The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Thursday approved settlement agreements involving $97,000 in penalties related to three Panda Fund natural gas power plants-- the Hummel Plant, a coal to gas plant under construction in Snyder County, and the recently commissioned Patriot Plant in Lycoming County and the Liberty Plant in Bradford County.

The settlements accepted included: Panda Hummel Station LLC for $22,750 for consumptively using water in excess of SRBC’s regulatory threshold; Panda Liberty LLC for $30,000 for consumptively using water from unapproved sources; and Panda Patriot LLC (photo) for $44,250 for consumptively using water from unapproved sources.

Among other actions, the Commission also--

-- Adopted a resolution urging the President and U.S. Congress to provide full funding for the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, thereby supporting the Susquehanna Flood Forecast and Warning System;

-- Extended the comment deadline for the Consumptive Use Mitigation Policy to Jan. 30, 2017, to coincide with the comment deadline for the proposed rulemaking;

-- Accepted a settlement offer from Montage Mountain Resorts, LP for $72,000, for failing to comply with docket conditions; and

-- Approved 27 applications, several of which included reduced withdrawal and/or consumptive use rates and two involving into-basin diversions (see lists below).

SRBC’s voting commissioners and alternates were:  Ben Grumbles, SRBC Chair and Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment; Col. Edward Chamberlayne, SRBC Vice Chair, Commander and District Engineer, Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Paul D’Amato, Director, Region 8, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and Kelly Heffner, Special Deputy Secretary for Water Resources Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

For more information, visit SRBC’s Public Participation Center webpage.

NewsClips:

Panda Patriot Natural Gas Power Plant Powers Up In Lycoming County

Crews Prepare Jessup Power Plant Site For 1st Turbine’s Arrival

Talen Energy Delays Coal-Conversion Plans At Montour Plant

Health Of Susquehanna, Delaware Discussed At Bucknell Conference

[Posted Dec. 9, 2016]

12/13/2016