NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Draft Stream Evaluation Reports; Available for Public Comment
[54 Pa.B. 2168]
[Saturday, April 20, 2024]Under 25 Pa. Code § 93.4d (relating to processing of petitions, evaluations and assessments to change a designated use), the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) gives notice that the following Draft Stream Evaluation Reports are available for public comment for a 45-day comment period.
Stream Name County Tributary to Chester Creek Chester Delaware River Reynolds Run Lancaster Octoraro Creek Unnamed Tributary (UNT) to North Fork Dunkard Fork Greene North Fork Dunkard Fork UNT to Big Cove Creek Fulton Big Cove Creek Loyalsock Creek Lycoming and Sullivan West Branch Susquehanna River
The Chester Creek and the Reynolds Run evaluations were conducted in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) partial approval of the Environmental Quality Board's (Board) adoption of the 2017 Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin at 50 Pa.B. 3426 (July 11, 2020), which did not include approval of the revisions to the designated uses for Chester Creek in 25 Pa. Code § 93.9g (relating to Drainage List G) and Reynolds Run in § 93.9o (relating to Drainage List O). The EPA requested that the Department provide a summary of the designated use history of each waterbody and current available data that may include fish assemblage and macroinvertebrate data in support of the use designation corrections in the 2017 Triennial Review. In response, the Department conducted evaluations of the Chester Creek and Reynolds Run watersheds to document the correct stream names and appropriate designated uses. This portion of the Chester Creek basin is currently designated Warm Water Fishes, Migratory Fishes (MF). This portion of Reynolds Run is currently designated High Quality—Trout Stocking, MF (HQ-TSF).
The UNT to North Fork Dunkard Fork evaluation was conducted as a result of routine Department monitoring efforts that suggested the existing use may be different than the current designated use. The entire UNT to North Fork Dunkard Fork basin is currently designated TSF.
The UNT to Big Cove Creek evaluation was conducted in response to an existing use evaluation request by the Department's South Central Regional Office. The entire UNT to Big Cove Creek basin is currently designated Cold Water Fishes (CWF), MF.
The Loyalsock Creek evaluation was conducted in response to a petition submitted by the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association and accepted by the Board on February 19, 2008. The petitioner requested that the Loyalsock Creek mainstem be redesignated to HQ-TSF, MF from the Lycoming County and Sullivan County line to the confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River. Initial mainstem sample results coupled with the Department's regional probabilistic data collection efforts April 30, 2007—May 1, 2007, and April 25—27, 2006, indicated that the evaluation should be expanded to the entire basin. The Loyalsock Creek basin from the source to Pole Bridge Run is currently designated CWF, MF. The tributaries to Loyalsock Creek from and including Pole Bridge Run to the confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River are currently designated HQ-CWF, with the exception of the following named tributaries or tributary segments: Shanerburg Run basin from its source downstream to the end of a Jeep Trail (approximately 1.5 miles from the mouth) is currently designated Exceptional Value Waters (EV) and the remainder of the basin downstream from the Jeep Trail is designated HQ-CWF, MF. The Double Run, High Rock Run and Little Loyalsock Creek basins are currently designated CWF, MF. Kettle Creek and Noon Branch Wolf Run basins are currently designated EV and Mill Creek East and Mill Creek West basins located in Loyalsock Township are currently designated TSF.
The draft reports are available for review on the Department's eComment web site at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment.
The Department has asked all relevant local jurisdictions to make a copy of this notification available to any and all interested citizens, including those who own real property in the relevant municipalities and to any other parties the municipalities believe may be interested in these evaluations and draft reports.
Interested persons may submit comments through Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Comments, including comments submitted by e-mail, must include the commentator's name and address. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online eComment tool at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Written comments may be sent by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov or mailed to the Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Comments received on the draft reports during the public comment period will be reviewed and considered in the Department's evaluation.
For further information, contact Mark Brickner, Water Quality Division, at mbrickner@pa.gov or (717) 787-9637. Persons in need of accommodations as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 can contact the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users) to discuss how the Department may accommodate their needs.
JESSICA SHIRLEY,
Interim Acting Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-552. Filed for public inspection April 19, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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