The good folks at DEP may be willing, but the creek still keeps rising and Solebury wants to know what the state’s going to do about it.
The problem, the board of supervisors said Feb. 7, is that the water level at the New Hope Crushed Stone quarry pit on Phillips Mill Road has risen close to the rim.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is now in charge of cleaning up the defunct privately owned 71-acre quarry-turned-lake which flows out to the Primrose Creek and its tributaries, and eventually to the Delaware River.
In a letter to the DEP, Township Manager Chris Garges noted that to address the issue, DEP has added a third pump to discharge water from the quarry pit, with a total three-pump capacity of about 12 million gallons a day.
He stated, “The township is...concerned about the ability of Primrose Creek and its tributaries to handle this amount of flow, and the impact this could have on down-stream residents and property owners.”
As of Feb. 1, he added, “the township has observed a significant increase in downstream water levels. Would you kindly advise what, if any, studies the department has done to assure that the creek and its tributaries have the carrying capacity to handle this flow of water and that the flow will not adversely impact the stream or down-stream residents and property owners, provide us with copies of those studies...”
The township manager also requested that the department “be more transparent in communicating about events that are taking place at the quarry and its responses so that the township has ample time to respond with its comments, questions an concerns.”
In other matters, Dudley Rice, director of parks and recreation, commented on the “incredible popularity” of the memorial bench program at Aquetong Spring Park. He requested the township start a new “Celebration Tree” program to take its place. His recommendation was approved unanimously by the supervisors.
Chair Mark Baum Baicker said the memorial bench program planned for 18 memorial chairs to be placed throughout the park and that all 18 have been purchased.
While there are continuing requests for more memorial benches for the park, Baum Baicker lamented that, “we are at the point where additional benches would interfere with the spirit of Aquetong Spring Park.”
Thus, the board agreed to press on with its new program of enhancing all township parks with more trees.
The board also unanimously agreed to appoint Zelenkofske Axelrod, Certified Public Accountants of Jamison, to conduct an independent audit of township records for 2022.
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