12 WEEKLYPRESS.COM • UCREVIEW.COM • JUNE 12, 2013


PA Writer hopes her town will be a better neighbor to its river D


By Sara Kaplaniak


own the road from my home in Central Pennsylvania, a bat-


tle brews around whether a stretch of the Susquehanna River should be declared “impaired.” This is in re- sponse to a sick smallmouth bass population exhibiting lesions, infections, endo- crine abnormalities and decreasing numbers. On one side of the issue, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Chesa- peake Bay Foundation, an- glers and activists seek the designation to bring atten- tion, and action, to deterio- rating water quality. On the other, the Penn- sylvania State Department of Environmental Protec- tion (DEP), tasked with declaring whether a river is impaired, agrees that the smallmouth bass are in trouble but believes an un- clear cause warrants more scientific evidence of what’s causing the fish population


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to crash. The Environmental Protection Agency agrees. They may want to check waters flowing from my town, Camp Hill, which the DEP recently fined $140,000 for 97 unauthorized and un- reported sewage discharges into two local creeks during the past few years.


Camp Hill officials claim these infractions occurred because heavy rains in spring 2011 overwhelmed the wastewater system. During that time and in other similar instances, Camp Hill officials allowed raw sewage to bypass mu- nicipal pumping stations to prevent it from backing up into homes.


That made sense, as I had never seen anything like the flooding and rains taking place that spring. It led me to wonder whether this might be a challenge


faced by other towns, many of which are dealing with aging systems built in the early 1900s. However, the DEP has said both the number of discharges and the fact that they were not reported sets apart the situ- ation in Camp Hill. Operators must report all unauthorized wastewa- ter discharges to alert and protect downstream users. While this does occur, it is rare and usually happens only during state emergen- cy events like a hurricane or flood. With this awareness, my mind turned away from smallmouth bass and imme- diately to my children. Each summer, a fa- vorite activity includes taking a creek walk that begins at a park near our house. With water shoes strapped on, we step into a shaded stream that leads


us to the more substantial Conodoguinet Creek. Once there, the kids wade in to their waists to examine crawfish, turtles and other wildlife. It’s a treat to enjoy this special spot in nature so close to home. But can I enjoy this outdoor activity while worrying my kids will be wading in waste? DEP says it is on the case. Under a Consent Order and Agreement Order signed in May, Camp Hill Borough agrees to inspect its pump stations and overflow pipes daily, install overflow alarms and flow-monitoring devices to record future discharges, implement an interim high-flow manage- ment plan to address new bypasses, and complete a new pump station by No- vember. Additional study and action will be required if corrective actions do not


eliminate unauthorized discharges. Unreported discharges will be heavily fined. In a press release, Camp Hill Borough indi- cated its intention to adhere to the agreement, which builds on $22 million in sewer upgrades, inspections and improvements com- pleted since 2005. The town said that even though it ex- pects capacity for handling wastewater to increase by more than 50% by the end of this year, changes may not completely remedy ex- traordinary circumstances. I can’t help but feel concerned as a taxpayer, a parent and environmental- ist. First, these hefty fines may affect my wallet. I also worry that something as innocent as wading in the creek on a summer day may jeopardize my children’s health. Finally, I fear for our water quality and for the wildlife affected by the disposed bacteria, chemicals and pharmaceuticals head- ing its way.


The challenges facing my town and others are many, including aging infrastructures requiring expensive fixes by cash- strapped municipalities, lofty and time-sensitive fed- eral mandates, and possibly poor choices or a lack of awareness by the people in decision-making positions. Solutions are tricky but should begin with a simple premise: clean water is life


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he Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is now accepting applications for the 2013 PHS City Gardens Contest. The contest, started in 1975, celebrates the horticultural beauty and diversity of Philadelphia, while recognizing


local gardeners for their skillful and inspired gardening. Participants compete in a variety of categories. Individual gardeners may enter


front yard or back yard gardens, vegetable gardens, and gardens grown exclu- sively in containers. Community gardeners may participate by entering vegeta- ble and flower gardens, parks, and garden blocks. Other categories are children’s garden or school garden, maintained primarily


by children under adult supervision; greenest block in town, a tree-lined block where residents garden in their front yards; and urban farm, an entrepreneurial garden that grows and sells produce and flowers and donates a percentage to the local community. Categories introduced last year include green roof garden; rain garden; xeriscape garden; water garden/stormwater management; and garden featuring native plants, art in the garden, and recycled materials. PHS believes that city gardeners deserve praise and support for their work.


Winning gardeners and judges will be invited to an Awards Reception later this year to celebrate the high caliber of winning gardens within the city of Philadel- phia. Photographs of the winning gardens will also be showcased at the event. The deadline for applications is June 30. For information, please contact Flossie Narducci at 215-988-8897, or fnarducci@pennhort.org, or visit www.ph- sonline.org


giving. Water that isn’t clean, preferably pristine, takes life away.


Consider the small- mouth bass a warning sign. They are smaller than we are and have a lower threshold for tolerating polluted water. But we hu- mans will reach our own threshold given time. Poor water quality and declining smallmouth bass popula- tions also represent a lost opportunity for Pennsylva- nia, which boasts recreation and sport fishing industries that annulally generate bil- lions of dollars.


Clean waters or sick- ness? Hefty fines or rev- enue? The answers are clear. Now let’s work to- gether to find creative and affordable solutions for our towns that will give us rivers and streams we all can enjoy and explore with our children.


Sara Kaplaniak lives and writes in Pennsylvania, where she reduces, reuses and re- cycles along with her husband and two kids. Distributed by Bay Journal News Service.


Wine Blogging


continued from page 8


Elaine generates a hercu- lean amount of material, and everything she writes is a pleasure to read. Plus, her passion for wine comes through in all her work. This is something every writer strives for, but few actually pull off.


In the newest issue of Sommelier Journal, the edi- tor, David Vogels, surveys the blogosphere in his open- ing essay. “[Wine] blogging has moved well beyond its formative stage,” he writes. “You have to be a particu- larly good writer . . . or a very funny one . . . to be relevant as a diarist to any- one beyond your immediate friends and family.” Fortunately, today’s blogosphere has plenty of good writers -- and quite a few funny ones, as well. David White is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com, which was named “Best Overall Wine Blog” at the 2013 Wine Blog Awards. His columns are housed at Palate Press: The Online Wine Maga- zine (PalatePress.com).


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