Susquehanna Impaired Listing Letter to EPA

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February 7, 2013

Shawn M. Garvin

Regional Administrator

U.S. EPA Region III

1650 Arch StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19103-2029

Email:[email protected]

Cc: [email protected]

Dear EPA Regional Administrator Garvin:

The Susquehanna River is in grave danger!

We, the undersigned organizations, are requesting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin protecting

and restoring the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania by listing it as impaired under the Clean Water Act. The

Susquehanna River is one of Pennsylvanias crown jewels. The Susquehanna River carves a 444-mile winding path

that begins in central New York and rolls through Pennsylvania to bring 22 billion gallons of fresh water daily to the

Chesapeake Bay. It is a major draw for recreation and tourism, and supports the quality of life for residents that

live along the river, not to mention it being the source of drinking water for many communities. Just a few years

ago, it was known for its world-class sport fishery of smallmouth bass.

The lower Susquehanna River -- a warm water fishery and once home to great numbers of prize winning

smallmouth bass is now home to rapidly declining numbers of diseased bass. We have learned of studies of

declining smallmouth population, diseased juvenile smallmouths, adults bearing nasty-looking lesions and weird

spots, male smallmouth showing sexual mutations, and water quality problems that include high pH, low dissolved

oxygen and excessive nutrients. Even Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary

Krancer admits: we recognize that there are issues facing smallmouth bass, such as what is called young-of-year

die-offs; lesions on adult bass; and inter-sexing of the species.1

Our organizations are concerned about the health of the lower Susquehanna River. Since 1972, the Clean Water

Act has protected our health and environment by reducing the pollution in streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands and

other waterways. The Clean Water Act is aimed at making our nations waters swimmable, fishable, and drinkable.

A starting point in the Clean Water management program is a states periodic obligation to evaluate its waters and

determine whether the waters are meeting designated uses. As EPA regulations explain: States must adopt those

water quality criteria that protect the designated use.2

Yet DEP is unwilling to take the next step declaring the lower Susquehanna River as an impaired waterway under

the Clean Water Act. EPA has the duty and authority to make this declaration based on its own evaluation. Under

Section 303(d)(2) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1313(d)(2), if EPA disapproves or partially disapproves the

state's Category 5 list of impaired waters, it must make the necessary corrections to the state's list within 30 days.EPA can partially disapprove a list because some waters have been omitted and add these few waters to the

state's list.3

Here, EPA must correct such an omission by partially disapproving Pennsylvania's 2012 Category 5 list

and adding the 98 miles of impaired waterway.

1http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/news_releases/14288

240 C.F.R. 131.11(a).

3http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/overview.cfm
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/news_releases/14288http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/news_releases/14288http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/news_releases/14288http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/overview.cfmhttp://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/overview.cfmhttp://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/overview.cfmhttp://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/overview.cfmhttp://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/news_releases/14288mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has requested the state Department of Environmental Protection to

designate the Susquehanna as impaired under the Clean Water Act so that more work can be done to research and

remedy the problems, and a timeline must be established for finding a solution. Last May, twenty two retired DEP

water quality managers wrote to the DEP Secretary, stating there was ample justification to make that

determination.4

Local newspapers and organizations have joined in.5

These smallmouth bass are in great danger and the citizens and visitors to Pennsylvania are losing their right to thedesignated use of this fishery. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has asked the DEP to designate 98

miles of the Susquehanna watershed as impaired. The studies and documents supporting this determination can

be found on the Commissions website.6

However, the Department of Environmental Protection remains

unwilling to declare segments of the Susquehanna River impaired.

You have recently received the DEP final 2012 Integrated Waters report, which does not list the lower

Susquehanna River as impaired.7

To declare the lower Susquehanna impaired, It is not necessary to know the

cause or source of the impairment. According to EPA's most recent fact sheet, there are thousands of miles of

impaired waters nationwide where the causes or sources are not yet identified. In fact, DEP's proposed and past

lists of impaired waters also includes numerous streams with unknown causes or sources. A declaration of

impaired is the means used through EPAs Integrated Waters Report program to bring together the attention

and resources needed to figure out why a waterway is suffering and then to enact a program to fix the problemsby various means, including the reduction of pollution inputs. This is the moment in time to employ this program

to start on the path to restoring this great river.

In addition, the time is ripe for EPA action due to other Chesapeake Bay issues. The river ultimately flows into the

Chesapeake Bay, which is experiencing its own problems that some are blaming on upriver actions. The more

Pennsylvania can examine the health of the river now, the better position the state will be in to address these

other concerns.

The public should be involved in this review. There is a river community along the Susquehanna. Besides the Fish

and Boat Commission, plenty of fishermen, businesses, conservationists, and river-users are willing to play a role in

aiding the river they love. Please take the action necessary under the Clean Water Act to list this important

waterway as impaired.

Respectfully submitted,

4Letter,http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-

impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdf;The Patriot-News, May 22, 2012,

http://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2012/05/dep_should_classify_river_as_i.html5

The Daily Item, Dec. 15, 2012http://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-

in-flux; The Patriot-News, Dec. 21, 2012,

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem

_in_2013.html#incart_river6http://www.fish.state.pa.us/susq-impairment.htm

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http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_

quality_report_-_2012/1127203
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdfhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdfhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdfhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdfhttp://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2012/05/dep_should_classify_river_as_i.htmlhttp://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2012/05/dep_should_classify_river_as_i.htmlhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem_in_2013.html%23incart_riverhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem_in_2013.html%23incart_riverhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem_in_2013.html%23incart_riverhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/susq-impairment.htmhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/susq-impairment.htmhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/susq-impairment.htmhttp://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_quality_report_-_2012/1127203http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_quality_report_-_2012/1127203http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_quality_report_-_2012/1127203http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_quality_report_-_2012/1127203http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/water_quality_standards/10556/integrated_water_quality_report_-_2012/1127203http://www.fish.state.pa.us/susq-impairment.htmhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem_in_2013.html%23incart_riverhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/12/susquehanna_river_blues_lets_get_to_bottom_of_problem_in_2013.html%23incart_riverhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://dailyitem.com/0110_editorials/x520561264/State-of-the-Susquehanna-still-in-fluxhttp://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2012/05/dep_should_classify_river_as_i.htmlhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdfhttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/rivers/susquehanna/susq-impairment/2012_05_16_RetiredDEPEmployeesSupport.pdf


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Thomas Y. Au

Conservation Chair

Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter

Brian Wagner

President

Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited

George Jugovic, Jr.

President and CEO

Citizens for Pennsylvanias Future (PennFuture)

Michael R Helfrich

Lower Susquehanna RIVERKEEPER

Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna, Inc.

John C. Rossi

President

Overview Anglers Club Inc.

Richard A. Martin

Coordinator

PA Forest Coalition

Karen Feridun

Founder

Berks Gas Truth

Nadia Steinzor

Eastern Program Coordinator

Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project

Kimberly L. Snell-Zarcone, Esquire

Policy Director

Conservation Pennsylvania

Anna N. Yelk

Executive Director

The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy

Maya van Rossum

The Delaware Riverkeeper

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Curt Ashenfelter

Executive Director

Keystone Trails Association

Justin Pittman

President

Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter

Susquehanna Impaired Listing Letter to EPA

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