Letters to the editor
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Pennsylvania is meeting Marcellus challenges
It's appalling that the PG would publish and post The Associated Press article with the sensational premise that Pennsylvania isn't protecting drinking water sources from drilling wastewater ("Rivers Absorbing Tainted Water From Pa. Gas Boom," Jan. 4). Here's the reality: Every drop of tap water that was publicly treated is required to meet the safe drinking water standard.
On Aug. 21, a strict regulation took effect that ensures no water supply is at risk for not meeting the safe drinking water standard for total dissolved solids. The Department of Environmental Protection has actually been incorporating this standard into permits since mid-2009.
The new regulation requires new or expanding dischargers to meet the TDS standard of 500 milligrams per liter. Existing dischargers are allowed to maintain their output levels so long as the receiving stream does not approach the TDS limit -- a point lost in the AP's story. If the extensive, multi-partner monitoring network detects waterways exceeding 75 percent of that limit, DEP will step in and reduce the pollution so no industry compromises Pennsylvania's drinking water quality.
The state's booming Marcellus drilling industry is creating challenges, but Pennsylvania has stepped up to meet those challenges at every turn. We've doubled the number of oversight staff and now have arguably the nation's most aggressive oversight program.
That's the real story here, but government doing its job doesn't grab headlines the way a piece like this AP story does. That's disappointing.
JOHN HANGER
Secretary
Department of Environmental Protection
Harrisburg
Lost workdays
We have been carefully reading the excellent series "Mapping Mortality" (Dec. 12-19) by Don Hopey and David Templeton. The Post-Gazette is to be commended for showing such leadership and reminding the Pittsburgh area about this silent problem.
Our 13,000 members work in grocery stores and related industries in almost every neighborhood in Pittsburgh and in the surrounding communities that your reporters visited. It is our members and their families who are bearing the burden of this problem. Lost workdays for themselves or their children because of asthma or other respiratory illnesses are a particular problem for our members.
First Published January 6, 2011 12:00 am
