A $2.48 million state grant earmarked for expansion of Blairsville's sewage treatment plant could be lost if local officials don't come to terms before summer's end on sharing of remaining costs for the proposed project.

Eager to avoid that possibility, Tony Distefano, chairman of the supervisors in neighboring Burrell Township, said Wednesday the township panel will ask for a meeting with other parties that have a stake in the project--including the Blairsville Municipal Authority, Burrell Township Sewer Authority and Blairsville Borough Council.

Not encouraged by a recent exchange of letters between the chairmen of the two authorities, Distefano suggested a non-voting workshop meeting of the parties "to make sure we're all on the same page" and "to see if we can make sure this (project) happens."

"If this project doesn't happen now, it will happen in the near future at a greater cost than it will now," Distefano said at the supervisors' meeting.