SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE ADELPHIA GATEWAY PIPELINE’S WATER PERMITS

Adelphia Gateway, LLC (Adelphia) is currently seeking approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to amend a water-related permit for the Adelphia Gateway pipeline project. This permit, called a Chapter 102 – Erosion and Sediment Control permit, is required for construction activities that disturb the surface of the land, including the development of pipelines and related facilities like compressor stations. Adelphia proposes to expand the area under construction for this natural gas pipeline project at nine locations along its route by a total of 4.5 acres.

Adelphia’s application fails to explain why it actually needs to impact so much more land and doesn’t show whether these proposed modifications actually meet the permit’s requirements. Additionally, Adelphia plans to expand it’s construction areas on portions of the Schuylkill River trail, but it’s unclear how these new plans will impact public access and enjoyment of the trail. Also, DEP only posted the application materials online for public review on April 6th, with just 6 days left in the designated 30-day comment period. This did not provide the public an adequate amount of time to review the necessary materials and develop meaningful comments.

Take action now by calling on DEP to require Adelphia to submit additional application materials addressing these key issues before granting any further permits. Also, urge DEP to extend the current comment period to allow the public a full and fair opportunity to participate in this review process. We encourage you to modify our sample comment to raise any additional issues or concerns. The deadline for public comments is Monday, April 13th, 2021 at 11:59pm.