5/2/08 Another Response to NYC DEP

Ms McCormack,

I respectfully disagree with your facts from start to finish. First & foremost your Bureau doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge the facts as they stand. The dep.nyc.gov may or may not have been responsible for the past 3 floods, however they did not release enough water, prior to severe storms systems which came up the coast and left us with raging waters rushing down the Delaware River Basin. Why Not ? In part, because your Bureau had the reservoirs at & over capacity, and could not release enough water, quickly due to outdated earthen dams without sufficient capability to drop the water levels down when needed. So instead we are left with billions of gallons of water spilling down into the river system, which in turn added up to an additional 6 feet of water to an already full & overflowing river.

This is completely and totally irresponsible and cost lives and billions of dollars in property damage, & loss of homes & businesses, loss of income, loss of life & infrastructure damage in 3 states, loss of tourist revenues, and has had a fallout effect on local residents constantly subjected to ongoing road closures & repairs, loss in home & property values, as well as a drop off of business throughout the entire region (in 3 states). Add to that, the falsification of reservoir inspection reports, and an aqueduct that has been leaking (wasting) millions of gallons of water daily for 18 years no less. Plus having that same aqueduct flooding out basements in NY State.

Your bureau should at the very least be indicted for the terrorism you’ve inflicted on all of us who live south of your precious reservoirs. Also, by hoarding so much water behind your reservoirs during the summer months you’ve created artificial drought conditions here in the lower Delaware River Basin, costing us many aquatic species, which require colder temperatures in the river system in order to survive. In addition to that we now have increases in the saline level of the river system down near Philadelphia as salt water has backed up into the river itself.

When and if New York City actually shows some level of concern and responsibility for the manner in which they have chosen to operate their outdated reservoir system, then and only then will anything you have to say to citizens of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware listen to and believe anything you may have to say.

Sincerely,
Deborah Engisch-Platt
Point Pleasant, PA.