Sewage Treatment Plant mandate

[Bill Anderson]

Agreed. However, my point above is that the Little Juniata River is important enough, on its own, to pay the price for meeting reduced nutrient levels mandated by the Chesapeake Bay 4 state agreement and the EPA.

As one who lived by the bay and who boated, fished and duck hunted on every mile of it, before moving to Blair Co., I am concerned about the health of the water there as well. I watched as the Chesapeake died in the 60's. First the Eel Grass was gone on the Susquehanna flats then the extensive aquatic vegetation that formed the fish and crab nursery and filled every arm and tributary vanished, then the "red algae plague" finished off large areas where fish could no longer live. Yes, the Bay needs our help and we have to fix it one river at a time, starting with reducing the phosphorous and sediment in the "j".

Bill Anderson

[banksy]

I've known it as the sh*t Creek since birth, home to many carp and suckers!

[Bill Anderson]

Banksy,
That's exactly what it was for over 100 years. first the Pulp mill came in the late 1800's dumping its colorful chemicals and then the town grew with no waste treatment until 1953 when the first treatment plant was completed. I was told by an oldtimer who grew up in Birmingham that before the treatment plant, which he helped build and eventually also helped to tear down, "Toilet paper and used condoms hung from trees and streamside bushes like trimmings" "you could stand on the birmingham bridge and shoot bottles all day" Ahh! the good old days! Even with human waste treatment, the Little j remained badly polluted until compliance with the Clean Water Act in the early 70's required that all waste be treated including that from paper mills. I was here fishing the river in 1972 when the Agnes storm and resulting high water flushed out the river. There were some brown trout at the stream mouths and springs, a few really big ones in fact, but not many. With the flushing complete and the new sewage plant in full production, the trout thrived. The state began stocking fingerlings which grew rapidly. We enjoyed great fishing! There have been several setbacks, once in the 80's I got a call that the trout were jumping out on the bank all up and down the stream. Apparently someone dumped toxic waste off the Birmingham bridge in the middle of the night. Every fish died from there to the mouth. In 1996 there was another kill, this time the trout lived but the entire food chain died. That's when the LJRA, Little Juniata River Association, was started. Once again the river healed and today the trout fishing, protected by special regulations, is great again. So, it was indeed the "s**t" creek and many Tyroners still see it that way. We see it as an incredible resource and it's in our back yard!

Bill Anderson

[sandstone]

I've known it as the sh*t Creek since birth, home to many carp and suckers!

Stream Redesignation Evaluation Report
Water Quality Standards Review
Little Juniata River
Blair and Huntingdon Counties
Segment: Main stem,
From Logan Spring Run to Spruce Creek

Division of Water Quality Assessment And Standards
Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management
Department of Environmental Protection
January 2001
Revised October 2002

BACKGROUND

Little Juniata River is a tributary of the Juniata River in the Susquehanna River watershed. The section of the stream being evaluated in this report is located in Tyrone and Snyder Townships, Blair County, and Warriors Mark and Spruce Creek Townships, Huntingdon County. It runs from the confluence of Logan Spring Run at river mile 14.14 to the confluence of Spruce Creek at river mile 6.57. This 7.6 mile section of the Little Juniata River is currently designated Trout Stocking (TSF). The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) currently has a trout stocking program on this segment of the river. They stock fingerling trout in the late summer or fall every year. In response to a request from staff in the South Central Regional Office, this section of the Little Juniata River was evaluated to determine the proper use designation. This evaluation was based on a field survey conducted on August 29, 2000.

FINDINGS
AQUATIC BIOTA: Fish were collected at 4 stations during the August 2000 survey. An assessment of the instream and riparian zone habitat parameters was also made. The two upstream stations (1LJR and 2LJR) had habitat scores in the Optimal range while the downstream stations (3LJR and 4LJR) were in the Suboptimal range. This degradation in habitat quality was due to a variety of factors including a decrease in epifaunal substrate and an increased amount of embeddedness. A total of 15 species of fish were collected during this survey. Brown trout were collected at all four stations, but the trout from Stations 1LJR and 2LJR probably resulted from the stocked fingerlings from previous years while the presence of young of the year at Stations 3LJR and 4LJR confirmed natural reproduction at these locations. While trout reproduction could not be confirmed at the two upstream stations, the presence of a healthy trout population during the summer months indicates that instream conditions support the maintenance of cold-water fish species. Typically warm water species such as river chub and smallmouth bass were more common at the two upstream stations.

No special conditions were found during the survey that would qualify this area of the Little Juniata River as a "surface water of exceptional ecological significance" or any other attribute listed in §93.4b.

PUBLIC RESPONSE AND PARTICIPATION SUMMARY

The Department provided public notice of this redesignation evaluation and requested any technical data from the general public through publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on April 22, 2000 (30 Pa.B 2071). A similar notice was also published in the Altoona Mirror on April 21, 2000. In addition, Antis, Snyder, Tyrone and Spruce Creek Townships were all notified of the evaluation in a letter dated April 19, 2000. The Blair County Planning Commission and the Huntingdon County Planning and Development Department were also notified at the same time. No data on water chemistry, instream habitat, or the aquatic community were received in response to these notifications.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on applicable regulatory definitions, the Department recommends that the designated use of the Little Juniata River main stem from the confluence of Logan Spring Run at RMI 14.14 to the confluence of Spruce Creek (15674) at RMI 6.57 be changed from the current Trout Stocking (TSF) to Cold Water Fishes (CWF). This recommendation is based on the propagation and/or maintenance of brown trout and other cold-water fish species (e.g. sculpin). This change affects 7.6 stream miles.

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate ... niataR.htm

[My2Cents]

I forgot all about that !! Banksy's right about the name we once gave to the river. We had always been cautioned not to go near it because of what could be floating around in there. As kids, we had a lot of places to play, but, the river wasn't one of them. Now, it's GREAT to know that folks, such as Bill Anderson, are concerned with it's welfare and see it as more than just any 'ole river. I do hope they consider his thoughts, along with sandstone, Ice Man, and others, when it comes to flood control, clean-up, and what the ljr means to this area in general.
One day last summer, I was headed down towards Waterstreet and was so surprised to see a group of folks kayaking down the river. WOW, Neat-o !! You would not have seen that in the good 'ole days !! Also, a few years back, I was looking from the bridge that crosses PA Ave., ( up near the station ).... much to my surprise, there was a heron wading along the bank... I have never seen one in this area before, it was quite a site to see!!
It's the little things that we, as human beings living on this planet, need to pay attention to, charish, and appreciate. I often wonder what happened to that heron.... did it like it here.... did it want to stay....?? I hope so.

[no-it-all]

Did it have a checkbook?

[My2Cents]

Did it have a checkbook?

Bad, real bad !!

[sandstone]

One day last summer, I was headed down towards Waterstreet and was so surprised to see a group of folks kayaking down the river. WOW, Neat-o !! You would not have seen that in the good 'ole days !! .

http://pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/mosh ... utings.htm
Kayaking and Canoeing with Moshannon Group. During the spring months, Moshannon Group will be hosting paddle adventures on the Little Juniata River and the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River (Blair and Huntingdon Counties). These events will be held in conjunction with Juniata Valley Audubon and will be scheduled based on daily water conditions. If you'd like to be notified about upcoming trips (notifications will occur about a week in advance), contact Stan Kotala at (814)946-8840 or ccwiba@keyconn.net to join an e-mail list.

[sandstone]

Little Juniata River Cleanup set for April 5

By AMANDA GOLDEN
Staff Writer
March 21, 2008

Once again, the Little Juniata River Association will conduct its annual Little Juniata River Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is the third year for the event, which will be held rain or shine.

Last year over 70 people participated in the clean-up and the hope is that even more will volunteer this year.

The goal is to remove as much trash as possible, large or small, from in and along the river. This includes roadside pullouts and the riverbanks.

This event is in coordination with the Great PA Cleanup and the National River Cleanup.
Gloves, bags, and safety vests will be provided to all participants.

Refreshments will also be furnished courtesy of the Spruce Creek United Methodist Church, Spruce Creek Tavern, Galliker’s Dairy and Tasty Kake Bakery.

“The more (volunteers) we can get, the more miles of stream and parking areas we can clean-up,” said LJRA President Bill Anderson.

Interested persons and groups, including Scouts, meet and work throughout the morning, cleaning the river and surrounding areas. Everyone is invited to join in and lend a hand at this year’s cleanup.

Participants should meet at the Spruce Creek United Methodist Church between 8:30 and 9 a.m.

Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and footware.

Anyone under 18-years-old must be accompanied by an adult.

The Little Juniata River Association is a non-profit organization which seeks to monitor, preserve and improve the Little Juniata River and its tributaries as a cold water resource, now and for generations to come.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with the LJRA, there are free hats and new logo decals available for all new members. The items are also available for those paying current year dues.

All funds collected are used to defend the Little Juniata River.

Hats and logos can be mailed out or picked up at the next meeting.

Extra hats are available for $15 and logo decals are $1.50.

Interested individuals can find out more about the Little Juniata River Association by visiting the website at http://www.littlejuniata.org.

To join, send information to: Juniata River Association, RD3 Box 468E Altoona, Pa. 16601. A form is also available online.

[sandstone]

From the Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Farmers doing their part with Chesapeake Bay cleanup

By DAVID THOMPSON dthompson@sungazette.com POSTED: March 23, 2008

Are Pennsylvania farmers doing enough to address the problems associated with the Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort?

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau believes they are in spite of some allegations that municipalities are unfairly bearing the brunt of cleanup efforts.

According the bureau, Pennsylvania farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are meeting the mandatory nutrient reduction requirements outlined in the bay compliance plan.

Their efforts have been recognized by two major stakeholders in the cleanup initiative — the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, according to bureau media relations director Mark O’Neill.

“In years past, no agency has pushed farmers harder to comply (with the cleanup regulations) than the DEP,” O’Neill said. “With the Bay Foundation, if you go back in time, they were pressuring farmers to do more. We worked with them ... and they are seeing progress.”

According to O’Neill, preliminary studies by the bay foundation have shown over the last 15 years farmers have invested $357 million in nutrient management practices such as stream buffers and manure pits.

A new, more in depth report by the foundation, due out in two or three months, will show that total actually is much higher, he said.

The response by farmers to enroll in Resource Enhancement and Protection program, or REAP, shows there is a willingness and a demand within the farming community to reduce nutrients entering the watershed.

The state program, which was instituted last fall, provides tax credits to farmers and businesses for implementing conservation practices such as riparian buffers, no-till planting, stream fencing and other practices that reduce sediment and nutrients from entering the watershed.

Within days after the program’s application period began, the $10 million set aside for the program was exhausted, O’Neill said.

A new round of funding is included in Gov. Ed Rendell’s 2008-2009 budget, O’Neill said.

“We believe that (funding) is absolutely appropriate,” he said.

In 2007, more than half of all major crop acreage was no-till, which mean the crops are planted without plowing fields, resulting in reduced soil erosion and preservation of soil nutrients, according to the bureau.

Unfortunately, people living in municipalities served by sewage treatment plants facing multi-million dollar improvements are accusing farmers of not doing their part to clean up the watershed, O’Neill said.

“It’s false accusations,” he said.

“We’re not disputing that some of the nutrients getting into the watershed and bay comes from (farms) and is greater than what is coming from sewage treatment plants,” O’Neill said. “They are asking agriculture to deal with the same percentage. If they are putting in four time the amount (of nutrients), they’re being asked to reduce four times more.”

“The idea is, if we are responsible for more, we are also responsible to reduce more,” he said.

Also untrue are allegations that farms are unregulated, O’Neill said.

Large concentrated animal feeding operations or concentrated animal operations are highly regulated and must adhere to best management practices, including those associated with nutrient runoff, he said.

Additionally, 1,200 state farms have voluntarily agreed to submit to regulations associated with concentrated animal feeding operations even though the law does not required them to do it, he said.

According to Rodney Morehart, Chesapeake Bay technician with the Lycoming County Conservation District, there are 10 concentrated animal feeding or concentrated animal operations totalling 1,300 acres in the county. those operations automatically fall under bay nutrient management regulations, he said.

There are 16 county farms totalling between 3,000 and 3,5000 acres have voluntarily signed up for the bay program, primarily through a state or federal conservation program.

Many are comparing what it costs farmers to what it costs sewage treatment systems to reduce nutrients entering the watershed, he said.

“Looking at the numbers, maybe it costs less for farmers to meet their goals than municipalities,” he said. “That doesn’t mean farmers aren’t doing their fair share. Nobody is happy to see the projects costs.”

According to Morehart, farmers understand the importance of the Chesapeake Bay program.

“It comes down to money,” he said. “Do they have the money to do something? With our area being mainly dairy farming, the money is not there with milk prices as low as they are.”

“If they got to the point where they were making money, they’d be putting conservation practices on the ground,” he said.

The agricultural community has been invited to attend a Chesapeake Bay watershed stakeholders workshop at the Old Lycoming Township Volunteer Fire Co. fire hall.

The workshop is being held to develop a county-wide strategy of dealing with state-mandated nutrient management requirements.

Reservations can be made by calling the county Department of Planning and Community Development at 320-2130.

[Ice Man]

Coalition Proposes Fair Share Funding Plan to Address Chesapeake Bay and Statewide Water Quality Mandates

Wednesday, April 9, 2008
By: Kelly Donaldson

"Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan" Outlines a $170 Million Plan for 2008-09 to Help Wastewater Plant Ratepayers and Farmers Pay for Improvement Projects and Accommodate Future Economic Development

(HARRISBURG) -- The Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA), Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA), Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD), and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) today announced the Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan to help wastewater plant ratepayers and farmers finance improvements needed to address Chesapeake Bay and statewide water quality improvement mandates while preserving economic opportunity for future homeowners and businesses.

"For the first time, the five groups that have the most at stake in meeting the water quality mandates have put together a responsible funding plan that we hope will help end the controversy over how these projects should be paid for," said Matthew Ehrhart, CBF’s Executive Director for Pennsylvania. "This is a comprehensive package that will enable Pennsylvania to meet our Chesapeake 2000 Agreement obligations, improve statewide water quality, secure vital funds to all county conservation districts and provide for future economic development."

The Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan will invest $170 million in 2008-09 in several ways to reduce the financial burden on ratepayers and farms: $100 million to help wastewater plants finance required improvements; $50 million in direct cost share aid to farmers to install conservation practices ($35 for REAP farm tax credits and $15 million in cost share grants); $10 million to county conservation district to expand technical assistance to farmers and $10 million to restore cuts to the Department of Agriculture budget in farm programs. It also proposes reforms to the state’s nutrient credit trading program that will help to make it a viable alternative to provide for both environmental improvements to the Bay and sufficient future sewage capacity for new development.

In future years, the Fair Share Plan calls for similar investments to reduce costs for ratepayers and farmers.

This plan is the result of a unique partnership of groups with varying missions, but with similar interests and end goals who have worked together to develop solutions to a complex situation.

Representing a farming community of members across 63 counties, The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau acts on issues relating to farmland preservation, commodity pricing, tort reform, property tax reduction, health insurance reform, Sunday hunting, water rights and wildlife management. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau supports the plan and the effort to enhance water quality through on-site agricultural improvements.

"Production agriculture is facing significant and potentially devastating economic burdens, said Joel Rotz, State Governmental Relations Director for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. "Farmers are trying to comply with increased regulations recently imposed under revisions to federal and state regulations governing the handling and land application of manure and other nutrients, but they cannot do it alone."

The Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association and its members have been fighting for state and federal funding to help municipalities achieve required nutrient reductions at their facilities.

"Mandated nutrient reduction under the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy for sewage treatment plants imposes a heavy financial burden on communities and ratepayers, said John Brosious, PMAA Deputy Director. "Upgrade costs for 184 impacted plants are estimated at $1 billion. With no current state or federal funding available to offset these costs it is imperative that Pennsylvania, like Maryland and Virginia, provide funding assistance to impacted communities."

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts oversees numerous programs directly tied to water quality, among other environmental concerns. Funding for districts has been substantially below levels needed to provide technical assistance to farmers implementing environmental projects, meaning that on-site programs and assistance for conservation efforts have suffered.

"The current state budget proposal of $4.31 million for FY 2008-09 falls far short of the actual funding need, said PACD Executive Director Susan Marquart. "The PACD believes that it is past time for a generous increase in funding for Pennsylvania’s conservation districts."

The Pennsylvania Builders Association represents 12,000-plus member-companies from across the state. PBA’s 528,000 individual members include builders, remodelers, material suppliers, subcontractors, consultants, lending institutions, utilities and others involved in the housing industry.

"The Pennsylvania Builders Association fully supports cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. The solutions that have been offered up to now will not only fail to clean up the Bay, but will severely curtail economic growth and development in large portions of Pennsylvania," said Robert J. Fisher, president of R. J. Fisher and Associates, a New Cumberland-based engineering, planning and surveying firm. "A functioning, viable nutrient credit trading program, combined with a funding plan that targets money where it can make the greatest environmental impact, can provide sewage treatment plants with a stable, economically feasible alternative to costly capital upgrades and protect future economic opportunity."

With a PA state office in Harrisburg, CBF is dedicated to restoring the Chesapeake Bay and Pennsylvania's many rivers and streams. CBF works throughout the Chesapeake’s 64,000-square-mile watershed to protect and restore the Bay with programs in environmental education, resource protection and restoration.

"Pennsylvanians will be the first to benefit from making investments to meet our Chesapeake Bay obligations because it will be our streams and rivers that will be cleaner," said Matthew Ehrhart, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Office of Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "We will have cleaner, cheaper drinking water, improved recreation opportunities and quality of life, improved animal health on our farms, improved opportunities for tourism, and a legacy of clean water to pass on to our children and grandchildren."

The members of this coalition wish to acknowledge the hard work of many state leaders in bringing these issues to the forefront, developing solutions and addressing concerns of their constituents. Our coalition looks forward to working with these and other leaders to put the necessary measures in place to meet this very significant challenge.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan, go to http://www.cbf.org/pa

[banksy]

why don't you just post the first few lines and a link to the article?

[Ice Man]

why don't you just post the first few lines and a link to the article?

Lotsa times the links expire after a week or so and you don't have access to the article.

[sandstone]

Groups Ask State To Be A Partner in Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

In testimony before the House Republican Policy Committee this week, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Williamsport Sanitary Authority and other groups expressed their support for the proposed Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan that would help wastewater plant ratepayers and farmers finance improvements needed to reduce pollution in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Testifiers included the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Department of Environmental Protection, Chesapeake Bay Commission, Williamsport Municipal Water Authority and Sanitary Authority, Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority, the Williamsport/ Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the Lycoming County Commissioners' Office.

“There have been numerous media reports in recent weeks focusing on the high costs to municipal wastewater treatment plants associated with complying with the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy,” said Harry Campbell, CBF’s Pennsylvania Scientist. “The critical point that has received far less attention is that these permit limits are not arbitrary – they are clearly required by the Federal Clean Water Act.”

“The cost of achieving compliance with these pollution reductions is high for all sectors,” said Campbell. “The most recent cost estimates for point source (sewage treatment) compliance ranges from $620 million to $1 billion. The cost for farmers to comply with the required reductions from agriculture is $593 million.”

Campbell notes the states of Maryland and Virginia have committed over $1.6 billion to help wastewater plants in the Bay watershed meet the new mandates, while Pennsylvania has not proposed a funding plan to meet the requirements.

“For the first time, the five groups that have the most at stake in meeting the water quality mandates have put together a responsible funding plan that we hope will help end the controversy over how these projects should be paid for,” said Campbell. “This is a comprehensive package that will enable Pennsylvania to meet our Chesapeake 2000 Agreement obligations, improve statewide water quality, secure vital funds to all county conservation districts and provide for future economic development.”

The Fair Share Plan is supported by a coalition of groups, including: CBF, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Builders Association, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and others.

The Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan proposes to invest $170 million in 2008-09 in several ways to reduce the financial burden on ratepayers and farmers:

· $100 million to help wastewater plants finance required improvements;

· $50 million in direct cost share aid to farmers to install conservation practices (increase the cap on REAP farm tax credits to $35 million and $15 million in cost share grants);

· $10 million to county conservation district to expand technical assistance to farmers;

· $10 million to restore cuts to the Department of Agriculture budget in farm programs; and

· reforms to the state’s nutrient credit trading program that will help to make it a viable alternative to provide for both environmental improvements to water quality and sufficient future sewage capacity for new development.

Campbell says each member of the Coalition supports the efforts to cleanup Pennsylvania’s waters, they just want state government to be a partner in that effort so ratepayers and farmer families do not have to shoulder that burden alone.

The Department of Revenue this week projected the Commonwealth will end this fiscal year on June 30 with a $437 million surplus.

[My2Cents]

"$437 million dollars surplus !!"
We, the tax payer, should not be paying for the Chesapeake Bay clean-up. The state should be paying for this and not at the expense of ruining our mountains and ridge tops in wind farm developments in order to do so. We, the tax payer, should be taking care of our own neck-of-the-woods in assuring our rivers are unpolluted and our sewage treatments plants are up to par so that all will be well down stream.
I don't fully understand all this, but, I do know that, once again, "something" is very wrong here as far as.... who's gonna' pay to clean up the bay.
This is going to be one of the biggest excuses for putting a wind farm into this area... once again, "they" are going to tell us about all the money we will get and how we can spend it. The money will hit the "fan" and go downstream !!! Just My2Cents, hope I'm wrong.