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A monthly Update from the Water Resources Education Network
 a project of the League of Women Voters of PA - Citizen Education Fund 

August 2014
In This Issue
August Feature: Quarryville Borough Revives Dormant Source Water Protection Plan
WREN Grants in Action: Etna Borough Rain Garden Project
Plan now for 2015-2016 WREN Grant
Water System Pitches in to Plant Trees
Register Now for Fall Master Well Owner Course
Berks County Conservation District Partners with County Prison
Building Green Infrastructure in Blair County
National Protect Your Groundwater Day Sept 9th
Policy Updates and Public Comments Requested
WREN August Feature

  


Third in a Series
 
Share Water Policy News
WREN CONNECT
 
SWP logo  
Webinars

Reports

 

GAO June 14 Report: "DRINKING WATER: EPA Program to Protect Underground Sources from Injection of Fluids Associated with Oil and Gas Production Needs Improvement"

 

 

 

 

Report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: PA DEP gets 2nd dour report on gas well oversight 

 

 

 

New Report: Blackout in the Gas Patch: How Pennsylvania Residents are Left in the Dark on Health and Enforcement 

Full Report available at:  http://blackout.earthworksaction.org 

 

 

USGS REPORT:

Residence Times and Nitrate Transport in Ground Water Discharging to Streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed


 

EPA: The Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure: A Case Study of Lancaster, PA 

  

 

  

 

 


2013 Chesapeake Bay Report Card


PennEnvironment June 2014:  

 


Videos to Watch
Quick Links 

Rain is Natural, But Run-Off is Not











USGS News: 





 

Oil &  Gas Links


 
Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in water at fracking sites


 
Public Utility Commission appeals Commonwealth Court decision 

on Act 13 

 

Oil companies fracking into drinking water sources, new research shows

 

A new look at what's in 'fracking' fluids raises red flags


 
Families sick from fracking turn to scientists

 

Demonstrators protest bill that would allow gas drilling in state parks and forests

 

State: Fracking waste tainted groundwater, soil at three Washington County sites 

 

DEP probes leaks at three Range Resources impoundments; company doesn't suspect a larger problem 

 

Range Resources cited for leak at Yeager impoundment 

 

The Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association supports a full discussion of groundwater impact 

 

 

DCNR will seek public comment on draft development agreement for gas extraction in Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County 

 

PA Auditor General Report on PADEP Oversight of Natural Gas Industry 

 

DEP Report Released on Fatal Chevron Lanco Well Fire (Dunkard Twp, Green County) with Recommendations to Prevent Future Incidents 

 

PADEP Oil and Gas Programs 

 

From the Public Accountability Initiative: 

How the oil and gas industry runs the show at the Center for Sustainable Shale Development 

 

Oil Train Trail through Pennsylvania: 

Some Pennsylvania counties not receiving data on crude oil trains 


 

Resources 


 

Maine Town Votes to Ban Lawn Pesticides on Public and Private Property

 

 Organic Land Management and the Protection of Water Quality



More Information on Use of Pesticides:




Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Presentation:


 

 

Handbook on Best Practice in Wetland Education Centres

 

 

From Clemson University Extension:


 

Rainwater Harvesting for Homeowners


More from Clemson/Carolina Clear- 


Managing Canada Geese:



 

 Hands-on Activity: A Guide to Rain Garden Construction   Contributed by: Water Awareness Research and Education (WARE) Research Experience for Teachers (RET), University of South Florida, Tampa

 


Students learn about human impacts on the water cycle


Students learn about the water cycle and its key components

 

      

Groundwater Education Resources:


Good Books:


Save the Date 

   

 

Sept. 6, 2014
Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA
Sept. 10, 2014
Town Building, Greencastle Borough, Franklin County, PA 

Sept. 16-17
Lawrence County Government Center, New Castle, PA

Attention Teachers!

Dive Deeper II - Penn State Extension
Sept. 25, 2014
Harrisburg, PA

  

Sept. 26 - 28, 2014 
National Conservation Training Center Shepherdstown, WV 

Second annual Shale Drilling and Public Health - Days of Discovery
Presented by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania
October 26 & Monday October 27,2014

The University Club
123 University Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15260


Funding and Grants
Dollar sign in green 
WREN has limited funding available for small Watershed Education Opportunity Grants up to $300/project


EPA Funding Opportunities

Green Infrastructure Funding

 

 

Environmental Education Grants 

   (Open to applicants affiliated with K-12                   education institution in the              Greater Philadelphia Area)

Deadline: November 15, 2014

 

 PENNVEST Homeowner Septic Program 

Deadline: 
November 12, 2014
 
 
Deadline: September 19, 2014

(For applicants within Allegheny County)
Deadline:  September 19, 2014

 
 
Deadline: October 30, 2014
 
RFP to Open: December 2014 
 
August Feature

Quarryville Borough Revives Dormant Source Water

Protection Plan

Third in a Series Profiling Small Water Systems

by Lynda Ginsparg

 

Lancaster County evokes scenes of beautiful countrysides with rolling hills, Amish buggies and a peaceful, slower pace to life. Hard work is ingrained in the Lancaster ethic.

 

Beautiful, green Huffnagle Park in Quarryville Borough, Lancaster County

In Quarryville Borough, municipal leaders worked diligently to protect clean drinking water for the community by reviving a source water protection plan that had laid dormant for nearly 15 years. 

 

Thanks in large part to the persistence of current Borough maintenance superintendent, Bill Lamparter, and the work of a visionary steering committee during the past few years, Quarryville now has a working Source Water Protection plan.  
 

In this issue of Water Policy News, we continue a periodic profile of small water systems and why they took action to develop a source water protection plan to ensure safe, reliable drinking water for their community. 

 
WREN Grants in Action: Volunteers Roll-up their sleeves and get their hands dirty for Etna Borough Rain Garden Project

Community spirit was alive and well in Etna Borough (Allegheny County) when all hands were on deck for the preparation, installation and planting of a Rain Garden in the Borough. Forty-four people attended the event last fall, transforming a vacant plot adjacent to the Clarence Fugh Memorial Park's pool bath house into a colorful, working rain garden.

 

"It's very important to us to try to . . . do our part. Green infrastructure is one of many ways to address source (water) control and this is just an absolutely fabulous addition to our community. Aesthetically it brings air quality improvements. It's just a win-win for everybody and we're very happy to be here and very happy to be part of this program," said Mary Ellen Ramage, Etna Borough Manager and project leader for the WREN-funded project.

 

Construction of the rain garden was only one part of the project completed during the 2013-2014 grant year that wrapped up in June. The WREN grant also provided funds for the design and development of a rain garden interpretive sign for the garden site, a rain garden training workshop, a You Tube video of the rain garden installation, and enhancements to the Three Rivers Rain Garden Alliance website. You can see the project in action by visiting the Etna Borough Rain Garden Project. The garden includes native plants that can tolerate periodic flooding as well as periods of drought during the year, while providing beautiful color and visual interest in the garden. 

 

Before: Volunteers get to work installing native plants in the
Etna Borough Rain Garden behind the Clarence Fugh Memorial Park and Pool bath house.

Downspouts from the bath house drain into the rain garden.

After: Beautiful color and lush growth can now be seen throughout

Etna Borough's maturing rain garden.

Local landscape contractors and landscape architects, as well as students from the Bidwell Training Center in Pittsburgh joined forces with Etna Mayor Tom Rengers, Council President Pete Ramage, Councilman Ed Burke and other volunteers to prepare and install the garden. (Note: an important criteria for successful WREN Grants is the active participation of local officials.) The Commercial Horticulture Educator for Penn State Cooperative Extension and a design manager for the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association Storm Works program also attended and provided site analysis during the rain garden installation. Several volunteers said they were on hand to learn new techniques that they can use in projects in neighboring areas. 

 

The Partners began their community education program with a workshop for municipal managers and other officials, public works staff and landscape professionals to help address stormwater management. The workshop included hands-on training to teach participants how to design and install a rain garden as a stormwater management best management practice to help ensure long-term success for municipalities throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. The garden installation followed later in the day. You can learn more about the Etna Rain Garden Project on the Etna page under the 'Our Projects' tab at the WREN website at this Link.

  
WREN salutes Etna Borough for its ongoing commitment to public water education and stormwater management practices. Borough officials and their partners, including DCNR, 3 Rivers Wet Weather, Penn State Extension and Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, worked together on the most powerful tool for drinking water protection - public education. The Borough's project provided an educational experience shared by municipal officials and landscape professionals, creating a true collaboration among the groups. With the support of a 2013-2014 WREN Watershed Education Protection Grant for $3,450, the Borough was able to create a beautiful and cost-effective way to address stormwater management. Hats off to Etna Borough! 

 

WREN Grants for 2015-2016: Begin Planning Your WREN Water Education Project Now!

Rain Gardens ...Rain Barrels... Green Infrastructure ... Septic Education Programs for Residents ... Modernizing Local Ordinances to be Water Friendly.... Better farming practices... Streamside Buffers... Water-Smart local leaders and residents ...planet-friendly Best Management Practices.

What Does It Take? Education ... Education ... Education!


 
Be the Clean Water Sparkplug in Your Town in 2015
WREN Grants can help you make a difference!


WREN helps communities across Pennsylvania form grass roots coalitions that protect and improve our most precious natural resource, our water. Gather partners, line-up your municipal officials to join the cause and get ready for the 2015 round of WREN grant funding. 
  
WREN has two clean water grant programs:
  • Watershed Protection Education Program with funding and support to raise awareness and encourage local action to prevent polluted runoff (nonpoint source pollution);
  • Drinking Water Protection to raise awareness and encourage Pennsylvania public water systems and the communities they serve to voluntarily develop Source Water Protection Plans and implement risk reduction measures.
Not sure what type of project would work in your neck of the woods? No need to reinvent the wheel.  Look on the WREN website for hundreds of project ideas. Take an idea and run with it! You can customize a project to your community or even copy the steps to a successful project. 

Here's what Courtney Hayden had to say after wrapping up the State College Borough WREN Grant recently: "I did not know what to expect when the Borough was awarded a grant through WREN and I did not know... that WREN was going to turn me into a leader. When you introduce yourself and your project at the WREN conference, you start down a whirlwind path of learning, doing and being part of the WREN Experience."

The 2015-2016 round will open in January, with applications due next March. Information will be available on the grants page at the WREN website in January.
Water System Pitches In to Plant Trees to Restore
Stream Buffer Along Swatara Creek

To help protect the watershed of the Hershey area water system, a team of Pennsylvania American Water employees recently joined dozens of volunteers to plant trees and shrubs along the Swatara Creek. The tree-planting, organized by Londonderry Township (Dauphin County), will help restore the streamside or "riparian" buffer along sections of the creek, which suffered massive flooding from 2011's Tropical Storm Lee.

 

After purchasing and demolishing flood-ravaged homes along the creek, township officials successfully applied for an Environmental Grant from Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) to buy hundreds of native trees and shrubs to vegetate the restored floodplain. The Environmental Grant Program is in its 10th year supporting local watershed improvement projects across the Commonwealth.

Getting their hands dirty for the cause were Pennsylvania American Water team members (l-r) Senior Compliance Manager Rob Harpster, Director of Communications Terry Maenza, Field Operations Manager Joe Woodward, Manager of Training and Development Joan Shott, Senior Director of Field Operations Mike Salvo and volunteer Brad Oliver.  
Why are streamside native trees and shrubs so important for clean water? Groundbreaking research by the renowned Pennsylvania-based Stroud Water Research Center confirms that a streamside forest can "filter out various pollutants which would otherwise enter the stream in ground water or overland runoff."

Special thanks to Terry Maenza, Director of Community and External Affairs for PAW for supplying the photo and providing information about this event.

 

Applications Now Being Accepted for Fall 2014
Penn State Master Well Owner Course

 

Did you know that Pennsylvania is home to more than one million private water wells and springs, but is one of only two states that lack statewide regulations to protect private drinking water supplies?  (Alaska is the other state)

 

To raise awareness about how to care for private water supplies and help keep drinking water safe for families, Penn State Cooperative Extension and several partner agencies created the Master Well Owner Network (MWON) in 2004.  Over the years, they have trained hundreds of volunteers who are dedicated to promoting the proper construction, testing, and maintenance of private water wells, springs and cisterns throughout Pennsylvania.  Since its inception, MWON volunteers have provided education to more than 35,000 private water supply owners throughout the state.

 

Here's your chance to become a Master Well Owner!  The Penn State Master Well Owner program (MWON) is accepting applications for new volunteers for its fall 2014 online training course.  The course is limited to the first 30 eligible applicants who apply, so don't delay.  The course will start on September 29 and continue through November 10.  

  

If you are interested in learning more about the proper management of private water wells, springs and cisterns and you're willing to share what you learn with others, consider applying for the Master Well Owner online course!

To be eligible for the Penn State Master Well Owner Network program you must 1) NOT be employed by any company that provides paid services to private water supply owners (i.e. water testing companies, water treatment companies, water well drillers, etc.) and 2) you must be willing to share what you learn about basic private water system management with other private water system owners.  Master Well Owner Network logo

Registration for this course will close once 30 eligible volunteers are enrolled.  Course participants can complete the course at their own pace from September 29 to November 10.   A computer with a high speed internet connection is recommended to view all of the course materials and videos. 

Volunteers who successfully complete the training course and pass a short exam will receive a free copy of the 80 page publication - A Guide to Private Water Systems in Pennsylvania, a coupon good for a 10% discount on water testing through the Penn State water testing lab, and access to various MWON educational materials.  In return, MWON volunteers are expected to pass along what they have learned to other private water supply owners and submit an annual report of their educational accomplishments.  To learn more and complete an application, visit the following website:
 http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/mwon/volunteer/how-does-online-training-work 

Volunteers who recently completed the MWON online course had the following comments:

  • I really enjoyed the course!  Lots of good, practical information, very clearly presented.  Pace was good, level of detail was good, supplemental readings are very useful, access to supporting information/resources is much appreciated!  Thank you!
  • Because we are not trained professionals the material was very informative but not overwhelming. The information is priceless!
  • Thanks to this course, I will now be getting our family's well water tested. I have also talked to three other family members/friends who have private wells nearby and all expressed an interest in getting their well water tested, too.  None of them have ever tested their well water. Can you tell I'm excited to tell other private well owners about the information I learned in the Master Well Owner course? Darn right I am!
  • I thoroughly enjoyed this program and the resources it provides. I would recommend it to anyone who has or is getting a private well installed. The level of presentation was just right for the layman. Key points were reiterated. There were adequate review times. This was very well done. Great job!
Berks County Conservation District and the Berks County Prison: A Winning Partnership

A rain barrel program has become one of the many tools that Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts have developed to help municipalities manage storm water runoff. Finding appropriate food grade containers to make those barrels, however, can be a challenge. When Berks County Conservation District sought to develop their program, it came to their attention that the local prison had an abundance of these containers that the manufacturer would not accept for return once emptied.

Finished rain barrel constructed by inmates at the Berks County Prison. (Photo courtesy of Berks County Conservation District)


 

Berks CD has now established a partnership with the Berks County prison. The district provides the money for the hardware and the paint (they offer the barrels in white, blue and green) and the prison inmates then assemble the barrels. When there is an order or a rain barrel workshop planned, the district contacts the prison. The prison's inmates then paint and construct the rain barrels. The district orders the barrels when needed.


 

The district anticipates the relationship with the Berks County prison continuing. Watershed coordinator Kate Keppen said, "I'm excited about a new rain barrel ordinance passed by the city of Reading, located in Berks County. The new ordinance seeks to promote and establish guidelines for rain barrel use in the city and prevent or limit the possibility of the rain barrels representing a standing water code violation. In response, our district has been conducting an increased number of rain barrel workshops with the rain barrels constructed by the Berks County Prison. This program is definitely a win for our community and the environment."


 

For more information about this innovative partnership, contact Kate Keppen at [email protected]


 

(This article originally appeared in the July 28, 2014 issue of Front Page. It is reprinted with permission from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts. Our thanks to the PACD for their permission to reprint the article.)
 
Building Green Infrastructure in Blair County

 

Building Green Infrastructure in Blair County is a multi-faceted effort to build a green infrastructure program to help create sustainable stormwater solutions across all 13 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) in Blair County, PA.

 

Green infrastructure, such as rain gardens, can be placed in parking lots to help reduce the amount of water that runs into the storm drain by allowing it to infiltrate into the ground. Photo courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Program.

This effort includes both planning and implementation projects in order to help Blair County move forward in meeting water quality improvement goals and develop a sustainable, long-term regional program. In addition, the program will incorporate stormwater education through workshops tailored for the 13 MS4s and materials developed for stakeholders throughout the community.

 

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's Pennsylvania office is leading the effort with partners that include Blair County Conservation DistrictAmerican Rivers, Environmental Finance CenterLandstudies Inc.National Association of Regional CouncilsChesapeake Stormwater NetworkMeliora Design and the PSU Dept. Landscape Architecture.

 

The core project managers of the Alliance, Environmental Finance Center and American Rivers will spend some time poring over land development ordinances, comprehensive plans, capital improvement plans and other municipal documents to tease out opportunities for new green infrastructure. At this stage, staff will also look into existing municipal programs as well that municipalities can work into their MS4 permits that improve water quality, such as urban canopy programs and land conservation that they may already have in place.

 

The Building Green Infrastructure Program doesn't stop at the municipality, however. Experienced practitioners in designing and building green infrastructure (Chesapeake Stormwater Network) will offer training to local practitioners on BMP design, standards, plants, marketing, O&M and recordkeeping. LandStudies, Inc. will lead a tour for Blair County officials and practitioners in Lancaster City and beyond to show them green infrastructure projects already installed and quantify the costs and pollution removal of each practice.

Green streetscape being installed in Lemoyne Borough, PA.

 

Blair County practitioners who attend training will have the opportunity to use their knowledge to enter a design competition for an innovative practice in Blair County at one of the previously chosen sites that will realize water quality improvement. The contest will be judged by Michele Adams, founder of nationally recognized Meliora Design and Professor Stuart Echols of PSU Department of Landscape Architecture, who is known for his research and promotion of Artful Rainwater Design. The prize for the three winning designs is the money to turn their concepts into reality.

 

 

This article was reprinted with permission from the Pennsylvania office of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Contact Donna Morelli, Director, PA office, or call 717-737-8622.

National Protect Your Groundwater Day is September 9, 2014

 

Protect Your Groundwater Day (PYGWD) is coming up on September 9, 2014. There's still plenty of time to get the word out and help raise public awareness about the importance of groundwater and water well stewardship for the health of the public and the environment.  Visit the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) web page to find useful, educational information to share through your web sites, social media, newsletters, news releases and events. The following are some useful public awareness tools from NGWA to help you promote this special day in your community:

You can adapt your messages to meet your specific groundwater priorities or simply use the tools and messages provided by NGWA.

The Promotional Partners page lists all the Federal, state and local organizations that have said "yes" to being a 2014 PYGWD promotional partner so far. If you confirmed that you want to be a 2014 partner and are not listed-or if you wish to become a promotional partner, please contact Cliff Treyens of NGWA at  [email protected] or 614-898-7791.

 

For more information about Protect Your Groundwater Day, visit the website HERE.

Public Comments Requested

Make your views known. 

  

Public Comment is requested on the following:

 

 

Hearing Rescheduled for Forced Pooling Hilcorp Application for Gas Well Spacing Units -- 


 

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that hearing officer Michael Bangs has rescheduled the public hearing sessions on an Application for Gas Well Spacing Units, or spacing order, received from Hilcorp Energy Co., for September 16 and 17.


 

Hilcorp Energy Co. is applying for a well spacing order that establishes four gas well drilling units on 3,267 acres to drill into the Utica Shale Formation in Pulaski Township, Lawrence County and Shenango Township, Mercer County.


 

Under the Oil and Gas Conservation Law of 1961, when a spacing order application is submitted, an administrative hearing must be held prior to entering an order establishing well spacing and drilling units. The hearing sessions were postponed twice previously.


 

The first hearing session has been rescheduled for September 16 and 17. The hearing session will begin at 10 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively. 


 

Location: the Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center, Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle.


 

The first, two-day hearing session will accept testimony on the spacing order application. DEP, Hilcorp and property owners and operators in the area subject to the order will be eligible to provide testimony. The first session will be open for the general public to attend and observe.


 

The second hearing session will begin at 6 p.m. on September 17, at the same location. As requested previously by DEP, anyone from the general public will have the opportunity to provide input about the application at the second session.

Interested persons and operators wishing to present testimony at either hearing should contact Glenda Davidson at 717-787-4449 at least seven days prior to the first session. Those giving testimony at the second session will be requested to submit three written copies of their oral testimony to the assigned hearing officer. 
 

The department will submit a public notice of the rescheduled hearings for publication in local papers at least two weeks prior to the hearing sessions. Although not required by law, DEP also will directly notify all royalty owners and operators within the area subject to the requested order. Information on the hearing will also be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. 


DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo has also signed an order granting intervention to additional property owners and directing the assigned hearing officer to respond to pending motions to stay and any future motions to stay.

For more information about Hilcorp's application, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click on "Oil and Gas" then "Office of Oil and Gas Management" or click directly on "Conservation Law" to access the page.


 

Pennsylvanians looking for more information should call 717-772-2199.


 

"Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act"

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a proposed rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation's water resources. Determining Clean Water Act protection for streams and wetlands became confusing and complex following Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Monday, April 21, 2014.

 

The public comment period will close on Monday, October 20, 2014. Click here to learn how to submit comments.  
 

EPA Seeking Public Comment on Enhancing Transparency for Chemicals and Mixtures Used in Hydraulic Fracturing -
  • the types of chemical information that could be reported and disclosed under TSCA, and
  • the approaches to obtain this information on chemicals and mixtures used in hydraulic fracturing activities, including non-regulatory approaches.
90 day public comment period now open - Deadline to comment was extended 30 days to Sept. 18, 2014 

DCNR - On July 30, 2014, DCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti announced that the Department will seek public comment on a Draft Development Agreement for gas extraction in Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County.

 

A timeframe has not been determined for completion of the final draft. DCNR will publish notice of the comment period in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and issue a news release at that time to make sure all interested parties are informed. A copy of the agreement and development plan will be posted on the DCNR website for review when available.

 

DCNR will allow 15 days for public comment on the document, which will then be reviewed and considered before an agreement would be finalized. Members of

the public currently can submit written comments on this issue to DCNR by email to [email protected].


 

For more information about possible gas development on the Loyalsock State

Forest, visit the DCNR website, choose "Forestry" under "Quick Links," and scroll down to the "Loyalsock State Forest and the Clarence Moore Lands."
 

Water Policy News is published monthly by the Water Resources Education Network, a project of the League of Women Voters of PA - Citizen Education Fund.  Please send your water education related programs and activities to WREN Project DirectorVisit www.sourcewaterpa.org to learn more about drinking water protection.  Visit www.waterwisepa.org to learn more about WREN and local projects in PA. For events, check the