DEP has developed a new form to help with Notice of Termination filing requirements

DEP Central Office has developed a new form to help with the filing requirements associated with the Notice of Termination (NOT).  DEP has worked with the Recorder of Deeds Association to come up with a form that meets what they need for filing as well as meeting the regulatory needs of DEP.  Please follow the link http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/View/Collection-11947 to access the new form.

This form should be used by permittees when filing instruments and plans/record drawings with the recorder of deeds offices so that the recorder knows what to do with the instruments and how to file them.  Please note that applicants are instructed to attach certain items to the filing form for filing such as the instrument, record drawings, and other pertinent information.  Permittees should begin to use these forms now.  Please note that these forms  are strictly to ease and standardize the filing process at the Recorder of Deeds level.  The Recorder of Deeds Association will be passing along information to all of their constituents informing them of the form and its use concurrently.

Notice From NRCS Web Soil Survey – Issue opening general soil maps within soil surveys

Customers and employees have reported issues with opening scanned soil surveys from http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/soilsurvey/soils/survey/state/ web page.  Actually, they can open the survey but cannot open the bookmark for General Soil Map or Index to Map Sheets.  The solution is to go to Start | All Programs  | Adobe then open Adobe Acrobat X (or XI) Standard OR Start | All Programs | Adobe Acrobat X (or XI) Standard.  The first time you open Acrobat, the application will install or configure.  Close Acrobat after it finishes installing/configuring itself.  Then, go back and open the soil survey and the general soil map.

Registration is now open for the 2014 Schuylkill River Watershed Congress

2014 Watershed Congress along the Schuylkill River

Sat, March 15, 2014 7:30AM to 3:30PM (Eastern)

Pottstown, PA

Montgomery County Community College

Hosted by Delaware Riverkeeper Network

The Watershed Congress is a an annual gathering of citizens interested in watershed protection and restoration.

The 2014 Watershed Congress program kicks off with a keynote panel presented by staff of the William Penn Foundation who will be speaking about the Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Grant Program.

Concurrent sessions for the upcoming program include presentations on the Schuylkill River water trail, abandoned mine drainage, invasive rock snot, habitat restoration, green construction, native meadow management, rain barrels and rain gardens, living with flood plains, watershed education, and much more.

Registration fees start at $40 (covers participation in Saturday’s program, Saturday morning’s refreshments, and lunch).

Attend as a representative of your local stream!

DEP to Hold Webinars on Permit Revision for Temporary Road Crossings

The Department of Environmental Protection announced today that it will be holding two webinars, one on Friday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m., and one on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 2:30 p.m., to discuss proposed revisions on a permit used for temporary road crossings.

The webinars will focus on a DEP proposal to modify a permit for temporary road crossings which allows for the construction, operation, maintenance and removal of various types of temporary crossings through bodies of water and wetlands.

The proposed permit includes a standardized format of definitions of terms, instructions, forms, examples and sample drawings.

The proposal also revises the scope of the permit for temporary activities, such as a pipeline, electric transmission line, telephone or water line; and environmental testing or monitoring activities, such as temporary soil sampling and seismic testing lines. The activities covered under the permit proposal will be held to the specific permit conditions provided when the proposed permit modifications become final.

Public comments on the proposed permit revisions are welcome. The public comment period runs until Jan. 10, 2014. Written comments can be mailed to the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, Division of Wetlands, Encroachments and Training, P. O. Box 8460, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8460 or emailed to RA-GP8Comments@pa.gov.

A copy of the draft modified permit is available at www.dep.state.pa.us, keyword: Proposals Currently Open for Comment. Once the webpage is accessed, the section titled ”Proposed Reissuance of General Permit BWEW-GP-8: Temporary Road Crossings and Associated 401 Water Quality Certification” will contain the information.

For more information or to register for the webinars, visit the above website link and click the “Public Participation Center” button, then select “Webinars.” After registration, an email will be sent containing a link to the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the webinars webpage for future viewing.

For more information, call 717-787-3411.

Register for Webcast on the “National Stormwater Calculator”

Join EPA for a Watershed Academy Webcast on Oct. 2, 2013 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm Eastern on the new “National Stormwater Calculator.”  (See Post Below)  This new calculator is designed for anyone interested in reducing runoff from a property including: site developers, landscape architects, urban planners, homeowners and others.  It can help users decide which stormwater management practices to install such as a rain garden or a green roof.  This calculator is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records.

You can download the Stormwater Calculator at www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/.

Register for the Webcast at www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts

Mission Statement
To protect and improve the quality of life of the residents of Montgomery County and surrounding communities by providing, in cooperation with others, timely and efficient service, education, and technical guidance, for the wise use of our soil, water, and related resources.

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday
8:15AM – 4:15PM