From WNEP16
http://www.wnep.com/wnep-wyo-more-water-worries-in-wyoming-county,0,2434612.storyBy Peggy Lee
9:59 PM EDT, October 20, 2009
Concerns were raised in Wyoming County Tuesday night about the future of the Meshoppen Creek after a company petitioned to be allowed to dump treated wastewater from gas drilling into the stream.
The Meshoppen Creek cuts southwest through Wyoming County, feeding into the Susquehanna River and is known as a popular place for fishing.
A water treatment company is now asking the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to use the creek to discharge treated wastewater from gas drilling.
At a public meeting with DEP officials Tuesday night, residents in Wyoming County sounded off against a proposed treatment facility which the company, Wyoming Somerset Regional Water, wants to build just south of the creek in Lemon Township.
"It's going to create a dead zone in the streams," said Tunkhannock resident Joanne Fiorito. "So as far as I'm concerned, there goes our tourist attraction for fishing, game, you name it. It's going to affect everything."
The company is petitioning the DEP to dump up to 380,000 gallons per day of treated wastewater into Meshoppen Creek.
The president of the company, Larry Mostoller, said any water discharged will be safe.
"We're going to use the best technology available to clean this water," Mostoller. "Any discharges that we may incur will be monitored."
As for making the company adhere to those standards, officials with DEP said that will be their job.
"Our role is to make limits for that discharge to Meshoppen Creek so that it doesn't impact the water quality, aquatic life, uses of the stream," said DEP representative Mark Carmon.
DEP is still reviewing the discharge permit application. No decision has been made.
This is the second company to petition the DEP to discharge treated wastewater in water ways in Wyoming County. North Branch Processing, LLC is asking for permission to dump up to 500,000 per day of treated waste water in the Susquehanna River so it can build a treatment facility at a site near the Skyhaven Airport in Eaton Township.
