COALITION SETTLES LAW SUIT

VALLEY CREEK COALITION NEWS RELEASE The Valley Creek Coalition has settled its lawsuit against DEP and PennDOT over storm water controls from Route 202, Section 400 that would adversely affect the Valley Creek Watershed, an Exceptional Value Watershed. This section of the highway runs from King of Prussia to Swedesford Road. The Coalition is composed of seven environmental groups formed to protect and enhance the Valley Creek Watershed, which flows through the Valley Forge National Historical Park.

The Coalition had appealed a fall 1998 storm water discharge permit issued to PennDOT by DEP. The Coalition had argued that the approved storm water controls would reduce the amount of base flow in the Valley Creek Watershed, would increase the volume of storm water runoff, thereby increasing erosion of the creek, and that the controls would add pollutants to the creek. In the settlement agreement, PennDOT has agreed to include measures in its highway construction that will address the Coalition’s concerns. These measures will compensate for the lost discharge from the new parts of the highway.

The Coalition has attempted to convince PennDOT and others that traditional storm water controls harm the Valley Creek Watershed. These old and tired controls seek to get the water away from newly constructed impervious surfaces as quickly as possible. Large detention basins empty the storm water into Valley Creek which flows into the Schuylkill River. The Coalition advocates infiltration methods that puts the water back into the ground, and ultimately provides for slow underground releases to the creek. It is these slow releases that provide flowing water during droughts and dry conditions.

Considering the rapid growth rate along the Valley Creek Watershed, all of this storm water accumulates into sizable amounts. There have been forty such permits issued since Valley Creek was designated as an Exceptional Value Watershed in 1993. These amounts of rainwater are lost by the old storm water methods and have caused several smaller tributaries to Valley Creek to dry up. If we keep this water from reaching the groundwater then our streams will eventually disappear.

The Valley Creek Coalition is currently in litigation with the Vanguard Group concerning the same issues. Once again, it is the Valley Forge National Park that will suffer from flooding problems.

The Valley Creek Coalition is composed of the Green Valleys Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Open Land Conservancy of Chester County, Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Fund, Raymond Proffitt Foundation, Schuylkill River Keeper, Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and West Chester Fish, Game & Wildlife Association.

For further information contact Carl Dusinberre of the Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited at 610-692-2930.

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