The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has awarded three grants totaling $250,134 from the Exelon Schuylkill River Watershed Restoration Program.

The program, which was created by Exelon Nuclear last year, supports projects that enhance the quality of water in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries. The Schuylkill River Heritage Area oversees the fund, distributing money annually to non-profit organizations and government agencies.

This year three projects were selected that focus on agricultural improvements, stream bank restoration, and abandoned mine drainage remediation.

“All these projects benefit the entire watershed because they reduce the amount of run-off and pollution that enters creeks, and ultimately, the river, which is a source of drinking water for over one million people,” said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

Projects selected were:

· Berks County Conservancy--$98,500 for agricultural improvements on two farm properties located on tributaries of the Schuylkill River in Berks County;

· Delaware Riverkeeper Network--$90,634 for stream bank stabilization and installation of a riparian buffer on a farm located along Mill Creek in Tilden Township, Berks County, to reduce nutrient loads that pollute the Schuylkill River; and

· Schuylkill Headwaters Association--$61,141 for the upgrade of three abandoned mine drainage remediation systems to improve the quality of water that drains to the headwaters of the Schuylkill River, in Schuylkill County.

Recipients were chosen by a committee of representatives from Exelon, Delaware River Basin Commission, Philadelphia Water Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Environmental Protection and the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

The annual fund is part of a demonstration project for the water diversion program at Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station and is under the purview of the Delaware River Basin Commission. This year, Exelon contributed a total of $271,148 to the fund—an increase of $110,000 over last year, when $158,000 was donated.

Chris Mudrick, Site Vice President of the Limerick Generating Station, said, "We are excited to be able to contribute at an even higher level this year to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund. Our partnership with SRHA in establishing and managing this fund has resulted in many improvements to the Schuylkill River basin. As a producer of safe, clean, and reliable energy, it is only fitting that we continue to strengthen our stewardship of the environment we rely upon for continued operation."

The bulk of this year’s funding, along with $6,100 rolled over from last year, went toward the three projects. Remaining funds were used to cover costs of administering the grants.

Exelon was able to contribute more money this year because weather conditions impact how the program is funded.

Here’s how the water supply program works:

Exelon pulls water from the Schuylkill River to support Limerick Generating Station's cooling water needs. However, current DRBC regulations allow Exelon to withdraw water only when natural flows are adequate, greater than 560 cubic feet per second and the temperature is below 59 degrees. In the past, Delaware River water was pumped 40 miles to the Limerick plant, generally from May 1 to November 1, due to these restrictions.

During 2006 Exelon completed its fourth year demonstrating to the DRBC that Exelon can use various water sources to augment the Schuylkill River flow, and eliminate the temperature restriction. This reduces Limerick’s dependence on the Delaware River. Since this is more cost effective, a portion of the money saved is redirected into the Schuylkill River Watershed Restoration Fund. Exelon's yearly contribution is based on the amount of water not required to be pumped from the Delaware River or other sources.

This year, favorable weather conditions enabled Exelon to pull water from the Schuylkill River more regularly, thus increasing the amount of money it contributed to the fund.

8/24/2007