The Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has, by
the passage of the Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act of 1978,
delegated the responsibility to local governmental units to adopt
floodplain management regulations to promote public health, safety,
and the general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the Board of
Supervisors of Metal Township does hereby order as follows.
The intent of this chapter is to:
A. Safeguard against the loss of life and property and promote the general
health, welfare, and safety of the community.
B. Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices in
order to prevent or minimize flood damage in the future.
C. Minimize danger to public health by protecting water supply and natural
drainage.
D. Reduce financial burdens imposed on the community, its governmental
units, and its residents, by preventing excessive development in areas
subject to flooding.
E. Preserve the capacity and ability of natural waterways to carry flood-
waters.
F. Regulate uses activities, and development which acting alone or in
combination with other uses, activities, and development, will cause
unacceptable increases in the elevation, velocity or frequency of
flooding.
G. Restrict or prohibit certain uses, activities, and development from
locating within areas prone to flooding.
H. Require all uses, activities and development that do occur in flood-prone
areas to be protected and/or flood proofed against flooding and flood
damage.
I. Comply with federal and state floodplain management requirements.
The floodplain management provisions of this chapter shall be
applicable to all regulated activities proposed on lands within the
Township which are identified as floodplain. It shall be unlawful
for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake,
or cause to be undertaken, any regulated activity within such floodplains
without prior approval by the Township. The following activities are
"regulated activities" and shall be regulated by this chapter when
proposed within an identified floodplain:
C. Construction and/or installation of new buildings or additions to
existing buildings.
D. Earthwork or grading that alters the natural or pre-existing topography.
G. Construction or installation of drainage or flood conveyance structures.
H. Temporary and permanent floodplain and watercourse encroachments.
I. Temporary or permanent alterations, improvements or relocation of
any watercourse.
J. Installation or construction of water and sanitary sewer facilities
and other utilities.
K. Activities involving the use, production or storage of dangerous
materials or substances that would pose a threat to human health,
property or water supply.
This chapter supersedes any other conflicting provisions, which
may be in effect in identified floodplain areas. However, any other
ordinance provisions shall remain in full force and effect to the
extent that those provisions are more restrictive. If there is any
conflict between any of the provisions of this chapter, the more restrictive
shall apply.