It would be illogical for the DRBC to lift its moratorium before the results of the EPA study are known. There should also be a review of the impact in this watershed. The most sensible course for the 15 million people who depend on clean drinking water in the Delaware River watershed is for the DRBC to extend its ban on drilling for now.

Go read the whole thing here! And, if you feel strongly about gas drilling in our area, consider writing your own letter to the editor. You can send it to: inquirer.letters@phillynews.com.

Here is the main reason why you should read it. From the article:

For many Philadelphians, natural-gas drilling and its attendant ills might seem a distant matter. Of the 2,400 new wells, the nearest to Philadelphia is in Columbia County, 90 miles away. Few city dwellers have likely heard of drilling towns like Towanda, Wilcox or Ward. Yet the Delaware Watershed covers the state’s urban southeast as much as its rural northeast, and gas extraction in the latter could ultimately impact both.

From Engadget:

New York City produces about 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily, yielding 1,200 tons of biosolids that can be harvested to procure methane — already accounting for 20 percent of the city’s energy — and butanol, a clean gasoline alternative. The plan, which also includes wind and solar projects, aims to use gas, converted by large digesters, to “power wastewater operations, meet on-site heat and electricity needs, and, where feasible, sell excess energy to the market.” As the DEP points out, the plan isn’t far fetched — we’ve seen a couple of solutions for turning human excrement into usable energy, and a project already under way in Greenpoint is estimated to procure enough methane over the next year to heat 2,500 homes.

Way to go, New York City!

***

January 14, 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 13, 2011 — The people have spoken: the Delaware River is Pennsylvania’s River of the Year for 2011.

Chosen for the first time through a public vote, the Delaware bested five other candidates in an online contest that saw more than 10,000 ballots cast from across the state. The Delaware received 2,520 votes.

“The Delaware River is the longest un-dammed river east of the Mississippi and is steeped in history, diverse in resources, and is vital to protect,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary John Quigley said. “Its waters serve the needs of more than 15 million people from four different states, including more than 5 million Pennsylvanians. It boasts the largest freshwater port in the world, as well as threatened and endangered species, and a thriving tourism industry.

“A goal of the River of the Year designation is to raise awareness of the river and its conservation needs. The public voting format used to nominate and select the River of the Year for the first time this year certainly generated local enthusiasm for conservation and recognition of the importance of our waterways,” Quigley said.

The five other finalists were: Clarion River, Conewango Creek, Kiskiminetas River, Pine Creek, and the Stonycreek River.

DCNR and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, administer the River of the Year program. Local organizations submit nominations.

“Although we could only have one winner, each of the waterways that were nominated is special and important in its own way,” Quigley said. “Congratulations to all the local groups who nominated their rivers, and rallied support for them not only for this vote, but through all of their activities and advocacy.”

POWR helps train and organize local watershed associations, as well as the groups who lead a dozen sojourns on rivers around the state each year.

“The Delaware River is simply an incredible resource – not just for Pennsylvania, but for the nation as a whole,” said POWR Executive Director Jon Meade. “To honor it with the River of the Year award reflects the importance of preservation to those who live near it and experience it every day.”

There are a number of organizations that work in partnership to support conservation and recreation activities along the Delaware, including: the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC); Delaware Canal State Park; National Canoe Safety Patrol; National Park Service; and Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition.

These groups will organize several events throughout the year, including the 17th annual Sojourn paddling trip, a symposium, photo contest and river legacy fundraiser. The eight-day sojourn will include educational programs, and give paddlers a chance to experience the Delaware River to encourage greater understanding of the river and stewardship needs.

“On behalf of the steering committee and all our partners, I would like to thank everyone who voted for the Delaware. Having the Delaware be Pennsylvania’s 2011 River of the Year is truly an honor, especially since it is the people’s choice and with this the DRBC’s 50th Anniversary year,” said Kate O’Hara, co-coordinator of the Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee. “This designation will not only showcase the Delaware and all it has to offer, but also highlight the numerous organizations, agencies, and individual volunteers who work together to protect and enhance the river for future generations.”

The Delaware also will be celebrated with an annual Rivers Month poster issued in June.

Pennsylvania’s River of the Year has been presented annually since 1983.

For more sojourn event information, visit POWR’s website at www.pawatersheds.org or contact Jon Meade at info@pawatersheds.org.

To learn more about DCNR’s Rivers Program, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/rivers.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Nuclear Energy Isn’t Clean or Cheap discusses the possible detrimental effects from nuclear energy production on our water supply. Here are some disturbing facts from the article:

One third of U.S. reactors, are leaking cancer-causing tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Tritium is a gas that can cross the placenta when dissolved in water, risking birth defects and cancer. There is no minimum threshold below which there is no risk. . .

In California, the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre reactors draw in over 15 billion gallons of sea water for cooling every day. The water is returned to the sea 20 degrees hotter. This kills tens of thousands of fish and crabs and billions of fish larvae every day, and it warms the sea. . .

Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General in New York, called for an immediate shut down of Entergy’s two reactors at Indian Point because of a history of unsafe operations, as well as its proximity to New York City, 42 miles south. These reactors suck up 2.5 billion gallons of water every day and then pour it back into the Hudson River, hot and untreated.

In the article Park Slope Co-op to Bar Food From “Fracking”Areas the management of the co-op states that they will discontinue buying products from areas where hydrofracking is occurring. Go Park Slope Co-op!

From the article:

Hydrofracking is an underground drilling technique that involves high pressure injection of millions of gallons of chemical laced water into a well to crack rock and release natural gas.

Opponents fear it could not only endanger drinking water, but contaminate the soil above and the plants and animals it is supposed to nourish. . .

“As members of the Pride of New York program we have taken our responsibility to buy New York State produced food very seriously,” [Park Slope General Manager Joe] Holtz wrote. “But no one thinking clearly would think for a minute that hydrofracking will not quickly destroy that commitment.

Click here to download the January issue of the shuttle. Click here to read more TTF coverage of natural gas drilling.

Upon returning home, I found this article waiting for me:

44,000 Barrels of Tainted Water Dumped Into Neshaminy Creek
In 2009 and part of 2010, energy company Cabot Oil & Gas trucked more than 44,000 barrels of well wastewater to a treatment facility in Hatfield Township, a Philadelphia suburb. Those liquids were then discharged through the town sewage plant into the Neshaminy Creek, which winds through Bucks and Montgomery counties on its way to the Delaware River.

Read more about the incident here and here.

Gas drilling feels like it is getting a little too close to home for me. Please contact your legislators and let them know that you are committed to clean waterways in Eastern Pennsylvania and they should be, too! TTF is compiling a database of natural gas drilling resources. We will soon be adding a complete list of government representatives in the TTF watershed. Until then, you can search for Pennsylvania legislators here.

Residents of Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls have until Sunday to enter. Rules, photos of the contenders, and online entry forms are available at www.phillywatersheds.org/spokesdog.

A public vote will determine finalists. Judges will select the two winners – Roxborough and Manayunk will share a spokesdog, East Falls will get its own – based on “friendly nature, best canine smile, charm, and natural spokesdog abilities.”

And then, the city says, the spokesdogs will be required to attend at least three community events in 2011, at which information will be distributed on “living the eco-friendly dog life.”

What a cool idea! We hope that the TTF watershed will be the next area to hold a spokesdog contest! We would love our very own doggie ambassador!

From the article:

The analysis allowed us to choose ten cities which are likely to face severe shortages in the relatively near-term future. Some of these are likely to be obvious to the reader. The area around Los Angeles was once too dry to sustain the population of a huge city. But, infrastructure was built that allowed water to be pumped in from east of the region. Las Vegas had similar problems. It was part of a great desert until Lake Meade was created by the Hoover dam built on the Colorado river.

Severe droughts that could affect large cities are first a human problem. The competition for water could make life in some of America’s largest cities nearly unbearable for residents. A number of industries rely on regular access to water. Some people would be out of work if these industries had poor prospects for continued operation. The other important trouble that very low water supplies creates is that cities have sold bonds based on their needs for infrastructure to move, clean, and supply water. Credit ratings agencies may not have taken drought issues into account at the level that they should. Extreme disruptions of the water supply of any city would have severe financial consequences.

To see the cities that are at risk, read the rest of the article here.

PennFuture, Coalition for Philadelphia’s Riverfronts release study showing benefits of public access

By Jason Gottesman

Representatives of PennFuture and the Coalition for Philadelphia’s Riverfronts held a conference call today to discuss the release of a report detailing the economic and health benefits of a continuous waterfront greenway on both of Philadelphia’s rivers.

Rachel Vassar, Philadelphia Outreach Coordinator for PennFuture and Coordinator for Philadelphia’s Riverfronts, noted this is a crucial time for the city’s waterfronts since the city government is active in determining how the riverfronts will be used for years to come. She noted actions being taken in this regard through the Philadelphia zoning code and by entities like the Philadelphia planning commission and their comprehensive plan, the water department’s and parks and recreation’s plan for new green spaces. Vassar said after years of neglect Philadelphia is moving the riverfronts into a bright future by doing the above and using federal funding to fill gaps in the Schuylkill River Trail and the park in the Central Delaware. She noted this report is evidence of economic benefits and positive impact of the riverfront with its future impact. She gave her support to any activities that will bring the idea of a continuous greenway on both rivers into reality.

Lee Huang, Director, Econsult Corporation, said the “task we had was to identify and attempt to quantify potential benefits of a connected waterfront greenway in Philadelphia” including both rivers and the economic, health, and quality of life benefits that can be provided by a greenway. Huang stated the “reasons for this report are to calibrate data and inform advocates” but noted “we are not ourselves playing the role of advocate in this report, but rather erred on the side of conservatism where there was a need or opportunity to make assumptions.” He further explained the “report is useful to ongoing discussions relating to public policy decisions as well as infrastructure and financing decisions.” Huang hoped the report will have key role in weighing costs and benefits of a greenway.

Regarding costs and benefits, Huang pointed out “cost-benefit is difficult to get down to a precise level, and this topic is no exception” due to the number of unknowns. Huang stated this caused the group to make some assumptions because it is difficult to quantify some categories. He said “the general approach we took was to look at six different categories and summarize anticipated or hopeful benefits and what research seems to suggest is the actual benefit that accrues when you build and maintain greenways and to describe the methodology that arrived at preliminary number to get to that benefit in that category and pave way as to how to explore topic further.” Huang noted one caveat being that the “scope is to look at benefits associated with fully connected waterfront greenway on both rivers in Philadelphia compared to having no greenway at all.” He indicated a lot of greenway exists already and the benefits in the report include some of what already exists.

Huang noted the equity of access concept saying this is an “important element for greenway advocates.” He said equity of access is seen in Atlanta and other cities, and he thinks, that building a fully connected greenway in Philadelphia will greatly increase the number of individuals and households that will have access to outdoor amenities. Huang said the equity of access in the report took into account those living near major parks, those living near waterfronts but not major parks, and those living near neither. He said about 98,000 people representing 44,000 households are currently not near an amenity.

Huang then proceeded to go over the six categories described in the report and gave dollar values to each:

• Pleasure from direct use totaled an estimated value of $28 million from use by Philadelphians alone;
• Increased commuting options provided and estimate of 1,5000 new bicycle commuters created by the greenway accounting for one million miles not driven per year;
• Reduced healthcare costs from exercise of direct use with an estimated savings of $20 million per year in healthcare savings;
• Increased recreational and tourism expenditures in Philadelphia would lead to a one percent increase in tourism activity or $50 million in economic impact and $4 million in tax revenue just in tourism and leisure;
• Premium people would pay to live near greenway regardless of use would lead to an $800 million in property value increase over 30 years or $20 million per year in property tax revenues;
• As a provider of ecological services the greenway would show a small dollar amount of costs savings.

Huang concluded by saying he “hopes the report provides its intended purpose to give readers a sense of gains and who are the ones that benefit and to provide a roadmap for anyone interested in further investigation.”

Sarah Clark Stuart, Schuylkill River Park Alliance, stated she is happy to see this report released and the very important results that come out of this. She noted a continuous greenway will give thousands of Philadelphians access to outdoor recreational activity and will be very helpful for recreation and the visual health, as well as giving people a new way to commute and get around the city. Stuart stated the greenway is going to be a good help for the city in the future and helpful to households close to the river, half of which do not own a car. She explained the greenway will increase those residents’ mobility through the city and suburban communities and bring health benefits to city by saving more than $20 million in healthcare costs.

Stuart noted it has been seen along the Schuylkill that Philadelphians respond quickly to trails created close to where they live. She pointed out the number of people actively using existing trails is astounding. Stuart said, with the Delaware being involved, the numbers are going to increase exponentially. She concluded by saying since the city has been given a federal grant to create greenways along the rivers, it makes perfect sense for the “city to capitalize on those investments and do everything they can to finish the job and create a continuous trail system along all city water trails.”

Steve Wexler, Delaware River Advocacy Group, commented Philadelphians have made their desire for this pretty loudly and this can be seen by the use of existing greenways. He detailed how 77 percent of Philadelphians have sought increased public funding to help increased access to waterways. In addition, Wexler noted, the city has made significant investment in waterways and shores, and plans to do more. To make most out of these investments, he said, the public from all parts of the city must be able to experience the river’s edge. Wexler explained the greenways will increase property values over $800 million, will attract businesses, tourism, and related jobs. He stated he hopes the benefits will give city the extra cushion to make the connected riverfront greenway a reality.

Today’s Inquirer has a great article about all of the things Philadelphia-area sewer workers have found in our sewer system:

Bracelets, diamond rings, money, toothbrushes, cell phones, dog bones – and even two guns recovered after a burglary – have been known to make their way into the Radnor Township sewers, said Mark Domenick, sewer supervisor.

“We are on call 24/7, 365 – every day,” he said. “Kids will throw anything down a hole.”

“We’ve had ducks,” Domenick said. “We go rescue them. We get a lot of them.”

Are there alligators?

“There could be,” said Tom Ferguson, plant manager at the Philadelphia’s Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant. “People get tired of pets, and they just take them to the creek.”

Mostly, he said, Philadelphia sewer workers see trash – plastic bags, Budweiser cans, Wawa cups, candy wrappers – and catfish that swim into the plant during heavy rains. Occasionally a wad of well-worn bills will get trapped in a grate used to filter out the trash. The found money gets spent treating coworkers to lunch.

Read the rest of the article here and please, be mindful of what you put down our drains! Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to the men and women who keep our sewer systems running smoothly — and rescue animals along the way!