COALITION STOPS CORNOG QUARRY PROJECT
(August 2003, #030)


The organizations that comprise the Brandywine Defense Coalition have announced that a settlement agreement has been reached with Pennsylvania Suburban Water Company (PSWC) that will result in the abandonment of PSWCís Cornog Quarry water supply project, if certain conditions are met. The agreement is an important victory to all who use, live near, or are effected by the Brandywine River, including the City of Wilmington which relies on the Brandywine as its main water supply.

For the project, PSWC had planned to withdraw up to four million gallons of water per day from the Upper East Branch of the Brandywine River. The water would have been stored in the Cornog Quarry in Wallace Township, treated, and distributed to customers the company expected to serve in East and West Brandywine Townships and potentially Wallace Township.

The Brandywine Defense Coalition, consisting of the Brandywine Conservancy, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, East Brandywine Township, the Sierra Club, Wallace Township, and community residents challenged the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protectionís (DEP) approval of the permit applications filed by PSWC for the project. In the challenge, the Coalition claimed that DEP authorized an inappropriate use of water resources and failed to recognize the inconsistency of the project with local planning efforts. The Brandywine Conservancy, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, East Brandywine Township and Wallace Township also challenged a similar approval for the project issued by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).

The Upper East Branch of Brandywine River is valued highly by residents of Chester County and beyond for its role in supporting a rich diversity of birds, wildlife and aquatic life and for also providing recreational opportunities. In addition to causing irreparable ecological damage, the project would have promoted suburban sprawl.

In lieu of the project, PSWC has reached an agreement with the Downingtown Municipal Water Authority (DMWA) to purchase up to 500,000 gallons of drinking water per day to serve PSWC customers in East and West Brandywine Townships and Caln Township. This alternative will withdraw water from the Brandywine at Downingtown, utilizing an existing water allocation and augmented by flows from Marsh Creek Reservoir. One condition of the settlement is that DEP, DRBC and other government bodies approve the permits needed to implement the agreement with DMWA.

PSWC has also agreed to restrict the future use of the Cornog Quarry tract, forever prohibiting the development of a water treatment plant on the property and/or the piping of water from the quarry to any water treatment plant. This restriction would take effect after the government bodies approve the permits needed to implement the agreement with DMWA.

"This issue was hard-fought, and the result is extremely important," remarked James H. Duff, Executive Director of the Brandywine Conservancy. "The grassroots alliance of municipalities, environmental organizations and concerned citizens has demonstrated to government agencies and utility companies that water is a resource that must be protected and that citizens are alert and prepared to insist on that protection."

"The Cornog Quarry project threatened the balance of the ecosystem in the headwater streams of the Brandywine and threatened the water quality of the East Branch," stated Maya van Rossum of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. "We truly believed that PSWC could supply water to its customers without causing such environmental damage."

"We felt all along that it was best for our Township to continue the fight all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary," commented Hud Voltz, Chairman of East Brandywine Township's Board of Supervisors. "We're grateful to all who participated in the effort but especially to Mike Corbin and Sandy Moser from our Township and the Brandywine Conservancy."

"This is a significant victory for the Brandywine and for the residents of Chester County," noted Robin Mann, spokesperson for the Sierra Club. "The real water supply needs of customers in the area will be met at a vastly reduced environmental cost to the river."

"Five years is a long time to sustain a struggle," said Wallace Township Supervisor Lou Schneider. "This struggle gained momentum as time passed, and many people and organizations put their best into the effort. It couldn't have happened without the dedication of the Brandywine Conservancy. The common sense of this settlement is a reflection of the wisdom and commitment of the community."

"We joined the appeal as citizens representing ourselves because we believe strongly that individuals can make a difference and shouldn't be intimidated by the perception of overwhelming odds," said Rebecca Cesarz of Glenmoore, PA on behalf of six local residents who filed individual appeals with the Coalition. "All of us feel that the Brandywine is a priceless resource and should be protected at all costs."

Lyman Welch, an attorney with the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Law Center at Widener University School of Law (www.maelc.org), observed, "The arrangement between PSWC and DMWA is one of the alternatives that we posed as better for the environment and more consistent with the special protections that Pennsylvania affords its high quality streams."

For more information about the Brandywine Defense Coalition and its members, please visit the following websites:
Brandywine Defense Coalition, www.cornogquarry.org
Brandywine Conservancy, www.brandywineconservancy.org
Delaware Riverkeeper Network, www.delawareriverkeeper.org
East Brandywine Township, www.ebrandywine.org
Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter, www.sierraclub.org/pa
Wallace Township, www.wallacetwp.org


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