Focusing on What Matters: Revised Regulations and Policies to Make the Regulatory Process more Efficient

Although it is common for regulatory entities to expand their regulatory requirements, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (Commission) recently adopted new regulations and policies that contract and simplify regulations, provide clarity to project sponsors, target only the most appropriate activities, and establish a more efficient and effective framework to review groundwater withdrawals. The changes will benefit the regulated community while maintaining appropriate Commission oversight of water resources and prevent significant adverse impacts within the basin. The changes will also reduce costs to public water supply systems and corporations that use water in their processes.

Anyone with a regulated groundwater withdrawal project should attend this webinar! The Commission will provide an in-depth look at improvements to regulations and policies including:

• Amended rules and requirements for groundwater withdrawals
• Removal of several regulatory triggers related to grandfathered sources
• Significant changes for the approval process for small capacity wells
• Elimination of the consumptive use trigger for projects withdrawing less than 0.100 mgd (30-day average)
• Replacement of the Aquifer Testing Waiver process with the Alternative Hydrogeologic Evaluation (AHE) Policy
• New policy for the Pre-Drill Well Site Review
• Updated Aquifer Testing Plan Guidance Policy

The webinar will also touch on regulations that build upon successful program changes with the Commission’s natural gas consumptive use (ABR(f)) program, its minor modification regulation, and general project review regulations. Please click the “Registration” link above to access the registration page for the Webinar.

Who Should Attend?: The Commission is continuing its Public Water Supply Assistance Program by offering this Webinar to operators, managers, board members/ trustees, of public water systems, project sponsors, consultants, and partner state government agency staff.

Cost: This event is being offered at no charge to participants and will be recorded. *Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar.

Webinar Access: The Cisco Webex link to access each webinar will be provided to participants upon closure of the registration period, which is two days prior to the scheduled webinar date. The access link will be provided on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

Speakers:

• Commission’s Project Review Program and General Counsel staff

This webinar is sponsored by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Public Water Supply Assistance Program. For more information regarding this PWSAP Webinar, please contact Dave Haklar at (717) 238-0423 ext. 1108, Mike Appleby, P.G. at (717) 238-0423 ext. 1208, or PWSAP@srbc.net.