Congressman Kanjorski Welcomes National Attention To Susquehanna River
Announces an additional $350,000 to address the combined sewer overflow problem in the Wyoming Valley, which brings the total to $4.1 million in federal funding

WASHINGTON - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today welcomed the national attention that a newly released report has focused on the Susquehanna River.  He also reiterated his support for increasing the federal investment in programs that will help the river cleanup and address the combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems in the Wyoming Valley.  CSOs cause the discharge of untreated sewage into the Susquehanna River approximately 37 times each year when sewers designed to collect rainwater and sewage in the same pipeline overflow because of heavy rainfall or snow.

In a report released today, the conservation group American Rivers designated the Susquehanna River as the nation's Most Endangered River for 2005.  The organization's report cited the CSO problem as one of the most pressing problems facing the Susquehanna, which provides half of the Chesapeake Bay's freshwater.

"Although today's report is not good news for the Susquehanna River, it sheds light on a problem that I, along with other state and local officials, have been working to address for several years. The annual report of America's Most Endangered Rivers is an important tool to draw the attention of our nation to a serious problem. Because the Susquehanna River contributes half of the freshwater that flows into the Chesapeake Bay, the impact of its cleanup is extensive and affects a large geographical area. I am committed to doing everything possible for the comprehensive cleanup of the Susquehanna River. To that end, I will continue to seek the maximum level of federal funding to offset the costs of eliminating the CSOs," Congressman Kanjorski said. "I will also continue to work with local and state officials and sewage treatment authorities such as the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority to fix this problem in an effective and efficient manner."

On the state level, Congressman Kanjorski supports a bill for a $1 billion bond referendum proposed by State Sen. Ray Musto (D-Pittston) that would create a CSO Grant Program and Governor Rendell's proposal to issue $800 million in bonds for water and sewage system improvements.

Because of the environmental degradation caused by the continued presence of CSOs, Congressman Kanjorski has successfully secured $4.1 million in federal funding in recent years to correct CSO problems in the Susquehanna River, most recently obtaining $350,000 in the 2005 budget cycle.

When heavy rainfall occurs, the pipes in the system normally direct wastewater to sewage treatment plants, but the systems overflow into the Susquehanna River when the volume exceeds what the pipes can hold.  American Rivers identified 123 large sewage discharges just in the Pennsylvania portion of the Susquehanna River, including 70 in Scranton and 65 in Harrisburg.

Improving the water quality of the Susquehanna River has been made more difficult by deep cuts in federal funding for environmental restoration and protection initiatives.  In fact, the Bush Administration proposed 2006 budget would cut the Environmental Protection Agency budget by $450 million. Congressman Kanjorski strongly supports restoring the funding for environmental cleanup eliminated from President Bush's 2006 budget.  

"The Susquehanna River is nationally significant and deserves national assistance. The long-term elimination of CSOs requires substantial resources from communities already struggling from other federal budget cuts. We all deserve clean water, and we need to reaffirm the commitment the federal government made more than 30 years ago to ensure clean water for our citizens," Congressman Kanjorski said.

Addressing the CSO problem in the Wyoming Valley is an essential element of a comprehensive effort to beautify the Susquehanna riverfront in Wilkes-Barre, the centerpiece of which is the construction of an inflatable dam.  The inflatable dam would create a 450-acre lake at a depth of about six feet when inflated during low-flow warm weather periods about nine months each year.  By stabilizing the water level on the Susquehanna, the dam will enhance recreational uses of the river and ensure a certain riverbank for the amenities such as the fishing pier and marina that are planned for the Riverfront.

Luzerne County is in the process of evaluating the environmental impact of a proposed inflatable dam, and the county's study is expected to be completed sometime this year. 

The initial award winning Gannett-Fleming study issued in the spring of 2000 indicated that a dam is economically feasible and found no insurmountable reason why the dam should not be environmentally feasible as well.  That study projected that the dam will be a tremendous financial asset to the Wyoming Valley, attracting between 200,000 and 400,000 visitors a year and generating annual revenues of as much as $70 million in economic activity along the Riverfront.

The Gannett-Fleming study also recommended that a plan be developed to eliminate combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Susquehanna.  That recommendation has served as a basis for action in recent years.

"One of the reasons I have been such a strong proponent for the construction of an inflatable dam is because I wanted to refocus our attention on the Susquehanna River and the need for its comprehensive cleanup," Congressman Kanjorski said.  "The presence of the dam and the recreational opportunities that it will ultimately offer has helped strengthen our community's appreciation of the Susquehanna as a regional asset.  As a result, we now have an incentive to improve the river's water quality."

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