SCRANTON, Pa. (WOLF) — Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is asking the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to hold a public hearing on a proposed PPL Electric Utilities transmission line project that would run through the city.

Cognetti submitted a letter to DEP’s Northeast Regional Office requesting the hearing over the proposed Stanton Summit 1 & 2 69 kV Line Rebuild Project.

According to the mayor’s office, the project would rebuild about 7.75 miles of existing overhead electric transmission lines through Scranton, Taylor, Ransom Township, Duryea and Exeter Township. The work would disturb an estimated 72.5 acres of land.

PPL has applied for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for stormwater discharges related to construction, the letter states. Cognetti said runoff from the project could affect waterways that move through Scranton, including Keyser Creek.

“We have invested significantly into stormwater conveyances and other infrastructure in Keyser Valley and other neighborhoods across Scranton to protect them from flooding and stormwater damage,” Cognetti said. “We will do everything we can to continue to protect our homeowners and small businesses from environmental impacts, including those that may be caused by the utility companies.”

In her Aug. 25 letter, Cognetti wrote that Scranton could be left dealing with the consequences if erosion, sediment and post-construction stormwater controls do not adequately protect the area.

The request comes as the city prepares to mark three years since flooding heavily impacted the Keyser Valley neighborhood near Lindy Creek, as well as parts of North Scranton near Leggetts Creek. The city provided disaster recovery assistance to impacted residents through American Rescue Plan Act funding in 2023 and 2024.

City officials are also planning about $5.7 million in stormwater management projects in Keyser Valley in 2027.

Cognetti’s letter also points to what it describes as technical deficiencies identified in DEP’s July 29 report, including a missing soil map, a proposed concrete washout area outside the project boundary, and concerns about protections for stream channels and wetlands.

DEP has not announced whether it will hold a public hearing on the proposed project.