Clean Water Shake-Up: What’s Behind Pennsylvania’s New Environmental Push? – MyChesCo

Pennsylvania DEP Report: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals Through Clean Water Initiatives

Executive Summary

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a series of strategic actions aligning with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). These actions include over $3.1 million in watershed restoration grants, a major enforcement action for Clean Water Act violations, and permitting reforms to foster sustainable economic growth.

Watershed Restoration and Ecosystem Protection (SDG 6, SDG 14, SDG 15)

In a direct effort to advance SDG 6, SDG 14, and SDG 15, the DEP has awarded $3,118,174 through eight Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Grants. These grants target the reduction of nonpoint source pollution, which impairs approximately 53 percent of the state’s watersheds, thereby improving water quality, protecting aquatic ecosystems, and restoring terrestrial habitats.

Grant Allocations for Watershed Restoration

• Berks County – $317,872: For streambank restoration and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads, contributing to SDG 14 and SDG 15.
• Columbia County – $148,726: To update the Catawissa Creek Watershed Implementation Plan, ensuring sustainable water management strategies are in place (SDG 6).
• Dauphin County – $899,721: To restore tributaries through stream projects and agricultural BMPs, significantly reducing nutrient and sediment pollution.
• Indiana County – $254,758: To revise the South Branch Plum Creek Watershed Implementation Plan and identify impairment sources for future restoration.
• Lancaster County – $557,770: For restoration projects in Conowingo Creek to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment, directly benefiting the Chesapeake Bay watershed (SDG 14).
• Lebanon County – $457,727: To stabilize streambanks and restore riparian buffers along Snitz Creek, enhancing local biodiversity and water quality (SDG 15).
• Luzerne County – $260,000: To support abandoned mine reclamation, addressing a legacy source of water pollution and promoting land rehabilitation (SDG 15).
• Schuylkill County – $221,600: To design a treatment system for abandoned mine drainage, mitigating a major pollution source in the Upper Schuylkill River (SDG 6).

Environmental Accountability and Institutional Strength (SDG 16, SDG 6)

Reinforcing SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), the DEP, in partnership with federal agencies, has taken significant enforcement action against industrial pollution. A proposed consent decree with Hanover Foods Corporation addresses over 600 violations of the Clean Water Act, demonstrating institutional commitment to environmental law and accountability.

Details of the Proposed Consent Decree

The settlement holds the polluter accountable and mandates actions that directly support SDG 6 by preventing unlawful discharges into the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.

1. Civil Penalty: Hanover Foods will pay a $1,150,000 civil penalty.
2. Infrastructure Upgrades: The company is required to install new equipment, including a permanent boiler and real-time monitoring sensors, to ensure compliance with water treatment standards.
3. Improved Protocols: The company must enhance its compliance, monitoring, and reporting procedures to prevent future violations.

Fostering Sustainable Economic Development (SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11)

The DEP is balancing environmental protection with economic progress through its Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) initiative. This program supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by accelerating permit reviews for qualified projects without compromising environmental standards.

Inaugural SPEED Program Implementation

• First Permit Issued: A stormwater management permit for the Towns at York Creek, a mixed-use development, was approved in 51 days, less than half the standard review time.
• Program Expansion: The SPEED program has been expanded to include permits for air quality, dam safety, water obstruction, storage tanks, and mining, among others, to facilitate broader sustainable development.
• Objective: The reform enables local governments and developers to advance community projects more efficiently while ensuring robust protection for waterways and communities, a core tenet of SDG 11.

Conclusion: An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development

The recent actions by the Pennsylvania DEP illustrate a comprehensive strategy that integrates environmental stewardship with economic and social objectives. By investing in water quality, enforcing environmental laws, and reforming administrative processes, the Commonwealth is making measurable progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives demonstrate a commitment to protecting natural resources for future generations while fostering resilient and prosperous communities, highlighting the power of partnership (SDG 17) between state, federal, and local entities.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several initiatives by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that directly connect to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus on water quality, ecosystem restoration, and responsible governance aligns with the following SDGs:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most central SDG, as the article’s main theme is “clean-water investments,” restoring waterways, and enforcing the Clean Water Act. The grants are specifically aimed at reducing water pollution from various sources.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article connects environmental protection with community development, particularly through the SPEED program, which accelerates permits for projects like the “Towns at York Creek” mixed-use development, aiming to balance economic growth with environmental safeguards.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The enforcement action against Hanover Foods Corporation for discharging industrial wastewater addresses the need for corporate accountability and the environmentally sound management of industrial waste.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: By aiming to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in rivers like the Susquehanna, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay, the initiatives directly contribute to preventing pollution of marine and coastal ecosystems.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The projects funded by the grants, such as streambank restoration, creation of riparian buffers, wetland restoration, and abandoned mine reclamation, are direct actions to protect and restore terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article repeatedly emphasizes the importance of collaboration. The grant programs involve partnerships between federal (EPA), state (DEP), and local (Conservation Districts) entities, while the enforcement action involves the DEP, EPA, DOJ, and a civil society organization (Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The actions described in the article align with several specific targets under the identified SDGs:

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution. The entire article focuses on this, from the $3.1 million in grants to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the enforcement action against Hanover Foods for illegal effluent discharges.
• Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels. The use of Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) for managing 44 impaired watersheds demonstrates a clear strategy for integrated management.
• Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The grants specifically fund projects for “streambank restoration,” restoring “riparian buffers,” and establishing “wet meadow areas,” which are direct efforts to restore water-related ecosystems.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including nutrient pollution. The projects aim to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads in tributaries of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay, directly addressing land-based nutrient pollution affecting a major estuary.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. The watershed restoration projects, which improve streams, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, directly support this target.
• Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The funding for the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the design of a treatment system for abandoned mine drainage addresses the restoration of land degraded by mining activities.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The consent decree against Hanover Foods is a joint action by public agencies (DEP, EPA, DOJ) and a civil society group (Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association) to hold a private company accountable, perfectly illustrating this type of partnership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to track progress:

SDG 6, 14, and 15: Water Quality and Ecosystem Health

• Baseline Water Quality: The statement that “Roughly 53 percent of impaired watersheds in the state are affected by nonpoint source pollution” serves as a baseline indicator of water quality (related to Indicator 6.3.2).
• Pollutant Load Reductions: The article specifies expected annual pollutant reductions for several projects, which are direct performance indicators. Examples include:
  • Nitrogen reduction (lbs/year)
  • Phosphorus reduction (lbs/year)
  • Sediment reduction (tons/year)
• Area of Ecosystem Restoration: The mention of stabilizing “1,000 feet of streambank” in Lebanon County is a quantifiable indicator of ecosystem restoration.
• Number of Management Plans: The development and updating of Watershed Implementation Plans (e.g., for Catawissa Creek) is an indicator of progress in integrated water management.

SDG 11 and 12: Sustainable Development and Corporate Accountability

• Permitting Efficiency: The reduction of permit review time to “51 days” under the SPEED program is a clear indicator of progress in streamlining development while maintaining environmental oversight.
• Enforcement Metrics: The enforcement action provides several indicators of accountability:
  • Number of environmental violations (“over 600 violations”)
  • Amount of financial penalties (“$1,150,000 in civil penalties”)
  • Mandated installation of pollution control technology (e.g., a new boiler and TSS sensor)

SDG 17: Partnerships

• Financial Mobilization: The “$3,118,174” in Section 319 grants, funded by the EPA and administered by the DEP, is an indicator of financial resources mobilized through partnerships.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: mychesco.com