More Resources

SAN News

• Mon Jun 17, 2013

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  NCCo Police unveil 24/7 prescription drug drop-box / Education and Outreach

  Outside of the Schuylkill Watershed but a great take back program in Delaware

• Thu May 30, 2013

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  Stormwater Events coming up! / Storm Water

  From the Chester County WRA:

• Wed May 8, 2013

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  Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program - Survey Workshops in May! / Education and Outreach

  The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is hosting 2 freshwater mussel workshops next month, one in PA and the other in DE. As a crucial part of our Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program, surveying local streams for the presence or absence of these elusive bivalves will help scientists determine which streams are in need of and suited for mussel restoration. With so many stream miles to cover, we have a need for trained adult "citizen scientists" to lead surveys in their local creeks and upload findings (or lack thereof) to our online data portal. As if all this isn't enough fun, there is always the potential thrill of finding a species of mussel thought to be long gone from our creeks - an ecological treasure hunt! Please share the attached PDF flier with your contacts. Thank you!

• Tue Apr 23, 2013

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  Sustainable Business Network Breakfast Meeting April 23rd / Storm Water

  Business United for Conservation Industry Partnership Meeting: Training Funds

• Thu Feb 14, 2013

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  Reading sewer main upgrade under way / Pathogens / Compliance

  2-foot wide pilings line 30-foot circle to begin tunnel under the Schuylkill River Pit boss John A. "Jack" Jones could barely be heard over the noise of the yellow rig drilling dozens of two-foot-wide holes 49 feet into the ground at the city's Sixth and Canal streets sewage pumping station. The holes, arranged around the perimeter of a 30-foot circle, were being filled with concrete to form buried columns, or piles, Jones said.

• Wed Feb 13, 2013

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  American Rivers Publication - Permitting Green Infrastrcture / Storm Water

  American Rivers has just released a guide to permitting approaches that encourage or require “low impact development” or “green infrastructure." The guide combines model permit language with excerpts from comment letters that have helped to drive permit evolution, and is intended to be a resource for community and watershed advocates:

• Wed Feb 13, 2013

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  Green Infrastructure Design Booklet from Infill Philadelphia / Storm Water

  40 designs from the 2012 "Soak It Up" exhibition (presented by Infill Philadelphia) have been published in an online booklet featuring the transformation of urban areas with green infrastructure. http://issuu.com/chrismphila/docs/soak_it_up_exhibition_issuu

• Mon Jan 14, 2013

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  Craft Beer Scene Q&A: Matt Lindenmuth & Joe Percoco from Saucony Creek Brewing Company / General

  Bed, Bath & Beyond may have sparked a beer passion that contributes to this new craft venture but Saucony Brewing Company has developed much more depth since Founder, Matt Lindenmuth, and Head Brewer, Joe Percoco, joined forces. Their matching beer morals and ideas have created not just a unique product, but a one of a kind drinking experience for current fans and future customers to enjoy. Planting their roots in Kutztown, PA, a quaint place filled with supportive friends and family, there is still much to come from Saucony Creek, including local collaborations, specialty beers, sustainably focused operations and homestead brewing.

• Mon Dec 17, 2012

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  Book Signing Dec. 19 for New Book About the Schuylkill River / Education and Outreach

  Author to Speak on New Book about the Mid-20th Century Cleanup of the Schuylkill River The Schuylkill was once one of the nation's dirtiest rivers. The newly published book, A River Again, tells the story of the cleanup that saved the river in the mid-twentieth century. Author Chari Towne will speak at a book signing scheduled for: Date: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Lecture at 7:00, book signing to follow. Place: Schuylkill River Heritage Area 140 College Dr., Pottstown, PA 19464 Light refreshments will be served. RSVP: There is no charge for this event, but please let us know you are coming by calling 484-945-0200, or emailing Cindy Kott at ckott@schuylkillriver.org A limited supply of books will be available for purchase for $21.95. There will be no advance sales from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. The book can also be purchased directly from the Delaware Riverkeeper Network by calling 215-369-1188. It is available as a free download on that website, as well. The Heritage Area's new River of Revolutions Interpretive Center will be open during this event. Become a Schuylkill River Heritage Area Member Today! Join or renew by December 31 and we will send you a free copy of our Fall 2012 Schuylkill River Trail Map! The popular full-color, accordion-style brochures were newly updated in November. Maps delineate the entire 130-mile trail, including planned, on-road and completed sections. The back of the brochure highlights trail towns and available amenities along the route. Join or renew today for as little as $25 and you will automatically be sent a map. Click here to donate or learn more. Schuylkill River Heritage Area 140 College Drive Pottstown, Pennsylvania 19464 484-945-0200 www.schuylkillriver.org

• Thu Nov 29, 2012

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  Documenting the underground: Philly's sewer historian / Pathogens / Compliance

  Nearly 3,000 miles of sewers wind underneath Philadelphia's streets. They make modern life possible in the homes and sky-scrapers above, but go largely unnoticed.

• Thu Nov 29, 2012

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  Tilden mobile home park owner faces environmental charges / Pathogens / Compliance

  A Tilden Township mobile home park owner was charged Wednesday with illegally discharging untreated sewage into a Schuylkill River tributary and falsifying permit applications, the state Attorney General's office reported.

• Thu Nov 22, 2012

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  When did 'dark mud' cover the city / Storm Water

  The recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy left sand strewn throughout towns along the New Jersey shore.

• Tue Nov 20, 2012

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  Proposed bike trail would cross Schuylkill, access Bartram's Garden / General

  From the Schuylkill's west bank, Bartram's Garden offers evocative views of Philadelphia in all its glory and grit.

• Mon Nov 19, 2012

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  Voting Now Open For Schuylkill Action Network Photo Contest / Education and Outreach

  The Schuylkill Action Network invited the public to vote for their favorite photos in the Schuylkill Shots Competition photo contest. Voting closes December 15.

• Mon Nov 19, 2012

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  Short Film about the Schuylkill River Heritage Area to Air on National TV beginning Nov. 19 / Education and Outreach

  forwarded message: From: Matt Lindenmuth Date: November 15, 2012, 12:23:55 PM EST To: Tom Davidock Subject: Re: Some ideas for coasters Tom, attached is the Stonefly logo, new refreshed brewery logo, and a digital poster. All can be displayed tomorrow. Thanks! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Matt Lindenmuth Saucony Creek Brewing Co. 15032 Kutztown Road Kutztown, PA 19530 610. 683. 3128. phone 610. 683. 3194. fax e. matt@sauconycreekbrewing.com Statement of Confidentiality The contents of this e-mail message and any attachments are confidential and are intended solely for addressee. The information may also be legally privileged. This transmission is sent in trust, for the sole purpose of delivery to the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, any use, reproduction or dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail or phone and delete this message and its attachments, if any.

• Mon Nov 19, 2012

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  December 5th: Literature and Lecture with Alex Prud'homme / Education and Outreach

  Join the Fund for the Water Works Board and the Interpretive Center's Advisory Council as we welcome Alex Prud'homme, journalist and author of "The Ripple Effect," on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, from 5:30 to 9:00 pm. Hear about how the book came into being after Alex shared a bottle of French mineral water with Julia Child over lunch. Hear how he traveled from inside New York City's new Water Tunnel No. 3 to the disputed aquifers of Poland Springs, Maine, to the Dead Zone of the Chesapeake Bay, to the "water-energy nexus" in the oil and gas fields and more as research for his book. Some of themes addressed will include: • New types of water pollution, and their mitigation • The cost of failing infrastructure such as dams and levees • Debates over bottled water and water privatization • Climate change, population growth and changing diets Learn ways to reduce your ripples as Alex shares ten simple steps we can all take to improve water quality and quantity! Copies of "Ripple Effect" will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to support our 2013 Schuylkill Soundings programming. The evening also includes a special screening of "Last Call at the Oasis," the 2011 documentary inspired by the book, directed by Jessica Yu, and featuring Pacific Institute's Peter Gleick and environmental activist Erin Brockovich. Tickets are $50. To register, please go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4807845395#. Your donation to the FWWIC is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information contact Karen Young, at karen.young@phila.gov, 215-685-0719, or Ursula Reed at ureed@earthlink.net, 215-287-4479. We are busy planning our new Book Club, where you'll be able to share books like "Ripple Effect" with other avid readers. Please email us your book suggestions at FWWICinfo@gmail.com.

• Sat Nov 17, 2012

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  Stormwater system a shared responsibility / Storm Water

  Perry Township officials are planning to put together an inventory of drainage pipes to avoid confusion over who is responsible for their upkeep.

• Wed Nov 14, 2012

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  Keeping storm water management green / Storm Water

  NewsWorks Tonight Host Dave Heller, Joanne Dahme of the Philadelphia Water Department, and Tavis Dockwiller of Viridian Landscape, discuss Infill Philadelphia's Soakitup competition. The competition is designed to uncover innovative "green" storm water management practices.

• Sun Nov 4, 2012

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  A post-Sandy look at how Philadelphia streets flood / Storm Water

  Hurricane Sandy is gone, and Philadelphia and its immediate suburbs suffered far less damage than we might have expected. If storms are living, breathing, ever-changing entities, then we were lucky with Sandy; she seemed to come upon us while catching her breath, not letting it all out in a foul-mouthed roar.

• Tue Oct 2, 2012

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  White House interest in stormwater and green infrastructure funding / Storm Water

  The issue of clean water investment at the highest level of government.

• Tue Sep 18, 2012

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  "Schuylkill Shots" Questions and Answers / Education and Outreach

  Frequently asked questions about the "Schuylkill Shots" Photo Contest

• Tue Sep 11, 2012

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  Geo-Life Releases Stormwater Video on Quakertown Design Project / Storm Water

  This is an educational video about the process of restoring waterways in a community. As you know Geo-Life is a nonprofit that did a waterway restoration design for the Licking Run Creek in Quakertown, PA. This video outlines the process, that others may use, as a guideline to start their own restoration program. We included speakers from Schuylkill Action Network, Clean Water Action, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association as well as Geo-Life, Inc.

• Tue Sep 11, 2012

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  Council votes 6-0 to adopt new rain barrel regulations for use in Reading neighborhoods / Storm Water

  How wonderful to see a local government helping its citizens to be better stewards of the watershed. The ordinance does not require people to buy rain barrels.

• Wed Oct 24, 2012

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  Montgomery County Stormwater and Sustainable Open Space BMPs / Storm Water

  Bus Tour October 24, 2012 8 AM to 4 PM

• Mon Oct 29, 2012

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  NLT's Conservation Landscape Summit / Storm Water

  October 29 - 30 in Harrisburg, PA

• Thu Jul 12, 2012

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  Freshwater Mussel Article from Drexel Magazine / Storm Water

  Each mussel is a mini-water treatment plant, providing many ecosystem benefits.

• Sat Apr 28, 2012

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  West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library event to focus on Revolutionary War period / General

  The Revolutionary War period is the focus of a presentation Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library, Woodside Avenue and Noble Street in West Lawn.

• Sat Apr 28, 2012

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  Schuylkill River Cleanup Planned / Education and Outreach

  Last year, the Schuylkill Action Network organized 18 litter cleanups into one campaign called the Schuylkill Scrub. It is doing so again this year, from Sunday, April 1, through Thursday, May 31, across the Schuylkill Valley.

• Sat Apr 28, 2012

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  New DEP administrator for area named / General

  A businessman and former chief of staff to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator has been named the new Southeast regional administrator of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

• Sat Apr 28, 2012

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  We’re organizing a Schuylkill Scrub cleanup, and we want your help / Education and Outreach

  OTTSTOWN — Have you driven by a point along the Schuylkill River lately that has left you shaking your head? Tires, garbage bags and other waste piling up on a bank at a certain bend have you peeved? Starting today, you can tell us about it and we may be able to help out. Between today and Friday, readers can go to The Mercury’s Facebook fan page , Twitter , or comment on this very story online with suggested cleanup spots.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Howling success? Philly gets a few more spokesdogs / Education and Outreach

  Both are the newest spokesdogs in the Philadelphia Water Department's campaign to get dogs to teach humans how to handle canine waste: pick it up and put it in the trash or the toilet. Don't leave it on the street to be washed by the next rainfall into area rivers, which are the city's water supply.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Lower Salford wants more numbers before shelling out money for mussel study / General

  Lower Salford Township officials say they need more information before deciding on whether it would be wise to shell out the as-yet-unknown costs of a proposal to have mussels put in a township creek to help with stream cleanup efforts.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Bern pipeline project nearing completion / Pathogens / Compliance

  Western Berks Water Authority officials expect the Bern Township water pipeline project will be completed by March 1.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Greenworks gets a thumbs-up from the city / Education and Outreach

  t had to be the feel-green event of the year. At the mid-point of the city‘s Greenworks plan -- three years after Mayor Nutter announced it, and three years before the 2015 goal of most of the initiatives -- officials gathered earlier today to retweak the plan laud their progress.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Upper Merion settles dispute over development of Valley Forge Golf Course / Watershed Land Collaborative

  Upper Merion Township supervisors have voted unanimously to approve a $13 million settlement of legal wrangling over the former Valley Forge Golf Course, the last undeveloped tract in King of Prussia.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  MCCC seeks students for free summer science program / Education and Outreach

  POTTSTOWN — Ever wonder what a scientist sees through the microscope lens in the laboratory or what actually lives in the water and soil around us?

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Heating oil spill at Perkiomen Golf Course / Pathogens / Compliance

  PERKIOMEN — The discovery of an empty heating oil tank prompted clean-up efforts at a local golf course Sunday.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  ATTARDO: It’s not so easy to go down by the river / General

  While society has a penchant for building highways and railroads along our waterways, in most cases public access is totally obliterated by impervious constructions or the private property between riverbanks and travel routes.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Spring-Ford students score top prizes in ‘Protect Our Watersheds’ art contest / Education and Outreach

  HERSHEY – Two students from Spring-Ford Intermediate School earned top honors in Pennsylvania American Water’s 10th Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” Art Contest. The company received more than 800 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania American Water announced the contest winners as part of National Drinking Water Week, which runs May 6-12.

• Thu Jun 28, 2012

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  Schuylkill Sojourn: A journey to remember / Education and Outreach

  A list of articles about the 2012 Schuylkill River Sojourn

• Fri Apr 13, 2012

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  Sign Up For Schuylkill River Heritage Area's Pedal & Paddle / Education and Outreach

  Take a round-trip adventure from Pottstown to Douglassville! Bike 4.5 miles along the Schuylkill River Trail Return via kayak on the Schuylkill River

• Mon May 21, 2012

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  EPA's (College) Campus RainWorks Challenge / Storm Water

  The U.S. EPA’s Office of Water is pleased to announce the Campus RainWorks Challenge for undergraduate and graduate students. Student teams are invited to create an innovative green infrastructure design for a site on their campus showing how managing stormwater at its source can benefit the campus community and the environment. Winning teams will earn a cash prize, as well as research funds for their faculty advisor to conduct research on green infrastructure.

• Mon May 21, 2012

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  Ag Workgroup has PBS video! / Agricultural

  Members from the Ag Workgroup went on a Macroinvertebrate study on farms that have received Best Management Practices installed. A team from Penn State's PBS documentary team tagged along to watch!

• Sat Apr 28, 2012

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  Phila. embarks on green stormwater management / Storm Water

  Philadelphia's $2 billion plan to manage its storm water with green methods - porous pavement, green roofs, and a plethora of trees - got the official nod Tuesday from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Sat Mar 31, 2012

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  Is the Wissahickon Creek Safe Now? / Pathogens / Compliance

  Pollutant and water quality levels in the Wissahickon Creek have remained level over the last 15 years, which means that efforts at water management are working. Otherwise, the water quality would have degraded even further in that time.

• Fri Mar 30, 2012

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  Help scrub the Schuylkill all this month / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — Last year the Schuylkill Action Network organized 18 litter cleanups into one campaign called the Schuylkill Scrub, and it is doing so again from April 1 to May 31 across the Schuylkill Valley.

• Fri Mar 30, 2012

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  Radnor Middle School nominated for education department's inaugural awards / Storm Water

  The U.S. Department of Education is holding its inaugural Green Ribbon Schools Award and Radnor Middle School is one of four schools nominated for the environmentally conscious honor.

• Mon Mar 12, 2012

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  New EPA Website on Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data / Storm Water

  EPA is also pleased to unveil a new website on nutrient pollution for homeowners, students, and educators

• Thu Feb 23, 2012

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  PA Fish Advisories Updated for 2012 / Storm Water

  PA DEP press release

• Thu Feb 23, 2012

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  American Water Accepting Applications for Environmental Grant Program / Storm Water

  The Mercury article

• Thu Feb 23, 2012

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  Over 100 Attend Stormwater Forum / Storm Water

  the Mercury article

• Tue Feb 21, 2012

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  The Ultimate Philly Weather Forecast / General

  Think the weather we’ve seen in the last couple of years has been crazy? In the next few decades, Philadelphia could transform from a Northern city into what feels like a Southern one. And that could change everything about who we are.

• Tue Feb 14, 2012

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  Philly launches tree give-away program / Storm Water

  Want a new tree for your property? This afternoon, Mayor Nutter is expected to announce a new tree-planting initiative in Philadelphia, through which 2,000 trees will be given to residents who agree to water them, protect them and otherwise pamper them so that they can grow up strong and better clean the air, beautify the city, contribute to property values and more.

• Mon Feb 6, 2012

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  Growing Greener Grant Awards / Storm Water

  Recipients announced in the latest round of PA Growing Greener grants.

• Fri Feb 3, 2012

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  Phila. Water Dept. plans 28.5% rate hike over 3 years / Storm Water

  The Philadelphia Water Department plans to seek a 28.5 percent rate increase, starting in October and spreading across a little less than three years.

• Tue May 8, 2012

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  Region 3 Stormwater Compliance Conference May 8-10, 2012 / Storm Water

  Announcing the first annual Region 3 Compliance Conference! With specialized training, presentations by EPA, State Stormwater Coordinators, and the Executive Director of National Stormwater Center, this promises to be an exciting learning and sharing event for municipal stormwater professionals.

• Wed Feb 1, 2012

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  Bucks, Montco, growing but not too quickly / Watershed Land Collaborative

  Bucks County's population, pegged at 625,249 by the 2010 U.S. Census, will grow 16.3 percent to 727,150 people by 2040, according to population forecasts recently released by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

• Sun Jan 29, 2012

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  Clubs in focus: Tulpehocken chapter of Trout Unlimited / General

  For the past five years, the Tulpehocken chapter of Trout Unlimited has participated in a science and nature program raising trout in school classrooms throughout Berks County.

• Sun Jan 29, 2012

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  Bill Uhrich: Bald eagles becoming more common in Berks / Education and Outreach

  My wife and I were driving along Route 422 in Marion Township not long ago when I saw a large, dark bird rise up and fly over the roadway.

• Wed Jan 25, 2012

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  Montco Superfund site owners pay $2.1M / Pathogens / Compliance

  The current and former owners of a Montgomery County Superfund site where tires and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic resins were manufactured have agreed to pay $2.1 million in past cleanup costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday.

• Tue Jan 24, 2012

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  Delaware Riverkeeper expresses concerns with Cook Tract tree clearing / General

  The Delaware Riverkeeper Network has expressed serious concerns about tree clearing at the site, including the potential for increased runoff, echoing what many neighbors have said. Whitpain Township, however, maintains the tree clearing was done in a way to minimize the number of trees taken down and in consideration with a plan that will see improved storm-water management at the project’s conclusion.

• Tue Jan 17, 2012

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  Calling All Environmentally-Friendly Students / Education and Outreach

  Two grants will be awarded: $5,000 each to a middle school and a high school to be used toward environmental programs

• Fri Jan 13, 2012

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  Oley Hills properties preserved / Watershed Land Collaborative

  A lease of timberland dating back to the early 1900s describes perfectly how two programs new to Berks County will preserve forever woodlands, adjoining lands and the watersheds where they are located, a biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday.

• Fri Jan 13, 2012

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  At forum, a plug for jobs; outside, a focus on water / General

  Jobs, jobs, jobs. A green economy can bring them on. That was one focus of a sustainability forum Friday led by Mayor Nutter, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Brazilian Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira.

• Fri Jan 13, 2012

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  EPA head, Nutter talk sustainability / General

  Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson and a top Brazilian minister met in Philadelphia Friday to talk about urban sustainability.

• Thu Jan 12, 2012

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  Seven Pa. coal-fired plants among worst greenhouse-gas emitters / General

  Seven Pennsylvania coal-fired power plants are among the 100 highest industrial emitters of greenhouse gases in the United States, according to data released Wednesday by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

• Fri Jan 6, 2012

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  Designing Water / General

  Philadelphia has always had an engineered relationship to water and the Schuylkill River. In 1812, the Fairmount Water Works, designed by Frederick Graff, opened on the eastern banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, supplanting a small pumping station in Centre Square to become one of the earliest large-scale municipal drinking water facilities in the country. It stands as a proud symbol of forward thinking civic action to this day — but what is the environmental legacy it presides over?

• Fri Jan 6, 2012

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  Conservancy begins new chapter as Marshall takes helm / Watershed Land Collaborative

  Despite 2011’s weak economy and a decline in public funding for land preservation, the Heritage Conservancy announced Thursday it preserved 467 acres last year.

• Tue Jan 3, 2012

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  Seeking to balance conservation and development / Watershed Land Collaborative

  As president of the Natural Lands Trust, serving Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, Molly Morrison fights to balance conservation and "appropriate" development. From her office on a preserve in Media, Morrison, 58, works with community groups to identify "priority landscapes," acquire easements, and link people and nature.

• Tue Jan 3, 2012

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  Seeking to reward environmental stewards / Education and Outreach

  Environmentally-conscious businesses and organizations are encouraged to apply for the 2012 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award.

• Mon Dec 19, 2011

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  Regional contest aims to teach students how to keep the Schuylkill clean / Education and Outreach

  water comes from. To help students better understand how their actions affect water sources, the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) is hosting its eighth annual student contest on river projects.

• Wed Dec 14, 2011

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  PA DEP Announces MS4 Application and Renewal Training Schedule / Storm Water

  2012 Course Schedule

• Thu Dec 1, 2011

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  Isn't easy being green: Here's help / Storm Water

  Members of the Schuylkill Action Network have published a free guide to help business owners make their properties environmentally friendly. The new handbook, entitled "Green Guide for Property Management," is now available at SchuylkillWaters.org. It shows readers a variety of ways to capture or divert rain and melting snow before they become polluted. Examples of projects range from low-cost ponds, rain gardens or wetlands to long-term investments like green roofs, porous paving, underground storage tanks and more.

• Thu Dec 1, 2011

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  Morris Arboretum: a classroom to study nature / Education and Outreach

  The Morris Arboretum is a 92-acre botanical classroom located in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.

• Thu Dec 1, 2011

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  About 'The Business of Nature: The Return on Environment in Berks' report / General

  "The Business of Nature: The Return on Environment in Berks" is a 26-page report that covers the benefits of the county's natural resources. For example, the report states:

• Thu Dec 1, 2011

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  Scholarship honors soil conservationist / Education and Outreach

  The Berks County Conservation District is starting preparations to award its annual college scholarships for students majoring in environmental resource management or conservation.

• Thu Dec 1, 2011

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  In Gibraltar, the remains of days past Question: Was there ever a dam on the Allegheny Creek at Gibraltar? / General

  There was, indeed. The breast is still there, off Route 724 as it enters the Robeson Township village, but the dam has not survived. Thanks to the Arnold brothers, Herb and Carroll, we have a firsthand account of how and why the dam was built in 1942

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Stormwater Case Studies / Storm Water

  The Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) recently initiated a national rulemaking to establish a comprehensive program to reduce stormwater runoff from new development and re-development projects, and make other improvements to strengthen its stormwater program. The E.P.A. announced that during this rulemaking process it will evaluate sustainable green infrastructure design techniques that mimic natural processes to evapo-transpire, infiltrate and recharge, and harvest and reuse stormwater.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  No. 1 against storm-runoff / Storm Water

  Philadelphia ranks first in the nation and is a national model for its long-term efforts to reduce stormwater pollution and sewage runoff through eco-friendly and cost-effective measures such as green roofs and porous asphalt, according to an environmental group's new report.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  2011 officially Philadelphia's wettest ever - with six weeks left / Storm Water

  With slightly more than half an inch of rain measured for the day, the National Weather Service decreed that 2011 had dethroned the erstwhile reigning champ as the wettest year in Philadelphia weather history.

• Mon Nov 14, 2011

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  Germantown Academy turns wet athletic fields into nature preserve / Storm Water

  Kudos to the Germantown Academy,the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, and other project partners who made this happen!

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Germantown Academy turns wet athletic fields into nature preserve. / Storm Water

  As part of its campus master plan, Germantown Academy is breaking new ground. The oldest nonsectarian private day school in the country has set aside six acres of its 126-acre Fort Washington campus to restore wetlands and meadows.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Sold Down The River Could a new era of fracking, dredging and polluting sink the Delaware River for good? / General

  On the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) website, you can enter your street address and find out which watershed — and, therefore, which river — your drinking water is harvested from. But then, maybe you'd rather not know.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Open space a top issue in Radnor race / Storm Water

  Candidates running for the four open seats on Radnor Township’s board of commissioners named the township’s budget and stormwater management and flooding as major issues for residents this year.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Brandywine Valley Assoc. honors farm as Volunteer of the Year / Agricultural

  The Brandywine Valley Association honored the Hicks Brothers Meadow Springs Farm Oct. 20 as its Volunteer of the Year for the company's ongoing assistance to the nonprofit watershed agency.

• Mon Nov 21, 2011

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  Fleetwood students, community plant nearly 500 trees along Willow Creek / Storm Water

  Volunteers, big and small, mucked through the mud to plant almost 500 native trees along Willow Creek in Blandon.

• Mon Oct 24, 2011

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  Readers respond with tree tales / Storm Water

  Yesterday's column about trees -- and how we should appreciate them -- opened the floodgates for people who care about trees.

• Mon Oct 24, 2011

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  Agency to be paid to administer state funds / Agricultural

  The Berks County Conservation District board has signed an agreement to administer about $1 million in state funding for 19 county agricultural and conservation projects.

• Mon Oct 24, 2011

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  Latest leaks in pipe fixed; sewage no longer flowing into river / Pathogens / Compliance

  The city early Thursday fixed the latest two leaks in its old sewer pipe, and stopped the diversion of raw sewage into the Schuylkill River.

• Mon Oct 24, 2011

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  DEP accepting 2012 grant applications / General

  Colleges, schools, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, businesses and conservation districts can now apply for 2012 environmental education grants through the state Department of Environmental Protection.

• Wed Nov 16, 2011

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  Public Meeting on Wissahickon's Health Scheduled / Storm Water

  A public meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16 that will allow residents to learn about the Wissahickon Creek's health.

• Thu Oct 13, 2011

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  Nonprofit estuary group holding annual fundraiser / General

  The nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary will hold its largest annual fundraiser -- also dubbed its "friend-raiser" -- Thursday at the World Cafe Live at the Queen Theatre, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  3 local projects get funding through Schuylkill River Heritage Area / General

  Three Berks County projects were among seven to receive grants through the Schuylkill River Heritage Area to improve water quality in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Look for a park today in Philly's park(ing) spots / Storm Water

  If you're headed to downtown Philadephia today, might be an even better time than usual to take public transportation.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  Invasive flatheads hurting Schuylkill waters / General

  Several weeks ago when I wrote about the discovery of Flathead catfish in Deep Creek Lake, Montgomery County, I was remiss in mentioning another manner in which this unwanted species might have found its way into the isolated 38-acre impoundment, part of the Green Lane Park.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  How flower power can sow bipartisanship / General

  A garden of gold flutters on the horizon like a mirage. One wave of flowers follows another, a sporadic but exuberant parade of blossoms that readily inspires a smile.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/state/pa/leak-diverts-sewage-in-schuylkill-river-again/article_92166875-257c-509a-85d7-915863e22590.html / Pathogens / Compliance

  Raw sewage is again being diverted into the Schuylkill River from a leaking sewer line in Reading. The Reading Eagle reports a pair of new leaks appeared on the aging 42-inch main that was first repaired late last month. City workers began diverting up to 12 million gallons of raw sewage into the river on Tuesday night so repairs could begin.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  Small projects now exempt from "unreasonable" storm water regulations / Storm Water

  Doylestown property owners who are planning to build decks or sheds or add brick pavers to their gardens no longer have to worry about spending hundreds of dollars on storm water management systems.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/stormwater-swamps-area-roads/article_ee59eafd-6cfd-5b98-9a92-2f4fa7675afb.html / Storm Water

  All five bridges over the Neshaminy Creek in Northampton are closed, cutting off easy passage from Newtown to Richboro, Executive Editor Pat Walker reports from the road.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  2 new leaks found in Reading sewer main / Pathogens / Compliance

  Two new leaks were discovered Monday in the city's 42-inch main taking sewage to the treatment plant on Fritz's Island - bringing to five the number of leaks discovered in three weeks.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

  » Full Article

  City ponders 600-foot sewage-pipe fix / Pathogens / Compliance

  Repairs of Reading's latest leaks in its massive sewer main got under way early Wednesday, even as city officials consider new ways to keep the old pipe from causing more havoc downstream on the Schuylkill River.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Conservation district promotes rain barrels to save water / Storm Water

  The conservation district started selling 55-gallon barrels 11/2 years ago after people began asking where they could get containers to hold a large quantity of water.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Reading's sewer troubles test Pottstown officials / Pathogens / Compliance

  The latest diversion, which maintenance crews finally patched up at 4:30 a.m. Thursday, sent nearly 50,000 gallons per hour of sludge flowing into the river, which is the primary water source for Pottstown, Phoenixville, Royersford, and Philadelphia.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Upper Merion sets standard for Conshohocken waterfront plans / General

  BRIDGEPORT — Standing against the banks of the Schuylkill River, Upper Merion Boat Club Commodore Joe Hartnett wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and mused, “it’s a good thing we have here.”

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Whitemarsh approves long-term waterfront plan / General

  WHITEMARSH — The board of supervisors unanimously approved a course of action for the town’s waterfront last week, complete with plans for a bike trail, boat launches and fishing piers.

• Wed Sep 28, 2011

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  Grant helps bridge gap in Schuylkill River Trail / General

  A proposed trail over a Manayunk bridge would soon give walkers and bikers a safer link to Philadelphia from the Schuylkill River Trail, which runs through Berks County.

• Fri Sep 23, 2011

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  Cleanup at Blue Marsh Lake set for Saturday / General

  Blue Marsh Lake will take part Saturday in this year's 18th annual National Public Lands Day, the largest annual volunteer restoration activity of its kind.

• Mon Sep 12, 2011

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  While creeping development brings flooding, change is slow and costly / Storm Water

  While Irene was an extreme event, the threat of flooding streams in far lesser storms is growing. Rainfall is trending upward, records show, and development is creeping forward, too. Even though new rules are aimed at buffering the effects of construction, officials across the region are bracing for more flooding in the future.

• Tue Aug 30, 2011

  » Full Article

  In wake of Irene, flood fears paramount in Pa. Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20110828_ap_inwakeofirenefloodfearsparamountinpa.html#ixzz1WWG5Z7fz Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else / Storm Water

  It was another river, the Schuylkill, that wreaked havoc on Sunday, cresting to more than 15 feet in Norristown and inundating homes with muddy water.

• Tue Aug 30, 2011

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill floods through intake pumping station on Kelly Drive, no risk reported / Storm Water

  In the wake of Hurricane Irene, curious onlookers could see a rushing Schuylkill River filling the Philadelphia Water Department intake station on Kelly Drive. A ladder served as a bridge for workers moving about in the facility above sand bags and brown flooding.

• Fri Aug 26, 2011

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  Phila. region warned of historic flooding / Storm Water

  As Philadelphia and its suburban counties prepared for flooding and high winds from Hurricane Irene this weekend, Mayor Nutter warned Thursday that the storm could be the worst to hit the area in a half-century.

• Fri Aug 26, 2011

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  West Penn accepts sewage plan draft for review / Pathogens / Compliance

  The West Penn Township planning commission accepted the Act 537 draft for review on Tuesday evening at the municipal building. Act 537 is part of the Clean Streams Law created to regulate sewage and other pollutants that go into the waters of Pennsylvania, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is requiring for something to be done about the more than 200 failing waste systems secreting raw sewage in the waterways of Andreas, Clamtown, Reynolds, Snyders and South Tamaqua.

• Thu Aug 25, 2011

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  Weekend Arts: Schuylkill River Heritage Area art show coming Aug. 30 / General

  POTTSTOWN — The sixth annual "Scenes of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area" art show is set to open on Aug. 30, featuring a record number of original works juried by a Philadelphia Museum of Art curator.

• Thu Aug 25, 2011

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  Venice Island work has begun / Storm Water

  Work began on Monday, Aug. 22 on the Philadelphia Water Department’s Venice Island Underground Storage Basin project. The site is located between Manayunk Canal and the Lock and Cotton Street bridges in Manayunk.

• Thu Aug 25, 2011

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  Penn State students volunteer services to create trail around Silver Creek / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  NEW PHILADELPHIA - In an effort to give back to the community, students from Penn State Schuylkill volunteered their time Sunday building a trail at an abandoned mine drainage treatment system.

• Thu Aug 25, 2011

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  Tamaqua receives update on "wildcat" sewers issue / Pathogens / Compliance

  Tamaqua Borough Council heard an update last week concerning "wildcat" sewers discovered in the borough. The update was provided by Assistant to the Borough Manager Rob Jones during council's monthly meeting.

• Thu Aug 25, 2011

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  PEMA Urges Pennsylvanians to Prepare for Hurricane Irene / General

  HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency today urged Pennsylvanians to prepare for expected high winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Irene this weekend. Although the storm is expected to primarily impact southeastern Pennsylvania, residents across the state should remain alert and be prepared.

• Mon Aug 22, 2011

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  Columnaris disease shows up on Schuylkill, Delaware / General

  The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has announced that a few smallmouth bass fingerlings in the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers showed signs of disease during electro-fishing surveys taken July 18 of Young-Of-The-Year smallmouth bass.

• Fri Aug 19, 2011

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  Water Bill Issues Swamp Customers / Storm Water

  Fox 29 has received dozens of calls from Philadelphia Water Department customers who received huge bills after the department apparently didn’t change batteries in water meters.

• Tue Aug 16, 2011

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  Nutter in Rio with EPA to teach, learn about green development / Storm Water

  Mayor Nutter and the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are in Rio de Janeiro this week to listen, learn, and lend their expertise on green development as one of the world's premier cities embarks on a $200 billion reinvention of its infrastructure.

• Wed Aug 17, 2011

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  High bacteria count closes Blue Marsh beach / Pathogens / Compliance

  Blue Marsh Lake closed its swimming beach indefinitely Tuesday because of high bacteria counts.

• Fri Aug 19, 2011

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  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=326275 / Pathogens / Compliance

  The Reading Area Water Authority on Monday lifted its warning for certain customers to not drink water from its system because of high levels of manganese.

• Mon Aug 8, 2011

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  A RARE FISH STORY / General

  Local angler reels in relative of piranha in Schuylkill

• Mon Aug 8, 2011

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  Join a digital census of Philly's trees / Storm Water

  Two years ago, Robert Cheetham applied for a $90,000 government grant built around a question as old as the practice of urban planning: What can a tree do for a neighborhood?

• Thu Aug 4, 2011

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  Cool it ... on the city's growing number of green roofs / Storm Water

  With the recent heat wave, Philadelphia’s urban landscape has been baking hot, leaving everyone desperate for the slightest hint of relief. A handful of buildings around the city and region are a little cooler than their neighbors, because they use a sun-sheltering technique known as “green roofs.”

• Thu Aug 4, 2011

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  Interim manager gets job for good / General

  The Berks County Conservation District board voted unanimously Wednesday to give interim district Manager Daniel J. Greig full-time status effective Oct. 1.

• Thu Aug 4, 2011

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  Reading tree program to get dedicated funding / Storm Water

  Trees will have a special place in Reading's finances next year, Frank Dembowski announced at a city Shade Tree Committee meeting Monday.

• Thu Aug 4, 2011

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  HEREFORD TWP.: Watershed rules filter in from Lehigh / Storm Water

  Because the Perkiomen Creek flows out of Hereford Township into Lehigh County, township officials are being advised they have to adopt the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's watershed storm water ordinance by Oct. 1.

• Thu Aug 4, 2011

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  One Great Idea- One Piece a Day for Philadelphia / Education and Outreach

  One piece of litter a day for Philadelphia

• Tue Jul 19, 2011

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  New and Improved EPA Website on Nitrogen & Phosphorus Pollution / Pathogens / Compliance

  To facilitate state and local efforts to reduce nutrient pollution, EPA is releasing a new Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool.

• Tue Jul 19, 2011

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  Water Pollution Utility, State Officials Urge EPA to Consider Improved Technology in Sewer Overflow Rule / Pathogens / Compliance

  Wastewater utility representatives and state officials have urged the Environmental Protection Agency to consider advances in technology, including various types of chemical treatment, in crafting a comprehensive rule to deal with sanitary sewer overflows.

• Mon Jul 18, 2011

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  Campaign to protect Schuylkill River from storm drain dumping / Storm Water

  Inspired by an effort in Philadelphia to stop dumping into drains like these, Blackmon and a group of volunteers from the Schuylkill YMCA in Pottsville are planning to post 150 plastic stickers 6 inches in diameter on streets near them.

• Mon Jul 18, 2011

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  U.S. House members introduce legislation to protect and improve the Delaware River Basin / General

  WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of 10 U.S. Representatives from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania introduced legislation on June 24 to enhance habitat, water quality and flood control improvements for fish, wildlife and people in the Delaware River Basin.

• Tue Jul 12, 2011

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  Million people use Schuylkill River Trail annually / General

  The Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation has been monitoring a six-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail in Fairmount Park for more than a year now. The results show a daily average of about 2,800 people use the trail. Over a year, that adds up to just over a million users.

• Mon Jul 11, 2011

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  Congress considers muddying Clean Water Act / General

  THIS JUST IN: Rivers often cross state boundaries. In fact, some rivers actually are state boundaries.

• Mon Jul 11, 2011

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  Tracking, predicting & planning for sea-level rise / General

  The good news: The drive to the beach is getting shorter. The bad news is the time isn’t shrinking, but the distance. Scientists increasingly believe sea level is on the rise, and have rising evidence to prove it. BENJAMIN P. HORTON, director of the Sea Level Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, recently announced that the rate of sea-level rise along the East Coast in the last 100 years has been the fastest of the last 2,000 years. His team studied microscopic fossils of depth-dependent species in East Coast salt marshes, creating an underwater parallel for the tree-ring analysis long relied upon by landlocked climate scientists. Likewise, RAYMOND NAJJAR, professor of meteorology at Penn State, has studied how climate change and sea-level rise are shaping up to affect the East Coast, with an emphasis on the estuaries. And governments are already preparing for sea-level rise, especially including Delaware, a tiny state dominated by shoreline along the Delaware Bay, Atlantic Ocean and inland waterways, all vulnerable to sea-level rise. Leading the First State’s planning for sea-level rise is SARAH COOKSEY, manager of Delaware Coastal Programs.

• Mon Jul 11, 2011

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  Nuke plant applies for license to operate 20 more years / General

  LIMERICK — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Thursday that the application to extend for 20 years the operating license for Exelon Nuclear's Limerick Generating Station is available for public review.

• Mon Jul 11, 2011

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  Limerick farm hosts Rep. Gerlach for open space push / Watershed Land Collaborative

  LIMERICK — It may not have been baseball and apple pie, but it's hard to get more American than Christmas trees and blueberry pie (with a little Phillies baseball and beer thrown in for good measure.)

• Mon Jul 11, 2011

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  MCCC begins work on second phase of Riverfront Center / General

  POTTSTOWN — Montgomery County Community College is in phase II of a renovation that will transform 140 College Drive — the future home of the Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center, into a state-of-the-art educational center.

• Thu Jul 7, 2011

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  EPA Releases New Online Training Module on Water Quality Standards / General

  EPA Releases New Online Training Module on Water Quality Standards A new online training module intended to encourage and facilitate public involvement in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Quality Standards program is now available on EPA's website. "How to Develop and Implement Public Involvement Programs and Practices"

• Mon Jun 27, 2011

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  Users want more say in expansion plan for Schuylkill Banks park / General

  If a good park is defined by the variety of users it attracts, then Schuylkill Banks in Center City is one of the best. On any given day, the narrow waterfront trail is crammed with strollers, joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, Segway riders, sunbathers, and people just trying to find a quiet spot to read a book.

• Wed Jul 20, 2011

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  July 20-22: Outdoor Classroom Teacher Workshop / Storm Water

  Investigate how to use your school grounds to improve the Environment and create learning opportunities for your students at the 2011 SAN Outdoor Classroom Workshop:. - Garden with native plants & create habitat for pollinators - Use streams, ponds, meadows and forests for scientific investigations - Learn about project opportunities for your school - Build your own green roof model - Hear and learn from principals and designers about innovative outdoor classroom design - Receive money for schoolyard landscaping & classroom materials

• Thu Jul 14, 2011

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  EPA to Hold Public Meeting to Gain Stakeholder Input on Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Peak Weather Discharges / Pathogens / Compliance

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a workshop to solicit stakeholder input on strengthening the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program’s approach to regulating sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and peak wet weather discharges at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The workshop will include a facilitated discussion with representatives of interested stakeholder groups, including those organizations that represent POTWs, state NPDES permitting authorities, and nonprofit environmental groups. Interested members of the public are invited to attend the workshop and offer verbal comments at designated times during the workshop or submit written comments to the Agency.

• Tue Jun 21, 2011

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  Secrets of the Schuylkill River Tour / Education and Outreach

  Come aboard the RiverLoop and discover the Schuylkill River. Take a one-hour fun and fact-filled guided tour that highlights the past, present and future of the Hidden River. Discover the sights, sounds, and history of the river, from the early 1700s at historic Bartram's Garden, to the 1800s at the Fairmount Water Works, to award-winning 21st century skyscrapers.

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  A tiny step forward for green roofs in Philadelphia / Storm Water

  The city's newest green roof is also, in all likelihood, its smallest and oddest - a cheerful puff of plant life atop a bus-stop shelter at 15th and Market Streets.

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Green roofs: That bus stop shelter is only the beginning / Storm Water

  A doghouse with a green roof? The Philadelphia Water Department's Chris Crockett says he's seen one. A little balcony with a green roof? Roofmeadows founder and president Charlie Miller says he's sure there is one. Yep, green roofs certainly seem to be taking off, as evidenced by today's formal unveiling of the city's newest -- as well as likely its smallest and oddest -- green roof, atop a bus stop shelter at 15th and Market. You can read about it here

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Mayor says Greenworks plan is making progress / Storm Water

  Two years ago, Philadelphia Mayor Nutter released an ambitious plan, Greenworks, which he said was aimed at making the city the greenest in the nation. At the time, I thought he was speaking figuratively. What about Seattle? What about Chicago? So I asked. He said, no, he meant it literally. Today, the mayor released the second annual progress report, which says that 89 percent of the 151 initiatives have either been started or completed.

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Waiting for the rain: Green-topped bus stop a first in Philly / Storm Water

  A new bus shelter topped with a green roof was unveiled Wednesday at 15th and Market streets in Philadelphia. It's designed to absorb rain, keeping it out of the storm sewer system. (Dillon Buckley/ For NewsWorks)

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Philly officials still don't know where iodine in water coming from / Pathogens / Compliance

  Officials say two-and-a-half months after learning of its presence, they still have not pinpointed the source of Iodine-131 in Philadelphia's drinking water.

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Nutter lauds 'green' work, pledges to do more / Storm Water

  Minutes after Mayor Nutter crowed about the city's environmental accomplishments and goals, several residents walking in Center City yesterday offered lukewarm support for Nutter's effort to make Philadelphia the "greenest city in America" by 2015.

• Fri Jun 17, 2011

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  Group uses skills to help promote Summit Bechtel Reserve, a new high-adventure Scout camp / General

  Being good stewards means the climbers utilize their skills to help with community projects, like the Schuylkill Scrub. On May 22, crew members cleaned up an abandoned campground near Route 82 in the Haycreek Watershed area. Also, several members will visit SBR this summer to help with trailblazing.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Researcher Values Delaware Estuary At $10 Billion Or More / Education and Outreach

  Environmentalists would say the Delaware River and Bay are priceless natural resources, But a new study attaches a price tag to them anyway.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Delaware Estuary: $10 billion and counting / Education and Outreach

  After the 2004 oil spill from the tanker, Athos 1, at Paulsboro, officials had to figure out the dollar value of the harm done to more than 100 miles of shoreline, of the lost recreational opportunities, of the harm to fish and birds and other organisms.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Storm-water solution / Storm Water

  Having Philadelphia hailed by influential environmental groups for its plan to deal with storm runoff that contributes to water pollution is a win-win for the city.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Chestnut Hill College to launch $500 million expansion / Storm Water

  After a year and a half of negotiations with community organizations, Chestnut Hill College, a small coed institution on the northwest edge of Philadelphia, is set to move ahead with a long-term development plan, despite the lingering concerns of two neighborhood groups.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Delaware pushes conservation in the river basin / Education and Outreach

  If the Delaware River is worth $20 billion to the economies from the Catskills to Cape Henlopen, would a coordinated conservation effort make it more valuable?

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

  » Full Article

  Pa. proposes tougher regulations on natural gas industry / Pathogens / Compliance

  Pennsylvania environmental regulators want tougher penalties for natural gas drillers who violate state laws. In a letter to the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, the head of the Department of Environmental Protection proposes strengthening regulations.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

  » Full Article

  Creekside property owners asked to watch for invasive water plant / General

  Creekside property owners and owners of ponds who live near the Perkiomen and Unami creeks are being asked to look out for European water chestnuts.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

  » Full Article

  230 paddlers to sojourn on Schuylkill / Education and Outreach

  The 13th Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn, a 113-mile canoe and kayak journey down the river, is fast approaching.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

  » Full Article

  Perkasie ready to begin creek erosion project / Storm Water

  ?Perkasie will begin work this summer on a plan to help curb erosion along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek in Lenape Park.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

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  Water chestnut invasion / General

  The region’s lakes, creeks and waterways are? once again under attack. Warm weather signals the annual arrival of the water chestnut, an aggressive, non-native plant that can damage habitats, clog waterways, hinder recreational activities and cause havoc for water treatment facilities.

• Sat Jun 4, 2011

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill River Sojourners launch from Haven / General

  SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - More than 100 paddlers launched from The Island in Schuylkill Haven on Saturday morning and will join about 230 total participants of the 13th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn.

• Sun Jun 5, 2011

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  Schuylkill River Sojourn crosses Berks / General

  The annual Schuylkill River Sojourn floated through the heart of Berks County on Monday with more than 100 canoeists and kayakers spending a day out on the water.

• Wed Jun 8, 2011

  » Full Article

  Sojourners Coming, Along with Ceremony on Canal Acquisition / General

  For the 13th year, paddlers will hop in kayaks and canoes and make their way on a 112-mile journey down the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill Haven to the city’s Boathouse Row. The Schuylkill Canal serves as home for an evening, and sojourners set up tents and settle in along the water.

• Thu Jun 2, 2011

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  Philadelphia moves ahead with 25-year water-management plan / Storm Water

  Philadelphia got the green light Wednesday for a $2 billion storm-water plan that will transform the way the city deals with rain.

• Thu Jun 2, 2011

  » Full Article

  A Rain Garden? Good for the Environment? / Storm Water

  We didn't know what a rain garden was either, but when we did we knew it'd be perfect for NBC 10's green efforts. Find out what a rain garden is--and how it benefits the earth.

• Thu Jun 2, 2011

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  Stormwater plan puts Philly on leading edge of green / Storm Water

  It has taken nearly three years, but Philadelphia's ambitious plan for controlling stormwater has just won approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The city's 25-year, $2 billion plan aims to reduce rainwater runoff into sewers by 85 percent largely using "green infrastructure," but at a cost to ratepayers.

• Mon May 16, 2011

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  City property owners, water department reach deal on storm water fees / Storm Water

  A group of city property owners has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Water Department to provide relief from skyrocketing fees for storm-water management, the department and the business group said Thursday.

• Wed May 11, 2011

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  Water Department crowns neighborhood spokesdogs / Education and Outreach

  After months of online submissions and voting, two eco-friendly dogs have stepped into the spotlight for a rare opportunity to help keep Philadelphia's waterways clean.

• Wed May 11, 2011

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  Is that my street leaking? / Storm Water

  In its ongoing quest to help rain water seep back into the ground -- and not gush into the sewer system, overwhelming it -- the city Water Department has enlisted a number of tactics, from special street tree tubs that retain water to a new fee structure that rewards businesses with "greener" landscaping practices.

• Wed May 11, 2011

  » Full Article

  Porous street unveiled in South Philly / Storm Water

  Tired of trying to navigate your car through flooded roadways when it rains or trying to walk across street puddles that resemble miniature lakes? Imagine a city where you didn't have to wear knee-high water boots when it rained, or worry about backed-up sewer systems creating havoc on your block - because your street suddenly became a sponge.

• Mon May 9, 2011

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  Monsters from the deep dark ... Schuylkill / General

  The fisheries scientist at the Academy of Natural Sciences knows all about the the snakehead fish that first showed its pointy head and siky grin in FDR Park in 2004. Dubbed a "Frankenfish," it's ugly and it gobbles down native species.

• Mon May 9, 2011

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  Drinking Water Week: Students recognized for protecting drinking water / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 6, 2011 -- The EPA has recognized three schools and an individual in the Schuylkill River Watershed for developing educational environmental projects that help protect drinking water.

• Mon May 9, 2011

  » Full Article

  City water officials can't find source of iodine in water / General

  PHILADELPHIA'S TAP water has been laced with fluctuating levels of radioactive iodine since at least 2007, but city officials say they only recently learned of the problem.

• Fri May 6, 2011

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  Students Recognized For Protecting Drinking Water / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA (May 5, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized three schools and an individual in the Schuylkill River Watershed today for developing educational environmental projects that help protect drinking water.

• Sun May 15, 2011

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  10th annual Bear Creek Festival- Sunday, May 15th (Schuylkill County Fairgrounds) / Education and Outreach

  The Bear Creek Festival will be held Sunday, May 15 at 12:00-4:00 at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds. The festival is free to attend and includes exciting exhibits, educational activities, and displays!

• Mon May 2, 2011

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  Governor Corbett Announces 2011 Environmental Excellence Awards Winners / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  HARRISBURG, Pa., April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced that 13 environmental projects from across the state will be awarded the 2011 Environmental Excellence Award.

• Mon May 2, 2011

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  Schuylkill watershed to get a spring cleaning / Education and Outreach

  Areas near the Schuylkill River and local parks are getting a good spring cleaning. Members of the Schuylkill Action Network are coordinating the "Schuylkill Scrub," an initiative to remove trash and other debris from parks and other public areas where it could reach drinking water sources

• Mon May 2, 2011

  » Full Article

  Project to protect Schuylkill's headwaters honored by state / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett today announced that 13 environmental projects from across the state will be awarded the 2011 Environmental Excellence Award. The projects include abandoned mine drainage reclamation, solar panel installation, and reducing the environmental impact of glass processing.

• Mon May 2, 2011

  » Full Article

  Growing Greener fund is worth saving / General

  At a time when natural-gas drilling poses a threat to so many Pennsylvania communities’ rivers, streams, lakes, and drinking-water supplies, Harrisburg lawmakers cannot permit the state’s open-space and environmental cleanup effort to run dry.

• Mon May 2, 2011

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  Restoring Old Strip Mine Land / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  In Schuylkill County a project is underway to restore land scarred by coal strip mining. Several environmental groups teamed up with volunteers Friday to meet on what was once a strip mine near Minersville. The strip mine hole has been filled in and the mission was to plant trees to help restore the land.

• Thu Apr 28, 2011

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  Water Dept. says drinking water being treated and is safe / General

  The good news is that Philadelphia’s drinking water is safe. The bad news is that radioactive iodine did get into the city’s drinking water, although at levels too low to cause health problems.

• Thu Apr 28, 2011

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  Wetlands development proceeding smoothly / Storm Water

  The Philadelphia Water Department is proceeding with its two local wetlands projects, one located on Cathedral Rd. below Courtesy Stables and the other near the intersection of Henry Ave. and Wises Mill Rd.

• Thu Apr 28, 2011

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  ‘Schuylkill Scrub’ looking for local scrubbers / Education and Outreach

  In order to present a program that could have a lasting impact and involve as many groups and volunteers as possible, the Schuylkill Action Network will present the second annual Schuylkill Scrub, a cleanup effort running through May 31 that stretches all along the 301 miles of the Schuylkill River.

• Mon Apr 25, 2011

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill Scrub: Gettin' down and clean / General

  They'll be rescuing Robeson's roadsides. Picking up along the Perkiomen. Foraging for foreign objects in French Creek. Want to feel like you're part of a movement? Check out www.SchuylkillScrub.org, which is a new website aiming to bring the diverse spring waterway clean-up community into one big organized whole.

• Mon Apr 25, 2011

  » Full Article

  Earth Day: Partners Aim To Scrub Schuylkill River Clean / General

  Environmental groups throughout Southeast Pennsylvania have teamed up to promote river cleanups during a campaign called the Schuylkill Scrub on April 15 to May 31.

• Mon Apr 25, 2011

  » Full Article

  Philly still awaits OK on green stormwater plan / Storm Water

  Philadelphia officials had been hoping for a big announcement in time for Earth Day - the one that would say their 25-year, $2 billion plan for managing stormwater using trees, rain gardens, and other such "green infrastructure" had been approved.

• Mon Apr 25, 2011

  » Full Article

  Pa. urges curbs on Marcellus Shale wastewater / Pathogens / Compliance

  Pennsylvania regulators on Tuesday called on Marcellus Shale natural-gas drillers to stop sending wastewater to 15 treatment plants, citing an increased risk of contaminating public drinking water supplies.

• Wed Apr 20, 2011

  » Full Article

  $31M green transformation for Community College of Phila / Storm Water

  Perhaps the greenest undertaking at the Community College of Philadelphia's Northeast Regional Center will be invisible to visitors at today's formal opening. It's 220 geothermal wells, each 400 feet deep, that will provide heating and cooling for the new facility. But that's only part of a $31 million green transformation at the center. A storm water runoff and retention system can capture and filter rainwater that is rerouted to be used for flushing. Two retention basins on the property can hold up to 300,000 gallons of storm runoff from the NERC and neighboring residential properties, lessening the burden on the city stormwater system.

• Wed Apr 20, 2011

  » Full Article

  Help 'scrub' the Schuylkill; Participate in area cleanups / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — Environmental groups throughout Southeast Pennsylvania have teamed up to promote river cleanups during a campaign called the Schuylkill Scrub stretching from April 15 to May 31.

• Wed Apr 20, 2011

  » Full Article

  Pa. drillers told to stop sending wastewater to treatment plants / Pathogens / Compliance

  Pennsylvania regulators on Tuesday called on Marcellus Shale natural gas drillers to stop sending wastewater to 15 treatment plants, citing an increased risk of contaminating public drinking water.

• Sat Apr 16, 2011

  » Full Article

  Philly Spokesdog Video on FYI Philly / Education and Outreach

  Philly Spokesdog Video on FYI Philly

• Wed Mar 30, 2011

  » Full Article

  A Philadelphia conference ponders the future of water / Education and Outreach

  From the safety of dry land in Philadelphia, tsunamis in Japan, floods in New Orleans, multiyear droughts in San Diego, and fracking mishaps in Western Pennsylvania might look like other people's problems. But the water issues confronting this region in the near future will be no less severe, or costly to remedy.

• » Full Article

  Schuylkill Watershed economic plan to be revealed in Thursday meeting / General

  DOUGLASSVILLE — An economic development plan for the area of the Schuylkill Watershed from Valley Forge to Reading will be held Thursday afternoon at the White Horse Inn in Morlattan Village from 4 to 6 p.m.

• Fri Mar 25, 2011

  » Full Article

  Toad Detour is 'point of pride' in Roxborough / General

  Toad migration has begun in upper Roxborough. As the weather warms, thousands of Philadelphia toads return to their birthplace, the Roxborough Reservoir, to mate.

• Mon Mar 21, 2011

  » Full Article

  Meeting highlights value of open space / Watershed Land Collaborative

  POTTSTOWN — Although no one actually said it, listening to a presentation about a report on the economic value of preserved open space Saturday, it wasn’t hard to imagine someone reprising the old Bill Clinton campaign theme — “it’s the economy stupid.”

• Mon Mar 21, 2011

  » Full Article

  National Penn donates $20,000 to MCCC, SRHA / General

  POTTSTOWN — National Penn Bank recently presented a $20,000 check to the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and Montgomery County Community College to support of the development of the Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center in Pottstown.

• Tue Mar 15, 2011

  » Full Article

  Upper Gwynedd is improving creek health, saving cash with UV system / Pathogens / Compliance

  UPPER GWYNEDD — As part of its 2011 budget deliberations, township officials allocated approximately $1.2 million to implement an Ultra Violet Disinfection System at the Upper Gwynedd Township’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.

• Fri Mar 4, 2011

  » Full Article

  Delaware River Basin Tour- Take the free online trip / Education and Outreach

  Google Earth fly-over the of the Delaware River Basin

• Wed Feb 16, 2011

  » Full Article

  Bill Uhrich: Bald eagles in Berks have continuing success / Education and Outreach

  Once again the Philadelphia Eagles broke our hearts with another late-season collapse and early exit from the playoffs. Good thing our Berks County bald eagles make up for that disappointment.

• Wed Feb 23, 2011

  » Full Article

  N.Y. May Have Westminster, But Phila. Has Philly Water’s Best Friend / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — Voters have until Feb. 28—less than two weeks—to decide which dogs will be finalists in the Philadelphia Water Department’s new spokesdog competition.

• Wed Feb 23, 2011

  » Full Article

  Cash, Prizes Up for Grabs in Student Art Contest / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Water Department is accepting both drawings and videos for a student art competition ending on Feb. 25.

• Tue Feb 22, 2011

  » Full Article

  Grants available for forest landowners / Watershed Land Collaborative

  REGION — The forests that cover much of the land area of the northern half of the Delaware River Basin are largely responsible for the excellent quality of water that comes from the basin, which provides drinking water to 15 million people. Maintaining the health of the forests is therefore vitally linked to maintaining the quality of the water. A new $1 million fund was announced on February 14 that will provide grants of up to $25,000 for qualified forest landowners to help them take steps that protect the forests. The Common Waters Fund grants can be used to help implement forest stewardship plans, watershed forestry management practices, and/or conservation easements over the next two years.

• Tue Feb 15, 2011

  » Full Article

  Conservation agency gets almost $100,000 in grants / General

  The Berks County Conservation District has received state grants totaling nearly $100,000 for three environmental conservation projects.

• Fri Feb 4, 2011

  » Full Article

  Groups get funding for conservation, tourism projects / General

  Five Berks County tourism and conservation projects have received funding through the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the Natural Lands Trust.

• Sat Mar 12, 2011

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill Watershed Congress Scholarship Applications / Education and Outreach

  The SAN will be providing a limited number of Scholarships to the 2011 Schuylkill Watershed Congress on March 12, 2011. Apply Now

• Mon Jan 17, 2011

  » Full Article

  120 polar bears 'a part of the Pottstown experience' / Education and Outreach

  POTTSTOWN — It would be impossible to say if this year's New Year's Day festivities in Riverfront Park were twice as good as the year before. But we can say with certainty that more than double the number of people who jumped into the Schuylkill River last year jumped in this year.

• Fri Jan 7, 2011

  » Full Article

  Governor: Growing Greener projects show measurable improvement in state's environment / General

  HARRISBURG — In announcing the latest round of Growing Greener grants — as well as funding from the federal government — Gov. Edward G. Rendell said today that the commonwealth is investing in projects that provide visible and measurable improvements to the environment despite the increasingly limited nature of the funds.

• Thu Jan 6, 2011

  » Full Article

  The Schuylkill River Movie – Starring YOU! / Education and Outreach

  Are you a student who lives or attends school in the Schuylkill River watershed? Do you enjoy activities along the Schuylkill River or one of the streams that flow into it? Have you ever left a movie theater thinking, “I could make movies”? If you answered yes to these questions, then the Schuylkill Action Network wants YOU to make a film!

• Wed Jan 5, 2011

  » Full Article

  Water dept. seeks Philly Water's Best Friend / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Water Department is asking the public's help in choosing its new spokesdog. The department has started the pageant, which features 80 dog owners and their pooches, to find a representative who will promote responsible pet waste management.

• Sun Dec 19, 2010

  » Full Article

  Norco to put $232,000 from grant toward open space / Watershed Land Collaborative

  NORTH COVENTRY — Township officials received word recently that partial funding of three Chester County grant requests will help offset the cost of purchasing three major open space parcels.

• Mon Jan 3, 2011

  » Full Article

  Report shows Pa. waterways still threatened / Planning

  A new report submitted to the federal government this week showed that despite progress to clean up rivers, streams, lakes and other waterways in Pennsylvania, these resources are still threatened.

• Wed Dec 29, 2010

  » Full Article

  Berks County Conservation District giving rain barrels to Scouts / Storm Water

  The Berks County Conservation District has approved expanding its "going green" partnerships by donating four 55-gallon rain barrels to the Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation.

• Mon Jan 31, 2011

  » Full Article

  Taste the the Summit: January 31, 2010 / Education and Outreach

  Join us for just a day of the Delaware Estuary Science and Environmental Summit. Reading Area Community College will be hosting a satellite location with a live feed from the Summit.

• Tue Dec 14, 2010

  » Full Article

  Upper Providence dog park brings controversy / Education and Outreach

  oger "Bo" Reynolds Jr. left behind $100,000 in his will to establish a dog park in Upper Providence. Now, three years after its opening, what the park's four-legged users are leaving behind threatens its existence.

• Thu Dec 9, 2010

  » Full Article

  Delaware River Basin Commission posts proposed Marcellus Shale rules / Planning

  The Delaware River Basin Commission on Thursday proposed natural gas drilling rules in its four-state watershed that are tougher than those in the rest of Pennsylvania but that promise to do little to stem the intense wrangling over how to regulate the growing industry. The commission anticipates as many as 10,000 wells could be drilled in the watershed it oversees, primarily in northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York state, and its action inches those wells closer to reality.

• Tue Dec 7, 2010

  » Full Article

  Green 2015 plan blossoms in Philadelphia / Storm Water

  Green 2015 plan blossoms in Philadelphia

• Thu Dec 2, 2010

  » Full Article

  Boards seek to solve water problems at park / Storm Water

  The Cumru Township Environmental Advisory Council and Parks and Recreation Board held a joint meeting Wednesday to develop a landscape and beautification plan for Warren Recreation Center at Welsh and Church roads.

• Wed Dec 1, 2010

  » Full Article

  Truck rolls, spills fuel into creek / General

  A eastbound tractor-trailer crashed and rolled onto its side Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 78 in Upper Bern Township, but no one was seriously injured, authorities said.

• Sun Nov 21, 2010

  » Full Article

  Report: Open spaces have positive financial impact / Watershed Land Collaborative

  Conservation and planning leaders have released a new study demonstrating for the first time that preserved open space throughout southeastern Pennsylvania generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits.

• Thu Nov 11, 2010

  » Full Article

  Drugs to Energy…a Solution for Unwanted Pharmaceuticals / Pathogens / Compliance

  What do you do with expired medicine in your medicine cabinet? How do you dispose of pharmaceuticals you no longer need? If you’re like most Americans, you’ve been told to flush them, wash them down the sink, or throw them in the trash. But recent studies show that our unwanted drugs are ending up in our fresh water supplies, and it doesn’t take a doctor or scientist to know that it isn’t healthy for us to ingest medicine that isn’t meant for us. It’s a health risk and an environmental hazard to wildlife. Today we will talk with the Vice President of Environmental Science and Community Affairs for Covanta Energy about his company’s solution to this problem, and Paul Ritter, a high school science teacher who lead his students to create a model community program for safely disposing of unwanted pharmaceuticals that is gaining national attention. If your community does not have a drug take-back program, listen to Go Green Radio to learn how to change that!

• Mon Nov 15, 2010

  » Full Article

  Water-saving in the north-east / Storm Water

  Green-infrastructure ideas are also taking root in places as far apart as Kansas City, Milwaukee, Portland and Washington, DC. In California, where droughts make salvaging rainwater especially wise, a new statewide green building code will take effect on January 1st 2011. But the most comprehensive scheme so far comes from Philadelphia, which is seeking EPA approval for its 25-year, $2 billion approach to “green” at least a third of the city’s impervious cover. If approval is granted, this will be the first plan that officially meets federal clean-water guidelines.

• Fri Nov 12, 2010

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill River Heritage gets grant for trails, ecotourism / Planning

  POTTSTOWN — The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has received a $185,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to benefit Schuylkill River Trail projects, ecotourism initiatives, recreational amenities and various other programs throughout the five-county region.

• Wed Nov 10, 2010

  » Full Article

  Conservancy Challenges County To Go Greener / Education and Outreach

  WYOMISSING, Pa. -- An environmental group is challenging Berks County to go greener. The Berks County Conservancy is urging schools, municipalities, and county residents to take some simple steps to help the environment.

• Wed Nov 10, 2010

  » Full Article

  Engineers discuss new storm-water rules / Storm Water

  About 150 storm-water engineers from around the region met Tuesday in Berks County to discuss changes to state regulations. The meeting, hosted by the Berks County Conservation District at the Berks County Agriculture Center in Bern Township, helped prepare engineers for the change in regulations that will take place next month.

• Thu Nov 4, 2010

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill Stories Contest seeks student videos / Education and Outreach

  PHILADELPHIA — The Schuylkill Action Network has launched two contests for students of all ages, and the theme of both is the Schuylkill River.

• Mon Nov 1, 2010

  » Full Article

  Azavea Creates Web-Based Support System For Philadelphia's Green Stormwater Program / Storm Water

  Azavea this week announced the launch of PhillyStormwater.org, a web-based Stormwater Billing application to support the Philadelphia Water Department's Green Stormwater Management Billing Program.

• Mon Oct 25, 2010

  » Full Article

  Trees seen key to restoring water quality in Schuylkill River, expert says / Planning

  Jackson said forests play a key role in the health of streams and tributaries. Some Schuylkill watershed streams have exceptional quality, while others, such as those impacted by acid mine drainage in Schuylkill County, have no living organisms.

• Fri Oct 8, 2010

  » Full Article

  Conservation district back on its feet after losing county funding / General

  Almost a year ago the Berks County Conservation District reorganized after losing its county funding and terminating its staff, but the agency is now going strong, officials said Thursday during a breakfast meeting.

• Fri Oct 8, 2010

  » Full Article

  Conservation Group Hosts Legislative Breakfast / General

  The Berks County Conservation District held its annual legislative breakfast this morning.

• Wed Oct 6, 2010

  » Full Article

  Grants to improve trails, streams, more / General

  The Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the National Lands Trust have awarded $94,000 in grants to 10 projects, including seven in Berks County, to benefit tourism and conservation efforts.

• Tue Oct 5, 2010

  » Full Article

  MORE THAN 700 PLANTS: Maidencreek volunteers plant rain garden to improve water quality / Storm Water

  More than 25 volunteers devoted two Saturdays to planting more than 700 native plants of more than 35 varieties at the Maidencreek Township municipal office. Led by the Maiden Creek Watershed Association, Fleetwood Middle School students, Kutztown University biology club students and local community members were among the volunteers working on the Rain Garden and Rain Barrel Project on Sept. 18 and 25.

• Wed Sep 29, 2010

  » Full Article

  Goldenberg Group volunteers for stormwater basin cleanup / Storm Water

  WHITPAIN — Local developer The Goldenberg Group is working with the Montgomery County Conservation District and the Department of Environmental Protection to protect Plymouth Creek.

• Sat Sep 11, 2010

  » Full Article

  Celebration at Penns Landing Saturday for Pa. Coast Day / Education and Outreach

  The Delaware River along Penn’s Landing will be alive with activity on Saturday.

• Fri Sep 10, 2010

  » Full Article

  DEP Announces Coastal Zone Management Grants to Protect, Preserve Pennsylvania's Shorelines / General

  HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 9 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizations that work to protect and preserve Pennsylvania's coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary will benefit from $1.4 million in Coastal Zone Management Grants that were announced today by Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

• Wed Sep 8, 2010

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill River suffering from water damage / Pathogens / Compliance

  During this hot, dry summer, Mother Nature is not the only entity that has been taxing our streams and rivers. Man — you, me, and some careless and greedy destroyers of the environment — has been doing a number on our local waters.

• Tue Sep 7, 2010

  » Full Article

  Limerick Charity Golf Outing raises $60K for 23 charities / General

  LIMERICK — Exelon Nuclear employees at Limerick Generating Station recently contributed $60,000 to local charities raised at the Seventh Annual Limerick Charity Golf Outing, which has now raised more than $360,000 for area nonprofit organizations over its history.

• Sun Sep 5, 2010

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill Twp. rejects grant for new trail / General

  SCHUYLKILL — A suggestion to apply for a grant that would help the township build a trail around the Freedom Valley YMCA was unanimously rejected recently by township supervisors.

• Mon Aug 30, 2010

  » Full Article

  Merck pays for UG wastewater improvements / Pathogens / Compliance

  UPPER GWYNEDD — The implementation of a dissolved oxygen system at the township's wastewater plant will make the facility more efficient.

• Mon Aug 30, 2010

  » Full Article

  A growing nuisance plagues the Perkiomen / General

  The Perkiomen Watershed may be a safe spot to revel in Mother Nature, but lately its protectors are finding some hangers on crowding out the natural residents.

• Sat Aug 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  Bridgeport banks $1.57M sewer grant / Pathogens / Compliance

  BRIDGEPORT — The vintage Bridgeport sewer system will soon get some much-needed modern tweaking thanks to a relatively sudden gush of funding.

• Fri Aug 20, 2010

  » Full Article

  Watershed plan gets township approval / General

  LOWER PROVIDENCE — Township officials have endorsed the inclusion of the Lower Perkiomen Creek Watershed Conservation plan in the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry.

• Thu Aug 19, 2010

  » Full Article

  A tree makes a difference in Kutztown / Agricultural

  The Berks County Conservancy senior ecologist from Cumru Township coordinated the tree planting effort with help from numerous volunteers in fall 2009, spring 2010 and fall 2010 at the Kutztown Borough Farm to protect the Sacony Creek Watershed.

• Mon Aug 16, 2010

  » Full Article

  Watershed protection plan goes forward / Watershed Land Collaborative

  LOWER PROVIDENCE — Township officials endorsed the inclusion of the Lower Perkiomen Creek Watershed Conservation plan in the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation Registry on Thursday night.

• Mon Aug 9, 2010

  » Full Article

  Watershed group opens treatment system near Silver Creek Mine / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  NEW PHILADELPHIA - The Schuylkill Headwaters organization can boast having taken one more step toward improving its namesake, the Schuylkill River. The organization celebrated on Friday the opening of a water treatment system established on 8 acres of land near the former Silver Creek Mine in New Philadelphia to treat nonpoint source pollution due to mine drainage.

• Mon Aug 9, 2010

  » Full Article

  Plymouth Creek Restoration Project / Storm Water

  A multi-partner demonstration of how using stormwater best management practices can help with flood control, water quality improvement and aesthetic enhancements. An eight acre drainage basin manages runoff from six square miles of parking lot and road adjacent to a large open air shopping center before it passes into Plymouth Creek (and into the Schuylkill River a few miles downstream). This collaborative effort--which included the PA DEP, Montgomery County Conservation District, the owner of the shopping center, and the TreeVitalize program--pooled human and financial resources in a basin retrofit, resulting in better flood control, water quality, and a basin in a more naturalized state.

• Mon Aug 9, 2010

  » Full Article

  Plymouth Creek Restoration Project / Storm Water

  A multi-partner demonstration of how using stormwater best management practices can help with flood control, water quality improvement and aesthetic enhancements. An eight acre drainage basin manages runoff from six square miles of parking lot and road adjacent to a large open air shopping center before it passes into Plymouth Creek (and into the Schuylkill River a few miles downstream). This collaborative effort--which included the PA DEP, Montgomery County Conservation District, the owner of the shopping center, and the TreeVitalize program--pooled human and financial resources in a basin retrofit, resulting in better flood control, water quality, and a basin in a more naturalized state.

• Wed Aug 4, 2010

  » Full Article

  Partnership with WVWA considered / Storm Water

  MONTGOMERY TWP. —While Montgomery Township may have gotten a break on strict new stormwater runoff regulations, it’s already looking at ways to meet another set of requirements from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

• Wed Jul 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  Pennsylvania towns get more time to develop storm-water plans / Storm Water

  After months of trying to impose tough new rules for how towns should manage their storm water, Pennsylvania regulators on Tuesday backed off and granted municipalities a nine-month extension for measures some had termed "draconian."

• Thu Jul 22, 2010

  » Full Article

  Scientists Say We Must Adapt to Save Vital Resources / General

  WILMINGTON, Del. — The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has released a new report describing how increased temperatures, sea level, salt water and storms will affect the future of key natural resources, such as drinking water, wetlands, and shellfish like mussels and oysters. Many of the conclusions could have far-reaching implications for natural-resource management and policy over the coming years and decades.

• Thu Jul 22, 2010

  » Full Article

  New report warns of climate change impact to Delaware Estuary / General

  The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has issued a 118-page report outlining how climate change will affect the Delaware Estuary over the next few decades.

• Wed Jul 14, 2010

  » Full Article

  New fish ladder at Black Rock Dam hopes to bring shad back to area / General

  How do you get a fish to climb a ladder? Why, you build it, of course. That's what's going on right now at the Black Rock Dam where a new fish passageway, which will allow migratory fish such as American shad to continue farther upstream to spawn, was dedicated earlier this month.

• Tue Jul 6, 2010

  » Full Article

  Schuylkill River Heritage Area honored / General

  The Schuylkill River Heritage Area, along with all Pennsylvania State Heritage Areas, was recently inducted into the Governor’s Keystone Society for Tourism — the highest honor the state can confer on a leader of the tourism industry.

• Tue Jun 29, 2010

  » Full Article

  Let the rain soak in: Porous paving systems help cut down on runoff. / Storm Water

  As some municipalities search for solutions to repeated flooding, they've begun looking at pervious or porous paving materials, which allow water to pass through and soak into the ground rather than running off into waterways and roads.

• Tue Jun 29, 2010

  » Full Article

  EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds release: 2009 ANNUAL REPORT / Planning

  The OWOW is one of five program offices within the Office of Water at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC that works to protect and restore the nation’s aquatic ecosystems.

• Tue Jun 29, 2010

  » Full Article

  Tough times spur Union Township family business; Tubing and Rafting on the Schuylkill / Education and Outreach

  A southern Berks County family hit hard by the struggling economy is bouncing back by launching a tubing and rafting business along the Schuylkill River.

• Mon Jun 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  Two tours highlight the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers Read more: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/97137179.html#ixzz0sFxHHisP Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else / Education and Outreach

  MOST OF PHILADELPHIA'S historic sightseeing trails are well-worn, the sights well known. But Philadelphians and tourists alike often overlook two of the city's most important historic trails - the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers.

• Mon Jun 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  Pool probe DEP continues investigation into fish kill / Data Team

  The Borough of Tamaqua is working on a permanent fix to a problem with the wastewater backwash from its community pool that was discovered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

• Mon May 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  Sojourners get to know Perkiomen Creek up close / General

  PERKIOMEN — Dozens of kayaks and canoes bobbed along over a seven-mile stretch of the Perkiomen Creek Saturday for the annual Perkiomen Creek Sojourn.

• Thu Jun 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  Phase One of stormwater management plan completed / Storm Water

  The first phase for a stormwater management plan for Schuylkill County has been completed and a report of the findings was presented by the Benesch engineering firm to township and borough officials at a meeting held Tuesday evening at the courthouse in Pottsville.

• Fri Jun 18, 2010

  » Full Article

  'Fix it first': A case for investing in infrastructure / Storm Water

  POTTSTOWN — Too bad Bob Vila isn't available. The established towns that were the nation's First Suburbs are showing their age. And like "This Old House," these old towns need a little TLC. Part three of four parts on the First Suburbs.

• Fri Jun 18, 2010

  » Full Article

  Blown transformer causes oil to spill into river / General

  POTTSTOWN — Several hundred gallons of oil from an electrical transformer spilled onto South Street Friday morning, some of which escaped down a storm sewer that discharges directly into the Schuylkill River.

• Fri Jun 18, 2010

  » Full Article

  Journeys: Rivers Run Through Us / Education and Outreach

  Philadelphia has more miles of waterfront than Manhattan. So why don’t we think of ourselves as a river town? Our man sailed around the city to find out.

• Thu Jun 17, 2010

  » Full Article

  $2 million fine for fish kills / Pathogens / Compliance

  The owner of a Franconia beef processing plant repeatedly discharged pollutants into the Skippack Creek, the U.S. attorney charged.

• Tue Jun 8, 2010

  » Full Article

  Our Nation Heritage Episode One: The Revolutionary River- 9:00pm June 8th on WHYY / Education and Outreach

  The new documentary about the Schuylkill River region, "Our Nation Heritage Episode One: The Revolutionary River," is scheduled to air on WHYY on Tuesday, June 8 at 9 p.m.

• Tue Jun 1, 2010

  » Full Article

  Fish mystery Officials blame 'slug' of pollutant for large fish kill in Little Schuylkill River / General

  Environmental officials are trying to solve the mysterious deaths of more than a thousand fish in the Little Schuylkill River.

• Fri May 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  Montco plant operator charged with discharging raw sewage / Pathogens / Compliance

  Intermittently over a period of five years, the operator of a Montgomery County sewage-treatment plant wasn't testing the outflow and wasn't treating it, according to law enforcement officials.

• Mon May 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  New rules would protect waterways:Environmental board adopts standards. Local creeks would benefit from building buffers / Storm Water

  Thousands of miles of Pennsylvania rivers and streams, including Bushkill and Little Lehigh creeks, would be better protected from pollution and flooding caused by development under new regulations approved by environmental rulemakers.

• Mon May 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  New map shows entire river trail, highlights towns along the way / General

  POTTSTOWN — The Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA) has created a new brochure for the Schuylkill River Trail that includes a map of the entire trail and information on amenities in key towns along the trail route.

• Mon May 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  36 acres added to French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust / Watershed Land Collaborative

  WEST VINCENT — A 36-acre easement on the former Heathcote dairy farm has been conveyed to the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, officials announced recently.

• Mon May 24, 2010

  » Full Article

  Norco granted $530,000 for open space / Watershed Land Collaborative

  NORTH COVENTRY —The township received notice during the Coventry Woods Festival Sunday that it has been granted $530,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to save open space.

• Fri May 21, 2010

  » Full Article

  Montco stormwater consortium gains allies / Storm Water

  Support for efforts by the Montgomery County consortium to make future stormwater requirements more manageable is growing. A resolution it sponsored recently received approval from the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

• Mon May 17, 2010

  » Full Article

  EQB Approves New TDS Regulations, Strengthens Erosion and Sediment Rules, Proposes New Well Construction Standards / General

  Tough New Standards to Protect PA Waterways from Drilling Wastewater Take Major Step Forward

• Sun May 16, 2010

  » Full Article

  affic Planning and Design Inc. helps preserve plantings along Schuylkill River / Storm Water

  raffic Planning and Design Inc. partnered with Montgomery County Parks and Heritage Services on April 22 (the 40th anniversary of Earth Day) to kick off a series of community improvement events aimed at encouraging active participation in enhancing the communities where TPD staff members and their families live, work, and play.

• Thu May 6, 2010

  » Full Article

  Land purchase expands French Creek State Park / Watershed Land Collaborative

  A key land acquisition will add 279 acres to French Creek State Park and connect the park to three nationally important historic sites. The two new parcels will extend almost to the Schuylkill River and will connect to the Schuylkill River Trail.

• Thu May 6, 2010

  » Full Article

  Biz profile: Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association / General

  The lands trust has protected more than 1,100 acres of open space in the watershed's area, and works with area landowners, local governments and companies help keep woodlands, meadows, and that all important creek intact.

• Fri Apr 30, 2010

  » Full Article

  Perk Valley to be recognized for environmental projects / Education and Outreach

  Perkiomen Valley High School is among four schools to be recognized with an award for its envrionmental projects encouraging the protection of area drinking water.

• Sat May 1, 2010

  » Full Article

  Environmental groups to plant trees on seven acres of coal land / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  Federal, state and county agencies are planning to reclaim a total of seven acres of coal land in Schuylkill County this weekend.

• Wed Apr 28, 2010

  » Full Article

  The Story of Bottle Water (Video) / Education and Outreach

  The Story of Bottled Water, releasing March 22, 2010 on storyofbottledwater.org, employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over seven minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry’s attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to ‘take back the tap,’ not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

• Fri Apr 23, 2010

  » Full Article

  Prescription drug roundup nets 513 pounds / Pathogens / Compliance

  During Montgomery County District Attorney's prescription medication collection drive Saturday, 513 pounds of unused or expired prescriptions medication was turned in at four county locations.

• Mon Apr 12, 2010

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  SAN awarded Organization of the Year- Berks County / Education and Outreach

  The Berks Conservation District presented the SAN with the 2010 Organization of the Year Award at their annual banquet.

• Fri Apr 9, 2010

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  Kutztown students learn planting trees helps keep drinking water clean / Storm Water

  Dozens of students from the Kutztown School District learned about their local watershed Thursday while getting their hands dirty, too.

• Wed Apr 7, 2010

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  Past, present, future Tour part of discussion of coal industry's tomorrow / Abandoned Mine Drainage

  The past, present and future of anthracite coal mining were the elements of a tour in Schuylkill County that included local and state officials on Tuesday.

• Wed Apr 7, 2010

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  Heritage trail alive with possibilities / General

  The Cynwyd Heritage Trail project could have been a pretty straight-and-narrow undertaking, but township officials and trail enthusiasts have always seen the potential for the rail-to-trail conversion to be something more than simply paving an unused rail bed.

• Wed Apr 7, 2010

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  Study: Chesco agricultural resources slipping away / Agricultural

  Agricultural resources are located farther and farther away as the region continues to lose farmland, reports the Greater Philadelphia Food System Study, released last week by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

• Fri Mar 19, 2010

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  DEP, Berks County company reach agreement on lead runoff / General

  The DEP hopes an agreement it made about stormwater runoff will reduce the amount of lead running into Berks County creeks and rivers, including the Schuylkill.

• Mon Mar 22, 2010

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  Open space preserved in Upper Pottsgrove / Watershed Land Collaborative

  UPPER POTTSGROVE — More open space will soon be preserved here, but for the first time since the township's ambitious open space program began, taxpayers will not be buying the property.

• Mon Mar 15, 2010

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  Saving U.S. Water and Sewer Systems Would Be Costly / General

  TOXIC WATERS Saving U.S. Water and Sewer Systems Would Be Costly The New York Times By CHARLES DUHIGG Published: March 14, 2010

• Mon Jan 18, 2010

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  Winter 2010 SAN Connections- the SAN quarterly newsletter / Education and Outreach

  The quartertly newsletter of the Schuylkill Action Network (Winter 2010)

• Sat Jan 2, 2010

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  B-r-r-r-r-r-r-ave souls take polar bear plunge / Education and Outreach

  It was with this sanguine observation that Todd Crosley of Pottstown apparently convinced four other friends to leap into the Schuylkill River on New Year's Day.

• Fri Jan 1, 2010

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  Waterskiing sets the stage for an exciting new year / Education and Outreach

  With a sparse but enthusiastic crowd on shore, the Black Rock Skiers hosted their annual New Year's Day water-ski event on the Schuylkill River early Friday afternoon.

• Wed Oct 7, 2009

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  October 2009 SAN Connections / Education and Outreach

  SAN quarterly newsletter