HARMONY — The transport of radioactive waste from Canada to South Carolina using Interstate 79 has borough officials a little anxious.

About 150 truckloads of unstable, liquid nuclear waste will travel from Canada through Western Pennsylvania, including Cranberry, Jackson, Lancaster, Muddy Creek and Worth townships in Butler County.

The trucks would come within several miles of Harmony.

The 6,000 gallons of waste will travel about 1,100 miles in small shipments to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River site near Aiken, S.C., for reprocessing and recycling.

“The word we got was it goes on from time to time and the federal government controls it,” said council President Greg Such at Tuesday’s borough council meeting.

Such said he had been briefed by emergency management coordinator John Kovacic.

Council member Dave Szakelyhidi said one of his main concerns is how a spill would affect the Connoquenessing watershed. The watershed includes waterways in the western part of Butler County, including Harmony.

Part of Little Connoquenessing Creek runs parallel to I-79.

“We would buy our water through Zelienople if a spill occurs until it’s cleaned up,” Szakelyhidi said.

Zelienople manager Don Pepe said the boroughs have an agreement for Zelienople to sell water to Harmony if needed.

“Our water comes from the Beaver River. We have an 11-mile water line that connects the river to Zelienople,” Pepe said. “They would pay based on the agreement, but it’s a reasonable amount.”

Szakelyhidi said he has tried to communicate with the state Department of Environmental Protection on the issue, but to no avail. He said there were no discussions about nuclear transport when the borough signed up for the DEP’s source water protection plan last year.

“We are not prepared for a nuclear disaster,” Szakelyhidi said. “I don’t think there is a solution to a spill. It would be catastrophic.”

“Why does America have to take in Canada’s waste?” Mayor Cathy Rape said.

Emergency responders in previous interviews said they would be ready to assist if a spill occurred.

“These transports have happened before,” said Scott Hoffman, Hazmat specialist for Butler County Emergency Services. “They’re usually here and gone before we know it.

The trucks will be escorted by state police vehicles. The trip schedule is unknown for security purposes.

“Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do,” Such said.