of the land is in Banks Township, except a sliver in Packer Township, Sigmon said.

Sigmon wanted to know if there are enough EDUs to handle 100,000 gallons of water per day the greenhouses will discharge, after some water is recycled in their process.

Sewer board member Charles Schalles said 100,000 gallons would put the township right at its maximum capacity. He explained more could be available from the Borough of McAdoo - because it is landlocked - but Kline Township has room to grow, and has some expansion projects of its own proposed.

“Recycling some of your water will drop your total,” said sewer board member Bill Nice Jr. “That will help you and us.”

Sigmon explained there are 11 lines in each greenhouse, and they are activated one at a time. The second greenhouse is expected to be up and running by July.

Three of the four additional greenhouses are now in the permitting process, Sigmon said. A zoning hearing will be held at 6 p.m. May 23 for variances for parking and impervious surfaces for those three greenhouses.

A grand opening for the project will be held Wednesday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m.

ITG

The factory manager of the ITG Cigar plant, across the Tresckow Road from the McAdoo Industrial Park was at the meeting, also looking for sewage capacity.

Lance Moyer was going to ask the sewer authority to accept the sewage from the plant, rather than sending it through the plant’s own wastewater treatment plant.

But after hearing Little Leaf’s plans, Moyer decided to rethink his request.

Schalles pointed out that all of the storm drainage from the plant’s roof and parking lot, and the Tresckow Road, goes into the plant. Stormwater should not be mixed with sewage, Schalles said,

“I’ve got some homework to do,” Moyer said.