PRC was pleased to join the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, and other conservation organizations at the Race Street Pier in Philadelphia for the announcement of $1.77 million in project grants for the 3rd year of the Delaware River Restoration Fund. PRC, with project partners, Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative, Lower Merion Conservancy, and Darby Creek Valley Association, were awarded one of 12 grants in the amount of $91,014 to fund the “Stream Smart Stormwater House Call” program. This exciting new initiative will engage property owners in the Cobbs Creek watershed through audits focusing on teaching participants household green stormwater best practices. Building on a pilot audit project by Lower Merion Conservancy and the Pennsylvania Resources Council/Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative, this will be a model for direct engagement of property owners in improving the quality of our waterways.
In the irony of ironies, as PRC was leaving the press conference and walking up Delaware Avenue, we were met by the unmistakably acrid smell of petroleum hydrocarbons. Looking over to the river, the telltale rainbow sheen was visible at a marina for recreational vessels. We promptly contacted the appropriate authorities to investigate the spill. This juxtaposition of events is an unfortunate “teachable moment” and an example of the constant fight to keep our waterways clean.
Any citizen who sees a potential spill into our waterways is asked to contact the proper local authorities via, as well as the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the US Coast Guard. The emergency reporting hotlines or the PADEP and the United States Coast Guard are listed below. We’ve also provided links to clean boating resources from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
- Local Emergency Reporting: 911
- U.S. Coast Guard National Response Hotline: 1-800-424-8802
- Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency at 800-424-7362
- PA Department of Environmental Protection Regional Emergency Hotlines:
- Southeast Regional Office – 484-250-5900
- Northeast Regional Office – 570-826-2511
- South-central Regional Office – 866-825-0208
- North-central Regional Office – 570-327-3636
- Southwest Regional Office – 412-442-4000
- Northwest Regional Office – 814-332-6945 (after hours – 800-373-3398)
- Clean Boating Resources:
- https://www.epa.gov/polluted-runoff-nonpoint-source-pollution/marinas-and-boating-additional-resources
- https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas-and-ports/clean-boating-act-cba-about
- http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA.htm