Susquehanna Impaired Listing Letter to EPA
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Transcript of Susquehanna Impaired Listing Letter to EPA
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7/29/2019 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]
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
7
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