Susquehanna River Basin Commission Considers $97K In Penalties Against Natural Gas Power Plants Dec. 8

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold its quarterly business meeting December 8 starting at 9 a.m., at Loews Annapolis Hotel, Point Lookout Room in Powerhouse Building, 126 West Street, Annapolis, Md. 21401. The meeting is open to the public.

The Commissioners will act on several agenda items, including 27 project applications (two projects involve into-basin diversions); a resolution urging the President and U.S. Congress to provide financial support to the national Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program; approval of contracts and agreements which SRBC proposes to enter into; and notice for Montage Mountain Resorts, LP to appear and show cause before the Commission.

Also on the agenda are proposed settlement agreements involving $97,000 in penalties related to three Panda Fund natural gas power plants-- the Hummel Plant, a coal to gas plant under construction in Snyder County, and the recently commissioned Patriot Plant in Lycoming County and the Liberty Plant in Bradford County

              The proposed settlement agreement for the Patriot Plant includes a penalty of $44,250 for the use of unapproved water sources during construction and exceeding daily water withdrawals during commissioning from its approved public water supply source.
              The proposed settlement agreement for the Liberty Plant includes a penalty of $30,000 for exceeding water withdrawals from an unapproved groundwater source and approved public water supply source during construction and commissioning.
               The Hummel Station Plant proposed settlement agreement includes a penalty of $22,750 for use of unapproved water sources during construction.

SRBC staff will provide an informational presentation on work performed to date in developing a Basin-wide framework for drought forecasting and planning, an initiative focused on coping with drought in the Chesapeake Bay region, in support of the National Integrated Drought Information System.

Opportunities for public comment on project applications were previously provided and will not be accepted at the meeting. However, the Commissioners may accept general public comments at the conclusion of the meeting.

SRBC’s guidelines for quarterly business meetings include:

-- Attendees must sign-in and show photo identification.

-- Signage, posters, banners or other display media will be permitted only in designated areas.

-- The press will be permitted to set up and use video and recording devices in a designated area. 

-- The public will be permitted to use small, hand-held devices that remain in their possession and are used in a non-disruptive manner.

To view the complete agenda with the list of project applications and the full set of meeting guidelines, visit SRBC’s Public Participation Center webpage.