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TRANSCRIPT
Spring 2017 Page
M W A T E R R I T O R Y
H O M E O F T H E Y O U G H I O G H E N Y
Spring 2017
Protecting, preserving and restoring the Indian Creek and greater Youghiogheny River watersheds.
Don’t be a Litterbug &
Update Your Newsletter
Preferences!
2
Our Vision for Restoration
& Swimmable Waters
Sampling Resumes
3
Don’t Frack Maryland 4
Allegheny Energy Center &
Construction Work at Deer
Lake
5
MWA Appeals Mariner East
2 Pipeline Permits 6
Our Laurel Landscape:
Sediment Pollution 7
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Highlights:
Celebrate Earth Day with
us! Join us on April 22nd for
our annual Wildflower
Walk in the Indian Creek
Gorge! See page 2 for
details.
We’re hiring an intern for
our Swimmable Waters
project this summer! Visit
mtwatershed.com for
more information.
PO Box 408 1414-B ICV Road Melcroft, PA 15462 Phone: 724.455.4200 www.mtwatershed.com
Join Us for our Annual Clean Water Banquet &
Silent Auction on April 29!
MWA Appeals Issuance of Rustic Ridge Permit
On December 23, 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) issued the permit for LCT Energy LP’s Rustic Ridge #1 deep mine in Donegal and Saltlick Townships. On January 13, 2017, we appealed the permit issuance to the Environmental Hearing Board. We have serious concerns about risks to community health and safety given the history of abandoned mine drainage in the Indian Creek watershed. Our watershed contains over 130 known discharges from abandoned coal mines. These discharges have contaminated wells, springs, and miles of streams leaving behind a legacy of dead streams, unpotable water, and economic burdens shouldered by our families, friends, and neighbors. Our concerns include the following:
Our experts believe LCT’s proposed barrier is inadequate to prevent toxic metals and pollutional mine drainage from impacting the Indian Creek watershed.
continued on page 4...
Come and join us in the celebration of our accomplishments and our volunteers at our Annual Clean Water Banquet & Silent Auction. Every year we hold this banquet dinner to celebrate the year’s accomplishments with our Board of Directions, members, and supporters. It is also a time to raise money to continue the organization’s mission to protect, preserve, and restore Indian Creek and the greater Youghiogheny River watersheds.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at Brady’s Restaurant on RT 31 in Acme. Auction doors will open at 5pm with dinner served at 6:30pm. Once again this year, we have plenty of great items up for bid, with new donations coming in every day. These donations include gift certificates, tickets to local and regional attractions, handmade creations, sports paraphernalia, baked goods, and much more. There is sure to be something that will entice everyone to bid! The silent auction portion of the evening is always exciting. Typically there are a few items that will cause some competitive bidding wars. It is always done in fair fashion though, with overall benefit of the organization in mind. We will…
continued on page 7...
Spring 2017 Page 2
1414-B ICV Road
PO Box 408
Melcroft PA 15462
(724) 455-4200
www.mtwatershed.com
Staff
Beverly Braverman
Executive Director
Krissy Kasserman
Youghiogheny
Deputy Director
Charlotte Shetler
Office Administrator
Carla Ruddock
Field Technician
Jordan Hoover
Community Organizer
Melissa Marshall
Community Advocate
Jena Shaffer
AmeriCorps Volunteer
We recently partnered with Ohiopyle State Park and the Turkeyfoot Fish and Game Association to clean up a large amount of vinyl siding that was illegally dumped along the Yough downstream of Confluence in the Draketown area. The good folks from the Turkeyfoot Fish and Game Association did the heavy lifting and not only cleaned up the siding but also quite a bit of shoreline garbage from both sides of the river in the same area as well. Many thanks to all of the community members who spent much of their weekend gathering up the siding and the trash. Cleaning up this site was a priority
because of its proximity to the river and the likelihood that high water would wash it downstream throughout Ohiopyle State Park. If you know who dumped the vinyl siding please contact our office at 724-455-4200. Please don't litter!
Don’t be a Litterbug!
Update Your E-Newsletter Preferences
Do you receive our email newsletter? You can now select what types of updates you would like to receive from us. Topics include Yough River issues, shale
gas, trail news, and several other topics. To update your newsletter preferences visit www.mtwatershed.com/join-our-mailing-list. Thank you!
2017 Wildflower Walk Planned
Our annual Wildflower Walk, held in the spectacular Indian Creek Gorge, will take place on Earth Day! Join us Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 9:00 AM, rain or shine. We cover about a mile and a half at a very gentle pace, and the terrain is relatively flat. Our walk normally lasts until around 12:00 PM. This event is free of charge though donations are always welcome.
Parking is at the entrance to the
Indian Creek Gorge off of Route 381 near Mill Run, PA. From Route 381, look for the Camp Christian sign, and turn down the road toward the camp. At the Y, turn right and you’ll see a small parking area on the right.
Our Wildflower Walk is led by local naturalist and MWA supporter Lisa Smith. Bring sturdy walking shoes, water, a camera, and an umbrella, if necessary. Come enjoy the beautiful Indian Creek Gorge with us!
Turkeyfoot Fish and Game Association
members at a recent cleanup along the
Yough.
Spring 2017 Page 3
Recreating in waters with high levels of E. coli places you at risk of infection.
Data are available by Thursday of each week— just in time for the weekend! We rate sites as safe (green) or unsafe (red) so it’s very easy to determine where you can swim. You can find our data on theswimguide.org or on our website.
We are hiring an AmeriCorps volunteer to assist with sampling. The position is unpaid but upon the completion of 300 hours of work the candidate will be receive an educational award in the amount of $1,221.96 to be applied toward educational expenses. This position is through the Pennsylvania Moun-tain Service Corps. Visit pmsc.org for more information. To apply, please visit mtwatershed.com.
Swimmable Waters Sampling Resumes May 1—Internship Available!
Our Swimmable Waters sampling will begin again in May 2017. We c a n h e l p y o u m a k e a n informed decision about where you can safely swim, splash or play! We sample around the watershed for E. coli weekly between May 1 and September 30. E. coli are a bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. Most strains are harmless but others can make you sick.
The Mounta in Wate r shed Association has made a significant investment in treating abandoned mine drainage throughout the Indian Creek watershed on behalf of the community. Much of this investment has been courtesy of the taxpayers of Pennsylvania, though other funding sources include private foundations, federal funds, and other grants.
There are 130 abandoned mine drainage discharges that severely degrade approximately 17.5 of the 26 miles of Indian Creek. No two mine drainage discharges are exactly the same and the geology of the site plays a major part into the chemical makeup and the severity of the contamination. What makes it even more challenging is that some discharges change seasonally based on the flow and mine pool conditions. These factors make mine drainage treatment a challenging task and one that requires a significant amount of expertise.
MWA, working with Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, United States Office of Surface Mining and Reclama-tion, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, has installed five passive abandoned mine drainage treatment systems, conducted one land liming project, and are in the process of installing two additional treatment systems. We have spent more than $8.7 million dollars within the Indian Creek watershed to reduce the impacts caused by these discharges and to return our streams to fishable waters. Installation of a new mine drainage treatment system requires years from land acquisition, water sampling, and project planning to construction. Then these systems require ongoing water monitoring and maintenance to ensure they are working as designed. Annual expenditures are estimated at over $100,000 for maintenance and monitoring activities— and that is when everything is working properly.
Mine Drainage Treatment: A Vision of Restoration
Our investment in restoring Indian Creek is driven by a vision for fishable, swimmable and drinkable water. Our community has borne the burden of this pollution for far too long. Our Comprehensive Plan has shown that treatment of the 11 worst discharges in the watershed will restore over 95% of Indian Creek. We are committed to this restoration of Indian Creek and we are grateful for your support of this important work.
We are currently working on a plan to treat
the Marsolino discharge, above, in partner-
ship with the PADEP Bureau of Abandoned
Mine Reclamation.
Spring 2017 Page 4
the Pennsylvania Constitution. MWA has partnered with state and federal agencies to construct six passive mine drainage treatment projects with additional systems in the planning phase. These systems belong to you and the state although MWA has been charged with maintenance into eternity. The community has invested over $8 million in the restoration of Indian Creek from mine drainage. New discharges from this proposed deep mine would jeopardize this progress and the investment in clean water. As an organizat ion, we are a lso committed to working toward a
just transition in our community. At best, continued extraction of coal to feed a dying industry delays this important work. At worst, it creates new water pollution that will plague our community for hundreds of years to come. MWA’s mission statement -- to protect, preserve, and restore the Indian Creek and greater Youghiogheny River watersheds -- does not allow us to ignore the problems our consultants have raised with regards to this deep mine proposal. We will continue to advocate for the protection of our watershed; both from this most current threat and any others that may arise in the future.
The same water pollution was predicted by PADEP in 1994 when it denied the Rand Am deep mine proposal which shares some of the same areas as the Rustic Ridge footprint.
The noise assessment was inadequate because the most impactful noises -- including noise due to blasting and heavy equipment operations -- were not properly accounted for.
LCT will discharge 1,500-2,055 gallons per minute of treated mine water into Champion Creek.
Issuance of the permit violates Article 1, Section 27 of
Deep Mine Permit Appeal (continued from page 1...)
The movement to ban fracking in Maryland is gaining momentum. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan wants to move forward with drilling despite the opposition of 56% of registered voters in Maryland. A moratorium on drill-ing is currently in place through 2017, and Maryland’s legislature is considering whether to allow f r a c k i n g , t o e x t e n d t h e moratorium, or to permanently ban the practice.
A substantial portion of the Youghiogheny River watershed is in Maryland. This area of our watershed has important natural, ecological, scenic and recreational qualities that require protection. We know what happens upstream affects water quality downstream, and given the substantial impacts
we have seen from fracking on our river in Pennsylvania, we cannot afford to frack Maryland.
Along with friends and allies at Waterkeepers Chesapeake, among others, we are advocating for a permanent ban. Our Yough River-keeper Krissy Kasserman recently testified before Maryland’s Administrative, Executive, Legisla-tive and Regulatory Committee regarding recently proposed rules that would govern fracking if permitted. Her message, in keeping with our official position, is that no regulations, no matter how strong, will eliminate the harms caused by fracking and as such the practice should be banned.
A ban on fracking in Maryland is necessary to protect health, land
and water, and sustainable economic development. The Maryland General Assembly must stand with the science, learn from Pennsylvania’s mistakes, and pass a statewide ban on fracking. For more information or to get involved visit DontFrackMD.org.
Don’t Frack Maryland!
Brent Walls, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper,
our Yough Riverkeeper Krissy Kasserman,
and Robin Broder from Waterkeepers
Chesapeake at a recent event in Maryland.
Spring 2017 Page 5
Allegheny Energy Center Suggests New Location on the Yough
group Protect Elizabeth Township, we had opposed the issuance of these variances and we have intervened in the appeal.
While the appeal is pending, Invenergy recently suggested at a township meeting that a new site may be under consideration. This site, located on the Allegheny/ Westmoreland County border across from Sutersville, is also located along the river and adjacent to residential areas— and is less than 1/10 of a mile from the Mariner East I & II pipeline route. This pipeline is slated to carry natural gas liquids that are 150
times more explosive than methane which makes this new suggested site particularly concerning. Regardless of location, a gas-fired power plant has no place in Elizabeth Township. Concerns include health issues, water quality and quantity, air emissions, c o n s t r u c t i o n o f r e l a t e d infrastructure like pipelines and power lines, decreased property values, noise and light pollution. Stay tuned to mtwatershed.com for updates as this story evolves.
Invenergy, a Chicago based company, is planning to build a 550 mega-watt gas-fired power plant in Elizabeth Township. Currently, the plant, called Allegheny Energy Center, is proposed to be constructed along the Yough near Henderson Road on the Fiore property, the site of a partially reclaimed hazardous waste dump adjacent to several homes.
In June of 2016 the Elizabeth Township Zoning Hearing Board denied Invenergy’s request for variances to build the plant. Invenergy has appealed that decision. Along with local citizens
For the past year and a half we have observed increased levels of sedimentation downstream of the construction site on Deer Lake (on the main stem of Meadow Run, an important Yough River tributary). We’ve rece ived numerous complaints from downstream residents, fishermen and paddlers and have filed nearly a dozen complaints with the Fayette County Conservation District and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. It seems the Deer Lake Improvement Project and their contractor and co-permittee Custom Contracting have struggled to comply with the terms of their permits. Despite numerous inspections finding violations (over 120 and counting), many of which are ongoing, DEP has seemingly been unable to force them to do so.
In addition to the ongoing erosion
and sedimentation issues, DEP has a l so c i ted the permit tees for improper placement of fill outside the permitted area in an August 30, 2016 inspection report and on September 6, 2016 issued a Compliance Order requiring operations on the site to cease until the fill was moved to a location within the permit area. This was done, and dredging work resumed. However, fill is once again being stored illegally outside of the permitted area behind the work trailer between Deer Lake and Washington Trail. The Department observed this during an October 31, 2016 inspection and issued a Notice of Violation on November 2, 2016 regarding this violation. Th e De pa r t me n t i s n ow considering a major modification t o t h e d r e d g i n g p e r m i t . The proposed application would simply expand the permit terms to
include the area where the fill is b e i n g s t o r e d i l l e g a l l y – essentially sanctioning the initial violation. The Department has not yet taken substantial steps to deter the applicant from future violations a n d s o t h i s w o u l d , i n essence, reward the applicant for their malfeasance. We filed extensive comments on this application and are awaiting the Department’s response.
We a re not opposed to reconstruction of the dam and spillway or the dredging work. We simply want it to comply with the law so as not to further pollute Mead ow Ru n . I t i s t he responsibility of the Department to ensure that work done per the Department’s own permits is done in a way that does not consistently violate the rules and laws put into place to protect our shared resources.
Construction Work at Deer Lake Pollutes Meadow Run
Spring 2017 Page 6
MWA Appeals Mariner East 2 Pipeline Permits
On Monday, February 13, 2017, along with Clean Air Council and Delaware Riverkeeper Network, we filed an appeal of twenty permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to Sunoco Pipeline L.P. for construction of the Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids pipeline. PADEP issued the erosion and sedimentation control and water obstruction and encroachment per-mits; we believe PADEP has failed to address the negative impacts of the project.
The Mariner East 2 pipeline, if constructed, will span 300 miles across 17 Pennsylvania counties. It will cross many streams, wetlands and waterways including several designated as high-quality or exceptional value— streams among the cleanest in the state. The pipeline will transport natural gas liquids including propane, butane and ethane. These compounds are 150 times more flammable than natural gas.
During the permitting process, PADEP issued a multitude of deficiency letters to Sunoco Logis-tics in September 2016. These letters detailed hundreds of areas in need of improvement. While some of these issues have been addressed by Sunoco, many issues remain outstanding. These outstanding issues justified our appeal. Sunoco’s dismal compliance record also influenced our decision to appeal. Since 2002, Sunoco has
received 262 incident reports and 32 enforcement actions from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), as well as 17 Notice of Probable Violation orders resulting in over $2.3 million in proposed and enforced fines. We believe the Mariner East 2 proposal, along with the rapid expansion of other forms of natural gas infrastructure, is a serious threat to the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians. It will increase shale gas drilling throughout Pennsylvania. Its installation will require boring underneath the Youghiogheny River near Sutersville, and if constructed it will be located less than 1/10 of a mile from the newly proposed site of Invenergy’s Allegheny Energy Center’s gas-fired power plant (covered elsewhere in this newsletter). We believe this cumulative impact will be an incredible burden on the Smithdale area of Westmoreland County which i s loca ted immediately adjacent to the sites. It is important to note that the existing Mariner East 1 pipeline, along which portions of the Mariner 2 pipeline will be installed, is now exporting domestically-produced shale gas through the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex in New Jersey. While this export has been hailed for its technical achievement, the inevitable and disturbing precedent that this transaction signals has received far less attention. As domestic natural
gas extraction has diminished due to lowered market prices, those in the industry have been forced to look elsewhere for ways to stay afloat. A February 20, 2017 P h i l a d e l p h i a I n q u i r e r article states that according to Sunoco Logistics spokesman Jeff Shields “most of the fuel that will be sent to Marcus Hook is set for export to European petrochemical producers, but Sunoco also hopes to develop new local industries to buy the materials.” Distribution to local and domestic markets was a primary selling point in Sunoco’s legal request to be considered a “public utility corporation” because of the benefits provided to Pennsylvani-ans— but now it appears significant amounts of natural gas liquids will be exported to overseas markets. At least one case against Sunoco’s use of eminent domain is still pending. On March 3, the EHB denied our Petition for Supersedeas. Had the petition been granted, the construction authorized by the Mariner East 2 water permits would have been paused until the Board could complete a full review of the permits. The denial of our petition means the permits remain in effect for now, and permitted activities will continue while the appeal is pending. This result is deeply disappointing, but is certainly not the end of the story. Stay tuned to our blog for the most updated information.
Spring 2017 Page 7
Sediment pollution is the single most common source of pollution in U.S. waters. Approximately 30% is caused by natural erosion, and the remaining 70% is caused by human activity. Construction activity is the most common source of sediment pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sediment pollution causes approximately $16 billion in environmental damage annually.
Sediment pollution can have long-term impacts on aquatic insects, fish and other wildlife in affected waterways. It clouds water so animals cannot see food sources. Suspended particles block light and affect growth of aquatic plants. It settles on the stream bottom and impacts habitat for important aquatic insects-- which are a crucial food source in healthy trout streams. Sediment can smother insect larvae and fish eggs and
destroy the spawning areas for fish. In the worst cases it can even clog fish gills or kill fish.
In addition to its effects on aquatic plants and animals, sediment can fill streams, lakes and ponds, obstruct waterways and clog storm sewers and ditches. Sediment deposits in rivers can alter the flow of water and reduce water depth making navigation and recreational use more difficult.
What can you do? The EPA offers the following suggestions for minimizing sediment pollution:
Instead of hosing them off, sweep sidewalks and driveways
use weed-free mulch to reseed bare spots on your lawn and if tilling your lawn or garden use
Our Laurel Landscape: Sediment is Pollution
have a 50/50 ticket raffle and Paper Bag Auction for guests to participate in as well. Last year’s banquet raised over $5,000 dollars! All members, guests, and friends
Annual Banquet (continued from page 1…)
are welcome. Reservations must be pre-paid by April 21, 2017. For ticketing information contact Jena at [email protected] or 724-455-4200 ext 4#, or register online at mtwatershed.com/events. This
is sure to be an evening of fun, food, and good company so please join us at Brady’s Restaurant in Acme on April 29th to help keep our Laurel Highlands beautiful!
compost or straw for erosion control until plants are established
Allow for buffers of at least 25' from the edge of streams and creeks and avoid mowing in this area.
Wash your veh ic l e a t commercial car washes or on porous surfaces that absorb water like grass or gravel.
Sediment pollution from the Mariner East
pipeline route in Westmoreland County.
Sediment flows from the site of the pro-
posed Curry Mine after logging occurred
without proper erosion and sedimentation
controls.
Excessive sediment in Champion Creek as
a result of rain and snowmelt.
In our area, sediment flows tend to increase in the spring due to heavy rains and snowmelt. You can help to minimize these flows by following the above suggestions on your own property. Please also notify government officials immediately if you see sediment pol lut ion f lowing from a construction site. If it's in the Yough watershed, please also notify us at 724-455-4200.
Spring 2017 Page 8
Please Invest in the Future of Our Mountains and Streams by
Becoming a 2017 Member or Making a Tax-Deductible Donation
to the Mountain Watershed Association,
Home of the Youghiogheny
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________ E-mail: ____________________________
POSTAL PATRON
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Melcroft, PA
Permit No. 002
_____Basic ($10)
_____Family ($15)
_____Stream Defender ($20)
_____Stream Friend ($50)
Please make checks payable to: Mountain Watershed Association
1414B Indian Creek Valley Rd., P.O. Box 408, Melcroft, PA 15462
Type of Membership or Donation Amount
_____Stream Hero ($100)
_____Lifetime Member ($500)
_____Benefactor ($1,000)
_____Donation (Tax Deductible)
I would like to receive MWA's quarterly newsletter via email!
PO Box 408/1414-B ICV Road
Melcroft PA 15462
724/455-4200
The official registration and financial information of the Mountain Watershed Association, Inc.
may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free,
within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999.
Upcoming Events
April 22
Wildflower Walk
April 29
Clean Water Banquet &
Silent Auction
Visit www.mtwatershed.com
for more upcoming events.
Riverkeeper is a registered
trademark and service mark of
Riverkeeper, Inc. and is
licensed for use herein.