[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 183 (Thursday, September 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48973-48975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23454]



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DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION


Notice of Commission Meeting and Public Hearings

    I. Notice is hereby given that the Delaware River Basin Commission 
will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 27, 1995. The 
hearing will be part of the Commission's regular business meeting which 
is open to the public and scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the 
Lecture Room of the Brandywine River Museum, located on U.S. Route 1 
just south of PA Route 100 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Entrance to 
the Lecture Room is on the river side of the building, lower level. No 
smoking is permitted in the building. For those interested in touring 
the museum, there is a $5 admission fee.
    An informal conference among the Commissioners and staff will be 
held at 10 a.m. at the same location to discuss upcoming public hearing 
records and response documents.
    The subjects of the September 27, 1995 hearing will be as follows:

Possible Drought Emergency Declaration

    Section 10.4 of the Delaware River Basin Compact provides that in 
the event of a drought or other condition which may cause an actual and 
immediate shortage of available water supply within the Basin, or 
within any part thereof, the Commission may, after public hearing, 
determine and delineate the area of such shortage and declare a water 
supply emergency therein. For the duration of such emergency, the 
Commission could limit the extent to which water users may divert or 
withdraw water for any purpose. The Commission is considering whether 
current and developing conditions of water supply and demand require 
the declaration of a water supply emergency. The purpose of this 
hearing is to permit the public to comment on these matters and to make 
any suggestions or recommendations concerning possible Commission 
action.
    At the conclusion of the drought hearing, the business meeting will 
recess and reconvene at 1:30 p.m.

Applications for Approval of the Following Projects Pursuant to Article 
10.3, Article 11 and/or Section 3.8 of the Compact

    1. Holdover Project: C S Water & Sewer Associates D-76-21 
(Revised). An application to revise DRBC Docket No. D-76-21 to approve 
an existing discharge from a 0.1 million gallons per day (mgd) sewage 
treatment plant (STP) to an unnamed tributary of the Delaware River; 
the applicant also proposes to modify the plant by adding an 
equalization tank. The STP was originally approved predicated upon a 
discharge directly to the Delaware River. The project STP is located in 
Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania. The STP will continue 
to serve the community of Masthope Rapids. This hearing continues that 
of August 9, 1995.
    2. Public Service Electric & Gas Company D-68-20 CP (Revised). An 
application for approval to revise the heat dissipation area specified 
in DRBC Docket No. D-68-20 CP for the thermal discharge of the Salem 
Generating Station, and incorporate modifications reflecting 
requirements of the NJPDES permit. The project is located in DRBC Zone 
5 on Artificial Island in Lower Alloways Creek Township, Salem County, 
New Jersey.
    3. Merrill Creek Owners Group (MCOG) D-77-110 CP (Amendment 7). An 
application for inclusion of the Logan Generating Company L.P. Keystone 
Facility (approved by Docket D-90-48 on September 25, 1991) as an 
additional Designated Unit to Table A (Revised) of the Merrill Creek 
Reservoir Project, to enable releases from the reservoir to make up for 
consumptive water use during drought periods. The Keystone Facility is 
expected to average approximately 2.7 mgd in consumptive use and is 
located west of Route 130, adjacent to the Delaware River in Logan 
Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey; Merrill Creek Reservoir is 
located in Harmony Township, Warren County, New Jersey.
    4. Merrill Creek Owners Group (MCOG) D-77-110 CP (Amendment 8). An 
application for inclusion of the Northampton Generating Company, L.P. 
Northampton Cogeneration Facility [approved by Docket No. D-91-95 
(Revision 1) on April 28, 1993] as an additional Designated Unit of 
Table A (Revised) of the Merrill Creek Reservoir project, to enable 
releases from the reservoir to make up for consumptive water use during 
drought periods. The Northampton Facility is expected to average 
approximately 2.02 mgd in consumptive use and is located in Allen 
Township with its withdrawal located on the Lehigh River in Northampton 
Borough, all in Northampton County, Pennsylvania; Merrill Creek 
Reservoir is located in Harmony Township, Warren County, Pennsylvania.
    5. City of Lewes, Board of Public Works D-85-54 CP RENEWAL. An 
application for the renewal of a ground water withdrawal project to 
supply up to 60 million gallons (mg)/30 days of water to the 
applicant's distribution 

[[Page 48974]]
system from Well Nos. 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A. Commission approval on 
October 30, 1985 was limited to ten years and will expire unless 
renewed. The applicant requests that the total withdrawal from all 
wells remain limited to 60 mg/30 days. The project is located in the 
City of Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware.
    6. Perkasie Borough Authority D-92-75 CP. An application for the 
renewal of a ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 45 mg/30 
days of water to the applicant's distribution system, and to 
consolidate all Perkasie Borough Authority wells into one comprehensive 
docket with an increase in total allocation. Commission approval of 
Docket No. D-87-75 CP (Well No. 11) on February 24, 1988 was limited to 
five years. The applicant requests that the total withdrawal from all 
wells be increased from 34.2 mg/30 days to 45 mg/30 days. The project 
is located in Perkasie Borough, Bucks County, in the Southeastern 
Pennsylvania Ground Water Protected Area.
    7. Borough of Glassboro D-93-39 CP. An application for approval of 
a ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 17.8 mg/30 days of 
water to the Borough of Glassboro's distribution system from existing 
Well No. 6, screened in the Mount Laurel-Wenonah Aquifer, and up to 
25.9 mg/30 days of water from new Well No. 7 (and possibly a second 
well at this location) screened in the Cohansey Aquifer, without an 
increase in the existing total allocation of ground water. The project 
is located in Glassboro Borough, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
    8. Borough of Medford Lakes D-93-44 CP. A project to upgrade the 
existing Medford Lakes 0.55 mgd capacity STP located in, and serving 
only, the Borough of Medford Lakes, Burlington County, New Jersey. The 
existing STP provides secondary biological treatment via a trickling 
filter and the proposed upgraded STP will be an extended aeration 
activated sludge process with tertiary filtration. The upgraded STP 
will continue to operate at 0.55 mgd and discharge to Aetna Run, a 
tributary of Birchwood Lakes in the Haynes Creek portion of the 
Southwest Branch Rancocas Creek Watershed.
    9. South Jersey Water Supply Company D-93-50 CP. An application for 
approval of a ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 21.9 mg/
30 days of water to the applicant's distribution system from new Well 
No. 6, and to increase the existing withdrawal limit of 11 mg/30 days 
from all wells to 42.4 mg/30 days. The project is located in Harrison 
Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
    10. Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority D-94-33 CP. A project to 
modify and expand the applicant's existing 2.3 mgd STP to treat 3.0 mgd 
(average flow) and continue to serve a portion of Evesham Township in 
Burlington County, New Jersey. The STP will continue to provide 
advanced secondary treatment and tertiary filtration prior to 
discharging via the existing outfall to the Southwest Branch Rancocas 
Creek. The STP is located just east of Elmwood Road and north of the 
receiving stream in Evesham Township.
    11. Burlington Township D-94-67 CP. An application for approval of 
a ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 43.2 mg/30 days of 
water to the applicant's distribution system from new Well No. 6, and 
to increase the existing withdrawal limit of 69 mg/30 days from all 
wells to 98.2 mg/30 days. The project is located in Burlington 
Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.
    12. East Marlborough Township D-95-22 CP. A project to construct a 
new 0.125 mgd capacity STP to create a centralized treatment facility 
to replace failing on-lot treatment systems within East Marlborough 
Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The proposed STP will provide a 
lagoon treatment/spray irrigation system, and there will be no stream 
discharge. The STP and spray irrigation disposal fields are located 
just north of Street Road approximately 1500 feet west of Route 82, in 
the West Branch Red Clay Creek watershed (Water Quality Zone C-5) in 
East Marlborough Township.
    13. Borough of Dublin D-95-25 CP. An application for approval of a 
ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 1.73 mg/30 days of 
water to the applicant's distribution system from new Well No. 5, and 
to retain the existing withdrawal from all wells of 4.36 mg/30 days. 
Well No. 5 will be a replacement supply to homes with wells that have 
been contaminated with trichloroethene, and a part of a ground water 
remediation system. The project is located in the Borough of Dublin, 
Bucks County, in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Ground Water Protected 
Area.
    14. Clement Pappas & Company, Inc. D-95-37. An application for 
approval of a ground water withdrawal project to supply up to 73.4 mg/
30 days of water to the applicant's food processing facility from new 
Well No. 6B, and to retain the existing withdrawal limit from all wells 
of 73.4 mg/30 days. The project is located in Upper Deerfield Township, 
Cumberland County, New Jersey.
    15. Sun Company, Inc. (R&M) Philadelphia Refinery D-95-41. An 
application for approval of a ground water withdrawal project to 
withdraw up to 12.35 mg/30 days of water (as part of the applicant's 
decontamination project) from 36 new wells, Nos. RW100-RW502, and to 
increase the existing withdrawal limit of 9.2 mg/30 days from all wells 
to 12.35 mg/30 days. The project is located in the City of 
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
    Documents relating to these items may be examined at the 
Commission's offices. Preliminary dockets are available in single 
copies upon request. Please contact George C. Elias concerning docket-
related questions. Persons wishing to testify at this hearing are 
requested to register with the Secretary prior to the hearing.
    II. The Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 
18, 1995 at 6:30 p.m. in the UGI Utilities, Inc. Auditorium, Lehigh 
Valley Industrial Park One, 2121 City Line Road, Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania.
    The subject of the hearing is an application for approval of the 
following project: Blue Mountain Power, L.P. D-95-42. A proposal to 
construct and operate a 150 megawatt (MW) combined cycle electric power 
generating facility. The proposed independent power plant will withdraw 
approximately 1.2 mgd from the Lehigh River at its south bank in the 
City of Bethlehem, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, and pipe it 
approximately 15 miles to the power generation plant situated just 
southeast of the intersection of the Reading Railroad with California 
Road in Richland Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The intake 
structure will be situated near the Pennsylvania Highway 378 bridge 
over the Lehigh River. Consumptive use is expected to be 100 percent 
since the applicant proposes a zero-liquid discharge system which 
recycles and reuses process wastewater. Blue Mountain Power presently 
has an agreement to supply the generated electrical power to 
Metropolitan Edison.
    The Commission's preliminary docket is available upon request. 
Please contact George C. Elias concerning docket-related questions. 
Persons wishing to testify at this hearing are requested to register 
with the Secretary prior to the hearing and may be asked to limit their 
remarks to five minutes, to enable all who wish to speak to do so.

Other Scheduled Hearings

    By earlier notice, the Commission announced its schedule of public 
hearings on proposed amendments to its 

[[Page 48975]]
Comprehensive Plan, Water Code and Water Quality Regulations concerning 
water quality criteria for toxic pollutants, and policies and 
procedures to establish wasteload allocations and effluent limitations 
for point source discharges to Zones 2 through 5 (Trenton, New Jersey 
to the Delaware Bay) of the tidal Delaware River. Specifically, water 
quality criteria for selected toxic pollutants are proposed for 
incorporation in the Comprehensive Plan and Article 3 of the Water Code 
and Water Quality Regulations as stream quality objectives. Revisions 
are also proposed for Article 4 of the Water Quality Regulations 
describing the policies and procedures to be used to establish 
wasteload allocations for those discharges containing pollutants which 
impact the designated uses of the river. Adoption of these revisions 
will provide a mechanism for identifying toxic pollutants which may 
impair aquatic life and human health, and developing uniform and 
equitable wasteload allocations for these pollutants for all NPDES 
discharges to the tidal Delaware River. The permitting authorities of 
the states will utilize the allocations developed by the Commission to 
establish effluent limitations for NPDES permittees in their 
jurisdictions.
    Hearing Dates: The public hearings are scheduled as follows:
    October 5, 1995, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 
p.m., as long as there are people present wishing to testify.
    October 11, 1995, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 
p.m., and resuming at 6:30 p.m. and continuing until 9:00 p.m., as long 
as there are people present wishing to testify.
    October 13, 1995, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:00 
p.m., as long as there are people present wishing to testify.
    The deadline for inclusion of written comments in the hearing 
record will be announced at the hearings.
    Addresses: The October 5, 1995 hearing will be held in the Second 
Floor Auditorium of the Carvel State Building at 820 N. French Street, 
Wilmington, Delaware.
    The October 11, 1995 hearing will be held in the Franklin Room of 
the Holiday Inn at 4th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
    The October 13, 1995 hearing will be held in the Goddard Conference 
Room of the Commission's offices at 25 State Police Drive, West 
Trenton, New Jersey.
    For Further Information Contact: Copies of the full text of the 
proposed amendments, the Water Code and the Water Quality Regulations 
as well as Basis and Background Documents entitled ``Water Quality 
Criteria for Toxic Pollutants for the Delaware River Estuary'' and 
``Implementation Policies and Procedures Phase I TMDLs for Toxic 
Pollutants in the Delaware River Estuary'' may be obtained by 
contacting Susan M. Weisman, Commission Secretary, Delaware River Basin 
Commission, telephone (609) 883-9500 ext. 203.
    Persons wishing to testify are requested to notify the Secretary in 
advance. Written comments on the proposed amendments should also be 
submitted to the Secretary at the Delaware River Basin Commission, P.O. 
Box 7360, West Trenton, New Jersey 08628.

    Dated: September 12, 1995.
Susan M. Weisman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-23454 Filed 9-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6360-01-P