"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. . . ."

"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. . . .

"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. . . ."

"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.

"DEP presents public water plan"

PhillyBurbs.com: "DEP presents public water plan [for Cross Keys]," by Christina Kristofic, Intelligencer, July 31, 2009.