Residents frustrated by rats and by garbage trains parked for days near their homes brought their complaints to the Manville Board of Health on October 20th. Borough officials explained who has the power to act on each problem and how residents can get their complaints in front of those agencies.

Business Administrator Gabriella Siboni said the trains fall under federal authority and that the borough is relaying residents' complaints to the federal agencies that have it. The board's attorney, John DeLuca, said a professional study to pin down where the rats are coming from would be a decision for the Borough Council, which controls spending.

About 15 residents attended after a Facebook post urged people to bring complaints to the meeting. That is a large turnout for a board whose public seats have been nearly empty for most of the year.

Trains Fall Under Federal Authority

Siboni said the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration are the only agencies with authority over the railroads, and that the borough and county pass along the train complaints they receive. Federal law gives the Surface Transportation Board exclusive jurisdiction over rail transportation, and county officials told the board in June that state regulators had ruled out enforcement under state odor and solid waste rules.

In a written report read into the record, Michael McCarty, Deputy Director of the Somerset County Department of Health, said a Surface Transportation Board staff member told him by phone that the agency would reach out to CSX this week about the complaints.

A Lost Valley mother said a train had been parked behind her home for four days. Her fifth-grade son told the board the smell kept the family from going outside on July 4th.

Source of the Rats Unclear

The Facebook post blamed the trains for the rats, and its author wrote in the comments that town agencies had confirmed it. Siboni said the Board of Health has not said the trains are the sole source, and that her office and code enforcement had not received complaints attributing rats to them. Garbage, waterways and property maintenance can all play a role, she said.

Siboni said a targeted trapping effort the borough ran last year was "incredibly costly and not effective."

A resident asked whether a professional in integrated pest management, an approach that identifies what attracts and shelters pests before choosing controls, had ever studied the problem. DeLuca said that in other towns he represents, the governing body takes up rodent issues because it controls spending, including authorizing a study.

Enforcement Is Difficult

A South 6th Avenue resident said a contract with her exterminator would run $1,100 to $1,200 a year. Board member Melissa La Rue said an overgrown property behind her home, with a shed left open, has been reported without result.

DeLuca said the Board of Health adopts local health rules, while the county health department inspects and issues citations. The rules covering the problem are already on the books, he said, but fines can go unpaid and become liens. "If they're not motivated to mow the lawn, they're probably not motivated to pay those fines," he said.

Siboni said the borough routinely issues summonses, but some owners do not appear in court. The borough is working with its attorneys on stricter enforcement, she said.

Complaints Must Be Filed

"We can't fish through social media posts to determine validity," Siboni said. When complaints stop, she said, the problem appears solved to the agencies receiving them.

Councilwoman Patricia Zamorski, the board's council liaison, said the borough would post the Surface Transportation Board's contact information on its website. Siboni said she would ask the state whether Blue Acres homes are treated for rodents before demolition, and would check whether the borough can afford to mail the county's rodent-prevention flyer again.

What Happens Next?

Residents can report parked trains to the Surface Transportation Board's Rail Customer and Public Assistance office at 202-245-0238 or 866-254-1792, or through its online form, which accepts photos. Rodent and property complaints go to the Somerset County Department of Health or borough code enforcement.

The Borough Council meets November 9th at 7pm. The board's rabies clinic is Saturday, November 7th, from 10am to noon, and the board meets next on Tuesday, November 17th.