The New Egypt sewer plant just approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will add more pollution and have a devastating effect to Crosswicks Creek. The DEP sold out our water by approving this plant because it will cause overdevelopment in an environmentally sensitive area and rob the stream of important water supply.
This plant would release 600,000 gallons of waste water per day into the creek, which would discharge into the Delaware River. The plant is tied to a new 400- to 600-unit development plan near the creek that will cause more pollution and sprawl.
The DEP’s approval is a threat not only to Crosswicks Creek; this plant would directly impact the public drinking water for a major public supply. It will threaten the water for over one million people who receive water from New Jersey American’s supply at Delran Water. We believe this is the wrong plant at the wrong place and sets a bad precedent that would allow any rural area with small headwaters to become a target of development.
Instead of Crosswicks Creek, it will now be mostly sewage. This plant will be bigger than the stream can handle. It will impact the entire ecosystem and its fisheries. The DEP has violated its own mission by approving a plant that cannot meet water quality standards.
This approval is part of the Christie Administration’s attack on clean water, proposing the Water Quality Management Planning and New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits that will add more pollution to our waterways. The DEP should stand for the “Department of Excessive Pollution.” This permit violates the Clean Water Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must move forward to stop this plant.
Jeff Tittel
Director
New Jersey Sierra Club
Trenton