Pennsylvania is opening nearly 32,000 acres of additional state forest land to leasing by natural-gas drilling companies. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) says the six tracts are in Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Potter, and Tioga Counties.
Acting DCNR Secretary John Quigley said on Monday that the acreage was picked after extensive environmental reviews and represents a sliver of the 2.1 million acres of forest owned by the state.
The plan to lease more land to drillers is part of the state's formula for balancing its budget. The lease sale requires minimum bids of $2,000 per acre, with a goal of raising more than $60 million. Prospective bidders have until Jan. 12 to submit sealed bids for the 10-year leases. The bids will be opened that day. Currently, there are 750 wells on 660,000 acres of state forest leased for gas drilling.
November 11, 2009
"32,000 Pa. forest acres opened to gas drilling"
AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/11/2009:
November 8, 2009
November 5, 2009
"Supervisors quash developer's request"
By Bill Devlin, PhillyBurbs.com, November 5, 2009.
Plumstead supervisors gave a prominent Bucks County developer only a little of what he wanted Wednesday night.
Richard Zaveta, president of Zaveta Construction Co. of Buckingham, had asked the supervisors to extend the five-year limit for beginning work on the project already approved by the township.
Zaveta has yet to start construction on a development, which would create a "village" mix of single homes, townhouses and stores in Gardenville.
The board's approval of the plans, which have drawn praise because of the architectural design, expires Dec. 10.
Supervisors Chairman Vince Formica told the board that he was not in favor of granting the extension, noting that since the Zaveta plans were approved, the township had made changes to its zoning and land development regulations.
Supervisor Housley Carr said he would only approve an extension if the plans were changed to conform to the new zoning and land development regulations. Carr also wanted Zaveta to reduce the number of units in project.
When Supervisor Stacey Mulholland's motion to grant the extension did not receive a second, Zaveta expressed his surprise.
"I am astonished that this (the extension) is not being approved," he told the board.
However, Supervisor Frank Froio suggested giving Zaveta some time to make the changes that would satisfy the board. Froio proposed a 6-month extension because it would allow Formica and Carr, who will be leaving office in January, to be involved in plan as well as giving Republicans Daniel Hilferty and Wayne Stork, who were elected Tuesday night, to have a say when they take their seats in January.
Froio also suggested to Zaveta that he reduce the scope of the development from 52 units to 40 units.
Froio's motion for the six-month extension was approved 3-1, with Formica dissenting. Supervisor Tom Alvare was not present.
"Stimulus money will help clean streams in Tinicum"
By Amanda Cregan, PhillyBurbs.com, November 4, 2009:
Federal stimulus money will help keep road dirt out of Tinicum's creeks and streams.
The township is poised to spend $600,000 on a new environmentally friendly technique, which grounds, compacts and applies stone gravel in way that keeps the sediment from eventually rolling into creek beds and building up in the township's watershed. . . .
November 1, 2009
October 31, 2009
Nockamixon: "Water to be tested at homes"
By Amanda Cregan, PhillyBurbs.com, October 26, 2009: "State officials are in Nockamixon this week to check for elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemical TCE. . . ."
October 30, 2009
October 19, 2009
"How Safe Is Your Drinking Water?"
Fresh Air, NPR/WHYY, October 19, 2009:
An estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains dangerous chemicals, parasites, bacteria or viruses, or fails to meet federal health standards. Part of the problem, says journalist Charles Duhigg, is that water-pollution laws are not being enforced.
Duhigg reports on the "worsening pollution in American waters" — and regulators' responses to the problem — in his New York Times series, "Toxic Waters." In researching the series, he studied thousands of water pollution records, which he obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.
October 18, 2009
"Disaster for the environment"
Letter to the Editor of the Intelligencer, PhillyBurbs.com, October 16, 2009:
To the Editor:
Politicos may be upbeat about Pennsylvania's new budget, but a detailed look reveals devastating cuts to key environmental agencies and programs.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources funding was cut by 18.5 percent
The state parks budget will be reduced by 15.6 percent. Permanent closure of some state parks now appears inevitable. Goodbye Ralph Stover? Nockamixon? Tyler? Delaware Canal?
Perhaps most shocking is the $60 million loss to the Oil & Gas Fund, which was established in 1955 to fund land acquisition and other conservation priorities. The Legislature plans to replenish the fund by leasing more state forest land for gas drilling. All of which leads to more roads, forest fragmentation, noise, air and water pollution and groundwater contamination in our precious state forests.
These cuts seem huge and devastating, but they pale in comparison to the $58 million cut in the Department of Environmental Protection's funding. This reduction is so massive that the full implications are not yet clear, but it could mean layoffs for more than 300 DEP staff. With that many people gone, who would monitor all the new oil and gas drilling across the state? The combination of the huge budget cuts and massive expansion of oil and gas wells requiring permitting, inspections and enforcement appears to set the stage for the de facto deregulation of oil and gas drilling.
None of this was necessary.
Pennsylvania is the only gas-producing state without a severance tax on natural gas production. The tax is widely supported by environmental organizations, many legislators, local municipalities and sportsmen's groups. Even Gov. Rendell supported the tax until he flip-flopped in late August. The severance tax was expected to raise over $100 million for this budget year, far exceeding the $60 million to be looted from the Oil & Gas Fund.
Who do we have to thank for this? Our state senators who voted "yes" for this plunder of our natural resources and who refused to allow a severance tax on natural gas extraction. Keep this in mind the next time you wonder why our state parks are falling down and Pennsylvania's environment keeps degrading.
David Meiser
Pipersville
Bucks County Sierra Club
October 17, 2009
October 15, 2009
Marcellus shale natural gas extraction
Radio Times WHYY, October 15, 2009: "Hour 1: The Marcellus Shale formation lies beneath much of Pennsylvania, and it's where energy companies expect to find a motherlode of natural gas. But the process and politics of removing it also extracts a cascade of questions. Joining us to help understand the issues are Abrahm Lustgarten, investigative reporter with ProPublica.org; extraction industry spokesman Lee Fuller of EnergyInDepth.org; and David Masur of the advocacy group PennEnvironment."
October 14, 2009
October 12, 2009
Plumstead Supervisor Candidates' Forum Oct. 13
The League of Women Voters of Bucks County is sponsoring a forum for candidates seeking election to the Board of Supervisors, to be held in the Plumstead Township Building on Tuesday, October 13, 7:30-9 p.m. There are four candidates for two open seats: Jason Eskolsky (D), Daniel Hilferty (R), Helen Mitchell (D), and Wayne Stork (R). The term of office is six years. Housley Carr and Vince Formica are not seeking reelection.
Residents are invited to attend and learn more about the candidates. The League of Women Voters of Bucks County is "a non-partisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government." The forum will begin with several questions directed to the candidates by the League, which will also collect written questions from the public. Note: Questions must be general--addressed to all of the candidates; each will respond in turn.
The candidates' websites are http://www.plumsteadfirst.com/ and http://www.helenandjasonforplumstead.org/.
Residents are invited to attend and learn more about the candidates. The League of Women Voters of Bucks County is "a non-partisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government." The forum will begin with several questions directed to the candidates by the League, which will also collect written questions from the public. Note: Questions must be general--addressed to all of the candidates; each will respond in turn.
The candidates' websites are http://www.plumsteadfirst.com/ and http://www.helenandjasonforplumstead.org/.
October 11, 2009
Plumstead: "Voters to decide on park"
By Freda R. Savana, PhillyBurbs.com, September 23, 2009: "The November ballot will have a question about borrowing $4.5 million for a multi-use park. In May, another question will ask about $10 million for open space." Bond referendum Q&A.
"Environmental groups worry about Pa. budget impact"
News, msnbc.com/phillyburbs.com, September 15, 2009:
Environmental advocates are opposing an evolving deal to end Pennsylvania's budget stalemate because of potential funding cuts for public-land protection and leasing of more state forest land for gas drilling. A deal supported by both parties in the Senate and House Democrats is on hold for now because Gov. Ed Rendell opposes some aspects of it. But conservation groups say the forests will suffer, as will recreational opportunities, if it passes, and gas-drilling companies that profit from the potentially lucrative Marcellus Shale gas formation will escape unscathed. "The integrity of our publicly owned state forests should not be sacrificed to fill a budget gap," more than 20 conservation groups, including PennEnvironment and the Sierra Club, wrote in a letter to legislators.
September 27, 2009
Bucks County Deer Forum
"Wildlife seminar was a first for deer forum," Bucks County Herald, September 17, 2009.
September 9, 2009
August 30, 2009
"Appreciating the river"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Appreciating the river and what it means," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, August 30, 2009: "Fifteen million people depend on the Delaware River for water. And this Labor Day weekend, environmental enthusiasts will mark their appreciation with a Light Up the Delaware River Party. . . . As natural gas drilling hits communities across the Northeast and sits on the horizon in Nockamixon, the event has taken on a greater significance. . . ."
August 29, 2009
"Group's lawsuit seeks to put referendum on ballot"
By Margaret Gibbons, Intelligencer/PhillyBurbs.com, August 28, 2009:
The Montgomery County commissioners will have to go before a judge and defend their unanimous decision to refuse to place a citizen-sponsored referendum question on the November ballot.
We the People of Cheltenham, a grassroots citizens group, this week petitioned the county court to order the commissioners, sitting as the county election board, to put the referendum on the ballot.
This legal action comes as no surprise to the commissioners who last week, in turning down the referendum request, acknowledged they don't know whether they have the legal authority to do what they did.
"There really is no law on this," said county solicitor Barry M. Miller.
The commissioners admitted that the citizens group, which wants residents to have more say in the development of their community, did everything right. . . .
August 28, 2009
"Mercury in fish widespread"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Federal study shows mercury in fish widespread," by Dina Cappiello, AP/Intelligencer, August 20, 2009: "No fish can escape mercury pollution. That's the take-home message from a federal study of mercury contamination released Wednesday that tested fish from nearly 300 streams across the country. . . ."
"Water 'hot spots' starting to crop up"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Water 'hot spots' starting to crop up," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, August 19, 2009: "Tinicum supervisors had their first look at recent groundwater reports Tuesday night. Although much of the attention has focused on Palisades High School and surrounding neighborhoods, The Bridgeton-Nockamixon-Tinicum Groundwater Management Committee reported some other trouble spots across Upper Bucks. . . ."
Nockamixon: "Clean start"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Clean start: Scientists are beginning to sample wells and water sources in the township. It will serve as proof if the water is poisoned by gas drilling," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, August 18, 2009: "If Nockamixon's groundwater is poisoned during natural gas extraction, officials will have the evidence. Scientists with Princeton Hydro, a New Jersey-based water and wetlands resource management company, are traveling throughout the township this week to sample wells, streams, creeks and aquifers. . . ."
"Sewer plant is over capacity"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Sewer plant is over capacity," by Christina Kristofic, Intelligencer, August 7, 2009: "Two Doylestown property owners - and any others whose sewage would go to the Harvey Avenue wastewater treatment plant - will not be allowed to connect to the sewer system. The state Department of Environmental Protection has determined that the plant is over its annual average capacity, and says the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority cannot allow any property in the area served by the plant to connect to the sewer system. . . ."
"Conservation effort pays off"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Conservation effort pays off," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, August 27, 2009: "Congressman Patrick Murphy joined environmental leaders and local officials to spread the word about $700,000 in federal funding that will be spent to conserve land within the Cooks Creek Watershed. . . ."
August 3, 2009
"An 'inconvenient truth'"
PhillyBurbs.com: "An 'inconvenient truth,'" by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, August 3, 2009:
Spring and summer rains are simply a Band-Aid on a growing water crisis in Upper Bucks.
"We're not out of the woods by any means," said Stephen Donovan, research scientist for the Bridgeton-Nockamixon-Tinicum Groundwater Committee.
A new report outlines increased stress on ground water around Palisades High School and the surrounding region.
If levels continue to decline, it eventually could spell disaster for the school district and area homeowners, all of whom rely on private wells to pull water from the underlying rock where it is collected.
"The region had a normal rainfall season last year, suggesting the content of the aquifer is a declining and unsustainable resource with a risk of running out at the current rate of withdrawal," according to the report.
For comparative data, the groundwater committee is spending its summer monitoring water well levels on the same 1,000 homes measured by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in the early 1990s.
But the groundwater committee can just report how fast the water is receding. Only the township supervisors have the authority pass regulations to protect it.
Nockamixon Township Supervisor Chairwoman Nancy Janyszeski is waiting for the committee's final conclusions before moving forward.
"They're basically on a data-collecting project. How that data is going to be interpreted, I have no idea," she said. "I think it's a basis for study."
Palisades High School water levels have dropped 150 feet since 1950, when its well first was established.
Last September, the high school well's water level was 202 feet below the surface, and by the end of this summer it likely will be 235 feet under, according to estimates.
Palisades School District officials are cooperating with groundwater committee members, and continue to be updated on water meter data installed at the high school and middle school.
"The water level has remained the same. Even with all the rain and school closing out, we're pretty much holding our own," said facilities manager Dave Keppel. "We're just going to collect another year's worth of data to see if we continue to decline or not. We're obviously watching it very closely."
Although plenty of summer rain has helped keep wells at about the same level, it's not enough to solve the long-term problem, said Donovan.
According to data released in January, water levels dropped 25 feet from 2007 to 2008.
June's water meter data, which measures the high school and the same sampling of Nockamixon homes, shows a 30-foot drop from 2008 to present.
More nearby homeowners, especially along Buck and Mountain View roads, are being forced to re-drill or deepen private wells to find more water.
The average well depth in Pennsylvania is 180 feet, but most Nockamixon wells are now double that.
Members of Bridgeton-Nockamixon-Tinicum Groundwater Committee, which serves as an advisory board to those municipalities, are working to bring officials from each township to the table in hopes the problem can be approached on all fronts.
"I want them to own this thing," said Donovan. "It's not that it's just the groundwater committee problem, and shoot the bearers of bad news. Right now it's pretty clear we have a problem. The degree of the problem hasn't been fully fleshed out. How big the problem, how long term is the problem - that is a little nebulous."
Nockamixon supervisor Janyszeski hopes to eventually hold public forums and launch an educational campaign.
"Water is a concern. There's no question. I think the biggest challenge I feel the board has is educating our residents as to what that challenges are. We need to get a handle on that water is not infinite," she said. "Once water is gone, it's gone."
Until township officials step in, there is little the team of scientists can do but measure and compare water meters on private properties that allow them to.
Some businesses or large facilities, such as the high school, are cooperating with the committee and have allowed on-site monitoring, if requested.
Although current data available to the committee does not specifically name a single school, business or homeowner as the source of the problem, its critical business owners and homeowners understand that water conservation is essential, said Donovan.
"The problem is not going away. People aren't going away and the aquifer isn't going to change, and if there is a problem, we're just going to have to deal with it, compensate for it and educate ourselves," said Donovan, who noted water eventually might have to be trucked in to the region at a high expense.
Until local officials play a role in regulation and homeowners and business owners take giant leaps toward conservation, an exhausted water resource would mean a very real crisis in Upper Bucks.
"There's some inconvenient truths that will become self evident in the future," said Donovan.
August 2, 2009
July 27, 2009
"Feds want full disclosure of chemicals used in drilling"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Feds want full disclosure of chemicals used in drilling," by Gary Weckselblatt, Intelligencer, July 27, 2009:
Both houses of Congress are considering bills to give federal oversight of the chemicals companies use to release oil and natural gas trapped deep underground.
Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania sponsored the Senate bill, and 8th District Rep. Patrick Murphy is a co-sponsor of the House plan.
The two Democrats favor the bill, known as the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and repeal an exemption for hydraulic fracturing.
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," involves the injection of a mix of water, sand and chemicals into the ground to break up rock and allow the gas to escape.
According to Casey, some of the chemicals that are known to have been used in fracking include diesel fuel, benzene, industrial solvents and other carcinogens.
"We already have private wells contaminated by gas and fluids used in hydraulic fracturing," Casey said. "We need to make sure that this doesn't become a statewide problem over the next few decades as we extract natural gas."
Murphy, who represents all of Bucks County and parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia, said: "All the bill does is require companies to disclose what they are pumping into the ground. We need to make sure we drill in a way that doesn't endanger the drinking water."
About 300 of Nockamixon's 1,300 homeowners have signed leases that allow companies to drill for natural gas on their property. Residents received upfront cash and a promise of payment should the rock thousands of feet below their properties yield gas.
Those residents are represented by Murphy and Republican state Rep. Marguerite Quinn of the 143rd District in Central and Upper Bucks.
Quinn supports the federal legislation.
"People have the right to know what's going into their ground water supply," she said. "If something happens that taints their water, my constituents in Upper Bucks do not have the option to tap into another water source."
Not everyone, however, is on board with the repeal.
The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association said the repeal would kill the state's shallow gas industry and cripple the development of the Marcellus Shale.
The legislation "would require EPA permits for well construction procedures already regulated by DEP well permits," association President Steve Rhoads wrote on the group's Web site. "Pennsylvania's operators can't afford the expense and delays created by two layers of permitting for the same activities. The marginal economics of Pennsylvania's shallow gas wells could not sustain the excessive new regulatory costs that the new federal permit would impose, and operators would simply be forced to stop drilling."
Murphy doesn't believe that will be the case.
"I am pro drilling," he said. "I think we have to wean ourselves off foreign oil. To me it's a safety issue first. It's also an energy independence issue. This doesn't stop (drilling). It let's us know what chemicals are being used."
"Seeking input on plans for cell towers"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Seeking input on plans for cell towers," by Freda Savana, Intelligencer, July 27, 2009:
Cell phone companies hoping to build towers or add antennas to existing ones are reaching out to customers in a new way.
Legal ads are popping up in newspapers asking residents to comment on the potential impact of the towers on their properties.
T-Mobile has taken out notices for proposed projects in Plumstead and Richlandtown explaining their plans, detailing the height and location of the tower and offering homeowners an opportunity to voice any concerns they might have. . . .
"Part of sewer suit could soon be settled"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Part of sewer suit could soon be settled," by Christina Kristofic, Intelligencer, July 27, 2009:
Property owners who have had to put building projects on hold and business owners who have had to wait to move because of the ongoing dispute between Doylestown and the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority could soon be free to grow.
The borough has allowed the authority to look at its building records and, in exchange, the authority has agreed to issue letters telling property owners whether they can connect to the sewer. The agreement was reached last month after conferences with Judge Diane Gibbons; the authority's deadline is Aug. 6.
The agreement could settle part of the suit Doylestown filed against the authority in May. . . .
July 24, 2009
"Power line approval met with disappointment"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Power line approval met with disappointment," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, July 24, 2009:
Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve construction of a new PPL power line along a route that's been vehemently opposed by communities in Upper Bucks County.
The plan will string power lines along seven miles of the Tohickon Creek in Springfield and Richland townships and plant a substation on seven acres of wetlands.
Two years and nearly $175,000 in legal fees later, it was hard news to hear in Springfield.
Springfield Manager Richard Schilling isn't normally at a loss for words, but he had to gather his thoughts Thursday to express his disappointment.
"I think that we feel a little disheartened that the environmental issues really were not taken into consideration by neither the administrative law judge nor the PUC," he said.
He's pointing fingers at the state agency.
"The PUC meets with no discussion, no input, just the case that was submitted," he said. "Most government functions require transparency, but apparently that doesn't hold too much when it comes to the PUC."
The PUC did conduct public hearings in Springfield and Richland last year, where residents' comments were submitted as part of the legal record.
Springfield officials had been preparing for the worst since Administrative Law Judge Angela T. Jones recommended to PUC judges in February that PPL's preferred power line route through protected sections of the township is better than two alternative routes that follow existing lines along Route 309 or a former SEPTA railway track.
PPL argues that the cross country power line route through rural sections of Springfield and Richland would be the least intrusive and is necessary to intersect with a substation that would be built on an 80-acre parcel in Springfield.
The utility says a new substation and power lines are necessary to meet the growing demand for power.
Springfield argued that the power lines should follow busy Route 309, and submitted expert testimony arguing that it would devastate the wildlife and vegetation in the township's high-value watershed.
Environmental experts hired by Springfield said the construction of power line poles along the creek coupled with pesticides that might be used could disrupt habitats.
"There was an expectation that we were in trouble when she wrote a decision that honestly PPL could have written for her," said Schilling. "She just disregarded the expert testimony we provided."
Karl Schwartz, who sits on the board of directors of the grassroots group "Springfield bucks Undesirable Land Use," says the PUC vote was unfair.
"I think since there was a reasonable alternative to the preferred route by PPL that it's really regrettable that convenience and cost matter more than the environment," said Schwartz. "We feel the process was not fair and it wasn't a level playing field. PPL determined their preferred route and there was no choice given as to where the substation would be."
Knowing that PPL still needs construction permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corp of Engineers, grassroots members will look into how plans might be halted because of existing wetlands and protected wildlife habitats, said Schwartz.
The Allentown-based utility giant does not yet have a timetable for construction.
"We're pleased with the decision and we're moving forward in planning for construction," said PPL spokesman Paul Wirth.
Springfield Township supervisors will meet in executive session to discuss how and if they will move forward in an appeal to Commonwealth Court.
"I think the supervisors still feel this fight was worth the effort for what they were going to do to our natural areas," said Schilling. "But cost is an issue in this economic climate."
Supervisors are expected to announce their decision at their next meeting Tuesday.
July 16, 2009
"Water from well is 'pristine' no more"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Water from well is 'pristine' no more," by Theresa Hegel, Intelligencer, July 16, 2009:
Ten years ago, when Janice Meiser and Ed Breslin moved into their Deer Run Road home, they had dairy cows for neighbors and "pristine" well water.
Relatives who came to visit would fill jugs from the tap, so they could savor that freshness once they returned home.
"It was so clear," Meiser said of the water.
Somewhere over the past decade, all that changed. Though the Bedminster road is still largely rural, the dairy cows have mostly disappeared, replaced by a smattering of stately homes.
And there was also a marked drop in the quality and quantity of their well water.
These days, when somebody fills a bottle from the kitchen sink, a layer of sediment forms at the bottom.
"When you shake it up, it looks like grape juice," Breslin said.
The couple doesn't think it's a coincidence that their water troubles arrived at the same time as a nearby 10-home, 100-acre development.
For the past few months, they have been trying to prove objectively what they believe in their hearts to be true: that the wells built on the Zoellin Frey subdivision along Deer Run and Fretz Valley roads are the root of their water problems.
Bedminster requires all developments, large or small, to reserve funds in case the wells dug cause distress to already established neighbors. The Zoellin Frey subdivision has $8,500 set aside to deal with any well problems that may arise.
These well guarantee agreements started in the early years of this decade when development pressure first descended on rural Bedminster, and groundwater issues began to spring up in other parts of the county, said Tom Fountain, township engineer.
Bedminster Supervisor Eric Schaffhausen said that the well guarantees have since become "standard operating procedure."
"Bedminster's very careful about these things," he said. "We're basically a farming community. Water supply is extremely important to us."
Since the agreements started, however, the township hasn't "yet come across an issue where the new well has been the source of the well water problems," Fountain said.
Once, about 12 years ago, a well being dug upset a water strata, causing sedimentation in a well a few hundred feet away, but that cleared up once the new well was properly incased and had been running for a little while, he added.
When Meiser and Breslin came to the township with their problem, officials said they were happy to assist.
"We have a long record of helping people when we can, when they can't help themselves," Schaffhausen said.
At the request of the township, developer Don Keenan paid DelVal Soil of Doylestown in March to test Meiser and Breslin's well water.
DelVal found no significant issues with the water. There was no particulate matter in the water when it was tested, Clark said, though he noted that it doesn't mean there was never a sediment problem.
The company also measured water levels in wells between the Keenan site and the Meiser-Breslin well and determined that levels are actually higher than they were before the land was subdivided, he said.
That, Breslin and Meiser say, is part of their problem. Their well level and sediment issues fluctuate depending on the weather. The sodden spring masked some of the issues they'd been having earlier, they add.
Dissatisfied with DelVal's results, Breslin and Meiser paid to have their own test done. QC Laboratories of Southampton found high levels of manganese, iron and coliform, bacteria often found in the feces of warm-blooded animals.
Representatives from QC told the couple to stop drinking the water immediately, which they did.
Breslin and Meiser suspect that the poor water quality had also been a factor in the stomach problems they and their children had been having.
Now, the family pays $40 a week for bottled water and tries to use as little well water as possible.
"I get in and out of the shower in two minutes," Meiser said.
The couple took their results to the township, which agreed to pay to have another expert examine the well.
Bruno Mercuri, a hydrogeologist often used by Bedminster, found sediment in the well water, but none of the bacteria-related safety issues.
Mercuri told the township he didn't believe the nearby development caused the well problems; instead, he suggested that the Meiser-Breslin well had not been developed properly when it was dug about 20 years ago, said Jack Terry, Bedminster manager.
Bedminster does not have any records of the well, Terry added.
The township spent more than $700 of taxpayer funds to check the well and to have Mercuri provide Meiser and Breslin with several ways to redevelop the well and thus keep sediment from falling in.
"We're sympathetic, but we can only go so far," Terry said.
Despite this setback, Meiser and Breslin say they aren't giving up.
"I can't live like this, not drinking my water," Meiser said.
They have hired a well driller and other experts to help them address their problem water, but they also plan to record their findings and return to the township when they have more results.
"We would like (them) to keep us abreast of what they find," Schaffhausen said. "At this point, I think the ball is in (their) court. + (They're) going to have to get to the bottom of what the problem is because clearly, the current situation is intolerable."
"States digging deep to monitor water"
PhillyBurbs.com: "States digging deep to monitor water," by David Tirrell-Wysocki, Associated Press/Intelligencer, July 5, 2009:
About a quarter mile into dense woods, geologists watch as a drilling rig twists a shaft deep into the granite bedrock of southeastern New Hampshire. They are searching for water _ not to drink _ but to watch.
State and federal agencies have been watching, or monitoring, lakes and rivers for more than a century, but less attention has gone to vast amounts of water in cracks and rock fissures deep underground, leaving a void in understanding a resource growing in importance as demands for water increase and surface water sources are being used to the fullest in many areas.
New Hampshire is drilling a series of wells to monitor groundwater in cracks in granite hundreds of feet below the surface. The goal is to allow scientists to check for contamination; learn about how long it takes for rainfall or melting snow to make its way into the supply; and keep tabs on how climate change, population growth and development affect the water.
State Geologist David Wunsch would like to share the information as part of a nationwide network.
"In the future, your water may come from hundreds of miles away, so in order to get that national picture of 'Are we depleting some area for the sake of another region?,' you need to have that national picture," said Wunsch, who represented state geologists on a national committee that has developed a national groundwater monitoring plan.
Groundwater provides drinking water for 130 million Americans and 42 percent of the nation's irrigation water, and while many states have monitored groundwater, they have done so for state-specific reasons, using different criteria. So, while groundwater supplies spread beneath large regions, monitoring generally stops at state lines.
"Some states have several hundred wells and sample them four times a year. Others have absolutely nothing," said Wunsch.
The goal of forming a network got a boost this year as Congress approved the SECURE Water Act, directing the U.S. Geologic Survey to work with states to develop a national monitoring program for underground water supplies, known as aquifers.
There is no national big picture on groundwater levels or quality because the information exists only "in bits and pieces," said Christine Reimer of the National Ground Water Association, in Westerville, Ohio.
She emphasized that a national monitoring effort would not put the government in charge of groundwater management, but said information showing trends or changes in groundwater quality or levels could help guide local decisions.
Montana approved groundwater monitoring in 1991 because its water information was inconsistent and not part of any system, said Thomas Patton, the state's groundwater assessment program manager.
"If you are going to relate precipitation to water levels in wells, you've got to collect precipitation over time and water levels over time," Patton said. "If you are going to compare water levels to development, you've got to have the water levels, over time."
Information collected from 900 Montana wells has been valuable, especially in watching how groundwater levels responded to six or seven years of drought and to irrigation or rainfall, he said.
Patton and Wunsch said ideally, states will gain information valuable to their own water planning and share with the federal government, which will share the cost of the monitoring.
Wunsch said monitoring will be a great help in New Hampshire, where more than a third of the state's population gets drinking water from bedrock wells. Before work began on the current network of 10 wells, the state had only one bedrock monitoring well. He hopes for significantly more.
Contamination is a particular concern around the country, he said, because homeowners are not required to test their wells. About 20 percent of New Hampshire's bedrock wells contain arsenic levels above the government standard. Bedrock water also contains uranium and radon, even unsafe levels of fluoride.
Another major concern is just how long it takes for rainfall or melting snow to flow down to, or recharge, the aquifer.
"We don't know how quickly rain gets to bedrock," Wunsch said. "It might take a day, a week, a year for it to migrate down."
Monitoring that process, over time, might show how climate change and development affect levels and quality.
For instance, rainfall that now percolates into the ground gets diverted by the paved surfaces of development and is carried away by storm drains. . . .
Water and sewer grants awarded
PhillyBurbs.com: "Region rakes in water, sewer grants," by Rich Pietras, Intelligencer, July 16, 2009:
The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority is receiving $128,666 for the Plumstead surge tank.
Bucks and Montgomery counties were big winners this week as the state announced that $500 million is being distributed for water and sewer projects.
The funding, part of the "H2O PA" program, was allocated through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The authority received 728 applications from across the state totaling $2.6 billion in requests and approved $500 million for projects on Tuesday. . . .
H2O PA was created in 2008 to fund water and sewer projects, as well as storm water projects, flood control projects and dam repairs.
The funding is provided through an $800 million bond financed by 5 percent of gaming revenue deposited in the Pennsylvania Gaming and Economic Development and Tourism Fund. The bond issue is expected to be floated soon and funds could be made available by the fall.
To be eligible for funding, a project must be owned by a municipality or authority and must include local matching funds.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority evaluates applications, with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority providing technical review and assistance.
The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority is receiving $128,666 for the Plumstead surge tank.
July 10, 2009
Energy industry misleads Congress
"Energy industry sways Congress with misleading data," by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, July 8, 2009: "The two key arguments that the oil and gas industry is using to fight federal regulation of the natural gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing -- that the costs would cripple their business and that state regulations are already strong -- are challenged by the same data and reports the industry is using to bolster its position. . . ."
July 9, 2009
"Construction site yields safety concerns"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Construction site yields safety concerns," by Theresa Hegel, Intelligencer, July 9, 2009:
TH Properties resumed work on the final five townhouses in Bedminster's Cliffside Manor development last week, leaving some residents concerned about public safety issues. . . .
Among the issues are a large mound of dirt that could adversely affect groundwater and propane tanks that are not blocked from public access. . . .
July 5, 2009
"More funds ready for open space"
PhillyBurbs.com: "More funds ready for open space," by Amanda Cregan, Intelligencer, July 5, 2009:
Thanks to a federal grant, the county will now have more money on hand to purchase open space in Upper Bucks.
As part of the Highlands Conservation Act Amendment, $700,000 will go to protecting farmland surrounding the Cooks Creek Watershed.
The $2 million additional funds designated by the House doubles the Highlands Coalition allocation to $4 million in President Obama's 2010 budget.
The Senate is currently working on its own version of the bill.
"Certainly it's a priority for us in Bucks County, but to get recognized on a national level is pretty significant," said Kris Kern, open space coordinator for the county.
The Highlands is a heavily forested and mountainous region that stretches across 3.5 million acres in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; it is nationally significant because of the species it supports and the drinking water and recreational opportunities it provides.
It cuts through Cooks Creek Watershed in Upper Bucks, which runs the length of Durham and well into Springfield. Its 30-square-mile watershed is considered a critical natural resource. . . .
"Funding will help clean up leaking tank sites"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Funding will help clean up leaking tank sites," by Rich Pietras, Intelligencer, July 3, 2009:
The state is applying for $6.1 million in federal funds to clean up 71 leaking underground storage tanks, including some in Warrington, Horsham and Springfield.
Gov. Ed Rendell said the grants were targeted to sites where abandoned underground storage tanks have delayed redevelopment because of concerns about possible contamination and the cost to clean it up.
The funds will be distributed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are designed to be used where the responsible party is either unknown or unable or unwilling to remove the tanks and remediate the site. In the latter cases, the state Department of Environmental Protection will perform the work and may take action to recover cleanup costs.
The small, family owned Malcolm's Auto Repair and Body Shop on Route 611 in Warrington seems to fit the state's goal of trying to revitalize a dormant site.
The gas station, which has not been operating for years, went up for auction last fall, and as of January, had no takers. In the past, residents and township representatives have complained about the abandoned business that they see as an eyesore.
In addition to Malcolm's, other local sites that were identified include:
The Stony Point Grocery in Springfield.
Glemser Bros. in Horsham.
OJP Auto Service Inc. in Norristown.
Center Square Citgo in Whitpain.
Teresa Candori, the press secretary for the DEP, said while all leaking underground tanks are scheduled for cleanup, this federal stimulus money is a supplement to existing programs. Once the funds are released, the sites have to initiate the cleanup effort within 60 days and must be finished within a year and a half. When the funds would become available was unknown.
Open space funds discussed
PhillyBurbs.com: "Environmentalists, officials discuss open space funds," by Bill Devlin, Intelligencer, July 1, 2009:
The Bucks County Planning Commission Tuesday night held what was billed as the "Natural Areas Inventory of Bucks County Workshop" at its offices in Doylestown Township.
In reality, it was a night for the birds - and trees, reptiles, flowers and insects.
Representatives from environmental advisory committees, conservation groups and local government were on hand to discuss the Natural Areas Inventory, the document that guides county officials in the use of open space funds. . . .
June 24, 2009
DEP to propose public water for Cross Keys
PhillyBurbs.com: "DEP to propose installing water system at Cross Keys," by Christina Kristofic, Intelligencer, June 22, 2009: "Almost 100 Cross Keys property owners whose wells are or could be contaminated with toxic chemicals could soon get public water, courtesy of the state Department of Environmental Protection. . . ."
June 19, 2009
Cure for curative amendments
PhillyBurbs.com: "Bill would strengthen townships against developers," by Chris English, Intelligencer, June 19, 2009:
Legislation that would give municipalities more power to fight development and take the sting out of curative amendments filed by builders will be introduced by state Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31, Monday.
Petitions for curative amendments are filed by developers when they claim a municipality does not have land zoned for a certain kind of housing, said Buckingham Supervisor Henry Rowan, who spoke with Santarsiero during a press conference Thursday at the Lower Makefield township building.
"A developer will claim a town doesn't have land zoned for mobile homes, to give an example," said Rowan. "An agreement is then reached with the town to instead build 500 single-family homes instead of mobile homes and officials will say, 'whew, we dodged that bullet,' but what the developer wanted in the first place was the 500 single-family homes."
Developers have used curative amendments to "hammer municipalities into submission," Rowan said.
"The threat becomes as powerful as the cure itself," he said. "Towns will often spend a minimum of $250,000 in legal fees fighting a claim for a curative amendment."
"That's an entire year's legal budget for a lot of towns," Santarsiero added.
His bill would give municipalities more power to deny projects proposed by developers after they have filed for curative amendments. It has four major components.
First, a municipality could deny a project if all the required infrastructure like roads, storm water controls, schools, emergency services and recreation is not in place. Also, the bill would ensure that all challenges submitted to a municipal governing body or zoning board describe and quantify the need for a particular kind of housing identified in the petition for a curative amendment.
The bill would make a developer show the proposed project would be able to be constructed under the natural resource protections in place, and would also prohibit a municipality from entering into agreements or settlements that allow for projects substantially different from the granted curative challenge.
Rowan and Santarsiero said the bill would not eliminate curative amendments but should turn them into less of a weapon for developers to pursue a roundabout route toward what they really want.
"It's really intended to give municipalities another tool to manage, not prohibit growth," Santarsiero said. "It should really give towns more of an ability to foster smart growth."
Rowan said Pennsylvania is the only state in the country with curative amendments and their threat has become a particular problem in the heavily developed Southeastern part of the state.
"There is no reason on earth any Southeastern Pennsylvania legislator would even consider opposing this bill," he said.
Santarsiero will introduce the bill on the floor of the House on Monday and he then would expect it to be assigned to the Local Government Committee. He hopes to get the bill into the full House for a vote by the end of summer. . . .
June 15, 2009
"Officials fear costs of runoff"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Officials fear costs of runoff," by Gary Weckselblatt, Intelligencer, June 15, 2009: "Concerned with new regulations that could force them to clean up streams inundated with storm runoff, local governments have banded together and hired attorneys to deal with the state Department of Environmental Protection. . . ."
June 9, 2009
"Expanding flood plain worries some"
PhillyBurbs.com: "Expanding flood plain worries some," by Freda R. Savana, Intelligencer, June 8, 2009: "A proposal to expand the amount of land along the Delaware River that's defined as flood plain in hopes of reducing the impact of future floods has riverside property owners concerned about its impact on them. . . ."
May 16, 2009
"Open space or not?"
by Freda R. Savana, Intelligencer, PhillyBurbs.com, May 15, 2009: "Spending to preserve open space is a leading issue in the township's election. In Plumstead, like many municipalities throughout Central and Upper Bucks County, preserving open space is a key issue for residents. Elected officials go to great lengths to praise the rewards of preservation, despite the cost. But in today's economy, spending money on anything, even open space, is a concern for those seeking public office. The three Republicans facing off in Tuesday's primary each expressed worry over spending in these strained economic times. . . ."
April 30, 2009
New storm water management rules
PhillyBurbs.com, April 30, 2009: "Township wants help from neighbors against DEP rules: The potential impact of new storm water management rules has supervisors concerned. Concerned about the potential impact of new storm water management rules, Montgomery Township supervisors hope their neighbors will join them in expressing that concern to the state Department of Environmental Protection. . . ."
Landscape design and clean water
PhillyBurbs.com, April 26, 2009: "Design majors all about clean water: The next generation of landscape designers is stepping out of the classroom and into their local watersheds. A group of 10 environmental design majors from Delaware Valley College is touring the region this month to consult with homeowners and local organizations about riparian buffers, grassy barriers that keep sediment out of creeks and streams. . . ."
"Law would protect drinking water"
PhillyBurbs.com, Intelligencer, by Gary Weckselblatt, April 23, 2009: "Law would protect drinking water"
The legislation was introduced by Bucks Republican Chuck McIlhinney.
A lawmaker, government agency and environmental group have teamed up to craft a bill to protect the state's drinking water.
State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney introduced the legislation Wednesday that requires special protection of the groundwater, rivers and aquifers that supply drinking water.
"Most of us take clean water for granted, but we cannot ignore the threat of pollution and contamination of our drinking water supplies," said McIlhinney, a Bucks County Republican. "We need to take action to protect our drinking water supplies to ensure the future health of our citizens."
Senate Bill 777 amends the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act of 1984 and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish statewide minimum standards upstream of drinking water intakes along rivers and around public drinking water wells. Certain polluting activities would be restricted in these critical zones.
"Pennsylvania currently provides no special protection for rivers or aquifers that supply groundwater to a community," said state Sen. Andy Dinniman, a Chester County Democrat, one of the bill's co-sponsors. "This is very logical, and something that hadn't been done."
Myron Arnowitt, Pennsylvania State Director for Clean Water Action, said "This bill will for the first time put the focus on preventing contamination rather than counting on treatment plants to take pollution out of our water. The main idea is to create critical zones. Then you can restrict polluting activities from taking place."
According to the bill, a critical zone "extends from one-quarter mile downstream of a drinking water intake for a community water system to 25 miles upstream from the intake."
"You just can't do certain things (near these critical areas)," McIlhinney said. "We think it's reasonable."
The bill will require municipalities to create zoning to protect those areas, Arnowitt said.
"The basic idea is you don't want a gas station near a public drinking water well," he said. "Let's not store giant tanks of hazardous chemicals near a river."
McIlhinney, the bill's sponsor, said he's been formulating the legislation for three years with the help of the DEP and Clean Water Action.
"The days of dumping raw trash are gone," said McIlhinney. But, he added, runoff pollution, industrial discharges and various land uses can also pollute the water supply.
Violators would be subject to fines of up to $2,500 and up to 90 days in jail, McIlhinney said. Willful or negligent violations of the law could lead to fines of up to $50,000 and up to two years in jail for each offense.
"There's no question we need to protect these areas," Dinniman said. "Sen. McIlhinney had the foresight to do it as one of the senate's leaders on environmental concerns."
Locally, state Sens. Stewart Greenleaf, Tommy Tomlinson and Rob Wonderling all co-sponsored the bill.
Loans for water projects
PhillyBurbs.com, April 23, 2009: "Loans target water projects: Richlandtown and Sellersville were hoping for grants to perform needed water system improvements. . . . They'll have to settle for a loan. The tiny Upper Bucks borough had applied for funding to remove arsenic from the town's drinking water. . . ."
Hybrid sewer alternative
PhillyBurbs.com, April 22, 2009: "Hybrid mentioned as sewer alternative: The system could be cheaper then what has been proposed for the Pebble Ridge area. A member of the Doylestown Township public water and sewer advisory committee has proposed an idea - a sort of septic-sewer hybrid, called a septic tank effluent pump system - that he said could address the problem of failing septic systems at a lower cost than the alternatives. . . ."
April 21, 2009
Frontline/PBS: "Poisoned Waters"
FRONTLINE: Poisoned Waters on PBS: "A far-reaching investigation into American's great waterways. They are in peril. There's a new wave of pollution that's killing fish, causing mutations in frogs -- and threatening human health."
April 11, 2009
8 stream gauges for Delaware River
PhillyBurbs.com, Intelligencer, by Freda R. Savana, April 9, 2009: "8 stream gauges to be funded in Delaware: The U.S. Geological Survey said it will help fund the operation of at least eight stream gauges that help the National Weather Service provide flood forecasts and warnings. Last month, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced several gauges were going to be shut down to save money."
April 7, 2009
"Water monitoring will continue"
PhillyBurbs.com, April 6, 2009: "Contamination in Cross Keys has affected numerous homes and businesses. Officials have yet to identify the source. Dozens of homes and businesses in and around the intersection of routes 313 and 611, known as Cross Keys, will continue to have their wells monitored by the state Department of Environmental Protection, said a DEP spokesman, after contaminants were discovered in the water. It's been almost a year since the department learned the water was contaminated with chlorinated solvents. The area affected includes sections of Plumstead, Buckingham and Doylestown Township."
"Tinicum in epic battle with developer"
PhillyBurbs.com, April 6, 2009: "It's been five years since developers began their fight to build an apartment complex, townhomes, residential neighborhoods and a shopping center across 240 acres in Tinicum. Scores of township hearings later, neither Main Street Development nor township supervisors nor members of ECO-Bucks, a grassroots citizens group fighting to preserve the rural character of Tinicum, are backing down from the fight."
"Open house targets deer management"
PhillyBurbs.com, April 5, 2009: "Open house targets deer management: The day-long event was one of six open houses the [Pennsylvania Game] commission is holding statewide."
April 1, 2009
March 30, 2009
"NYC eliminating stream gauges"
PhillyBurbs.com, Bucks County Courier Times, by Freda R. Savana, March 27, 2009: "The proposed cutbacks of the system that keeps check on Delaware River water levels have outraged some who live along the waterway."
"Officials tap ideas for water safety"
PhillyBurbs.com, Intelligencer, by Theresa Hegel, March 29, 2009: "For Pennridge area officials, the best way to keep drinking water clean, safe - and, indeed, flowing - is to go to the source.
"With the help of the Bucks County Planning Commission and a slew of scientists, they've been able to map out where each spray of your hose and dribble from your tap originated.
"The region's source water protection plan - currently in draft form - delineates those origins and identifies 'actual and potential sources of contamination,' said Rea Monaghan, an environmental planner with the Bucks County Planning Commission.
"The plan, which will be reviewed at a public meeting on Tuesday, could also be an invaluable resource in case of an emergency, she added.
"About eight years ago, the Pennridge Area Coordinating Committee began an initiative to link land development to water resources. The idea is that housing and other types of development should not exceed the capacity of area water systems.
"Water availability 'is going to be one of the most critical items that we deal with and face in the next 25 years,' said Don Duvall, a West Rockhill supervisor and PACC member." [continued]
"With the help of the Bucks County Planning Commission and a slew of scientists, they've been able to map out where each spray of your hose and dribble from your tap originated.
"The region's source water protection plan - currently in draft form - delineates those origins and identifies 'actual and potential sources of contamination,' said Rea Monaghan, an environmental planner with the Bucks County Planning Commission.
"The plan, which will be reviewed at a public meeting on Tuesday, could also be an invaluable resource in case of an emergency, she added.
"About eight years ago, the Pennridge Area Coordinating Committee began an initiative to link land development to water resources. The idea is that housing and other types of development should not exceed the capacity of area water systems.
"Water availability 'is going to be one of the most critical items that we deal with and face in the next 25 years,' said Don Duvall, a West Rockhill supervisor and PACC member." [continued]
March 24, 2009
March 19, 2009
Regulations for natural gas drilling
"Environmentalists want regulations for expected increase in natural gas drilling," by Scott Detrow, WHYY News, March 19, 2009. "Pennsylvania officials are banking on a boom in natural gas drilling over the next few years. But environmental advocates say lawmakers will need to put strict regulations in place to protect water sources [emphasis added]."
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