DEP?????????????

[littlejuniata]

Perplexed,,,, I emailed DEP about the mud situation on the Little J, today I was in email conversation with the department, my question was when DEP is notified via email about an incident, what is their action, I specificaly asked if they contacted the local governmental bodies about the incident, Their response was that they contact only if the issue us under DEP regulations. Apparently soil erosion is not under their jurisdiction and they would not have contacted ANYONE about this incident, doesn't that sound a little screwy??

 

[Chaz]

LJ,
Tenically it is DEP juristiction, but they have delegated E & S to the Soil Conservation Service. So the correct call is to Soil Conservation Service.

 

[littlejuniata]

That's right Chaz, but they should at least relay any complaints to the approptiate agencys!!?? With email there is no cost involved.

 

[govtmule]

The County Conservation District is the one to call eventhough DEP does actually supercede them in "most" cases. Soil Erosion is most definitely under their jurisdiction, they even have their own manual but sometimes they will defere to the CCD, I'm guessing there is construction going on near it?

jeff

 

[littlejuniata]

Problem with that is that the local guys are too often in the pockets of the developers. I think 100 percent of the problems with pollution of the Little Juniata came from Blair County. (except the train wrecks) The mud in the most recent event was horrible, started more than 15 miles upstream and even at Spruce Creek the water was terrible. I am sure at minimum there were many folks who had their fishing ruined on the river, has anyone been held accountable??

 

[troutbert]

Little Juniata,

Send a letter right to the head of DEP in Harrisburg and explain what happened. If someone reports to the local DEP office that a tremendous amount of mud is going into the creek from construction, it's their duty to deal with it one way or the other. If it's not their jurisdiction, they are obligated to pass the information on to whoever does have jurisdiction.

If they get a good talking to from the boss in Harrisburg, maybe they'll do things differently next time.