Cl4-Lancasler Farming, Saturday, January 25, 1992
LEWISBURG (Union Co.)
Groundwater in Pennsylvania is a
vast resource a mysterious pool
of water beneath our feet. Some
people believe it is a technical sub
ject beyond the understanding of
ordinary citizens.
In the past it has been taken for
granted by most people, but things
have been happening in recent
years that are drawing attention to
the fact that we must do some
things to protect it. A key question
is what should be done?
To answer that question and
more about groundwater, the Penn
State Cooperative Extension and
the League of Women Voters of
Pennsylvania have joined together
in the Pennsylvania Groundwater
Policy Education Project. The goal
of the project is to focus on educa
tion and leadership development
for ordinary citizens interested in
groundwater. This will help them
to participate in groundwater
policy-making in Pennsylvania.
Recently, several conferences
were held across the state to pro
vide information on groundwater
and on the tools available to pro
tect it. They were designed to pro
vide resources and training to
enable citizens to more effectively
participate in their home commun
ities in public decisions affecting
groundwater.
At those regional meetings,
public policy alternatives and con
sequences were emphasized. Sev
eral hundred people attended the
six conferences. They will be able
to work with local leaders and offi
cials in looking at groundwater
situations in their home communi
ties and develop ways that their
groundwater can be protected.
This will not be an easy task.
Most of the protection efforts
Questions
Abound At
Game Bird
Conference
Herbert C. Jordan
Associate Professor
Poultry Science
Penn State
Several controversial
issues will be con
fronted at the 22nd
annual Pennsylvania
Game Bird Confemce at
the Days Inn in State
College on January
26-28.
Questions such as
how to compute and
analyze cost of produc
tion; pharmaceutical
needs to be researched
for pheasants and quail;
how to stop early death
of young pheasants
before 28 days of age;
how to stop the $7 mil
lion annual loss nation
ally from hawks, owls,
blackbirds, starlings,
mammalian predators
and health disorders;
and how to manage cov
er to hold pheasants all
year-round near your
home will be addressed
at the conference.
Participants need not
preiegister. A program
can be obtained from
any cooperative exten
sion office or county ag
agent, or by calling
(814)865-8301 or (814)
863-2116 and asking for
a Game Bird Confer-
Groundwater A Local Issue
will relate to guiding and controll
ing land use, especially in the area
of aquifers in a community. Aquif
ers arc areas where water enters the
ground and recharges the ground
water of the area. Most all land
uses affect what happens to water
in an area. The type of housing, its
location, waste disposal, coal min
ing. gas and oil drilling, as well as
agriculture of an area all have an
impact on groundwater.
Prevention of contamination is
one major solution as indicated in a
publication prepared especially for
the conferences. It states that since
groundwater contamination is so
difficult and costly to detect and
clean up, the best approach to
maintaining groundwater quality
is to prevent contamination in the
first place.
Several state and federal laws
deal with some of the activities that
can pollute groundwater. Howev
er, neither the state nor the federal
government has any law specifi
cally focused on management of
the quality or quantity of
groundwater.
Most regulatory programs that
control potential sources of conta
mination of groundwater are the
responsibility of the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental
Resources (DER). DER is deve
loping a groundwater quality pro
tection strategy to coordinate
existing programs and provide the
framework for further groundwa
ter protection programs.
The strategy, as presently prop
osed, sets an ultimate goal of non
degradation of groundwater
that is, the goal is to protect and.
where necessary and possible,
improve existing groundwater
quality. This strategy establishes
groundwater protection principals
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The program includes:
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• Refreshments
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PARTS PURCHASES!
DATE: MONDAY. FEB. 3
TIME: 7:30 P.M.
LOCATION: OUR STORE
MILLER
EQUIPMENT CO.
RD 1, Bechtelsville, Pa.
215-845-2911
GEHL
for existing DER permitting prog
rams as well as procedures for
cleanup and determining how
“clean" is clean when contamina
tion has occurred. The strategy
also sets forth a groundwater
monitoring program to track
impacts of various potentially pol
luting activities on groundwater
and describes a groundwater spe
cial protection program.
In addition, DER is developing
a wellhead protection program to
meet the requirements of the feder
al Safe Drinking Water Act The
purpose of this program will be to
enhance local efforts to prevent
contamination of recharge areas
around public water supply wells
and wellfields.
Since so many of the potential
sources for groundwater contami
nation are related to local land use
decisions, local governments and
citizens have a vital role to play in
protecting groundwater. Unfortu
nately, few communities to date
have taken any steps to do so.
There are several reasons for
this, including that it has become
clear only fairly recently that land
use and groundwater quality are
connected. In addition, the cooper
ation between municipalities that
is necessary when aquifers cross
municipal boundaries may be dif
ficult to achieve. Also, some pro
tection programs require accurate
technical data. And perhaps most
significant, local officials have not
been informed that they must or
should enact policies to protect
groundwater or even that ground
water needs to be protected.
Local protection programs can
range from public education to
change individual habits to land
use controls to protect aquifers.
Some possible protection prog-
rams are:
• Wellhead protection programs
to protect the recharge areas for
public water supply wells and
wellfields
• Design standards for struc
tures in the recharge area
• Operating standards for activi
ties in the recharge area
• Septic system management
districts to better control installa
tion and maintenance of septic
systems
• Education programs to assist
homeowners and businesses in
Dairylea Sponsors
Cooperator Seminar
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Recog
nizing that developing leadership
qualities in farm youths, and keep
ing them informed on dairy indus
try matters is vital to the fiiture of
agriculture, Dairylea Cooperative
is sponsoring an educational semi-
nar for its members’ youths ages
12 and older.
On February 1-2, Dairylea’s
Young Cooperators will hold their
annual seminar at the Sheraton Inn
in Ithaca, N.Y. A highlight of the
event will be a tour of Cornell Uni
versity’s dairy cattle, crop, and
dairy products research facilities.
You’re Invited . . .
To Our
OPEN HOUSE
10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. TUES., FEB. 4
MOVIE AT 10:30 A.M.
DOOR PRIZES - REFRESHMENTS - DISCOUNTS
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DISCOUNT DAYS
FEB. 3 THRU FEB. 22
10% OFF 12% OFF
PARTS PURCHASES SELECTED
OVER SSO FLOW PARTS
• Cash & Cany - Current Accounts Only
MILLER
EQUIPMENT CO. 9TAUFFBR
Stauffer Road, Eshbach x ROAD fc
R.O. 1, Bechtelsvlllo, PA
Phone (215) 845-2911 BOYERTOWN
making informed decisions about
activities that impact groundwater
• Household hazardous waste
collection programs to remove
harmful substances from the waste
stream
• Land use regulations to pro
tect aquifer recharge areas
• Groundwater monitoring to
determine water quality or move
ment of a contaminant plume
• Water conservation programs
to reduce stress on septic systems
and/or reduce contamination from
saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.
They will also have the opportuni
ty to learn about public speaking
and hear updates on the coopera
tive and die dairy industry by
Dairylea President Clyde Ruther
ford and Chief Executive Officer
Rick Smith.
In addition, the youths will
attend a banquet where they will
hear Mike Beckerink, president of
the New York State Future Far
mers of America, address youth
leadership. Rounding out the event
is free time for informal group dis
cussions. games, dancing, and
swimming.
BALLY