River commission votes to expand water quality regs

WEST TRENTON, N.J. — The Delaware River Basin Commission on July 16 expanded coverage of the DRBC’s Special Protected Waters (SPW) anti-degradation rules to include the entire 197-mile non-tidal Delaware River from Hancock, N.Y., south to Trenton. Locally, the action impacts sewage plans for communities between Sparrowbush, and Port Jervis, N.Y., and portions of Matamoras and Westfall Township, which were not included in either of the two abutting national park areas, where the higher value water quality rules have already been in effect. As adopted, the rule requires new or expanding facilities to demonstrate that their discharges will not cause measurable change to existing water quality. The adopted rulemaking clarified language, in particular relating to the circumstances under which wastewater facilities, must employ nondischarge alternatives or natural treatment technologies and must demonstrate that they will cause no measurable change. The panel also permanently designated the Lower Delaware as Significant Resource Waters under the commission’s SPW program. The unanimous action establishes numeric values for existing water quality in the 76-mile-long stretch of river extending from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area downstream to the head of tide at Trenton, N.J. Now extending from Hancock to Trenton, “This permanent designation clearly demonstrates the DRBC’s long-term objective of keeping our clean water clean by ensuring that future discharges to the Lower Delaware will have no measurable change on existing high water quality,” Executive Director Carol R. Collier said. “We believe this action, along with the previous SPW designations, establishes the longest stretch of anti-degradation policy on any river in the nation.” “While there was a last-minute effort by a few dischargers to derail the effort, the outcry of public support and the leadership of the New Jersey commissioner led the way to designation and the better protections the Lower Delaware needs to stay clean for all to use” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. More information is available on the commission’s Web site at www.drbc.net.