For Immediate Release
Hancock, NY. July 1, 2009

Radio Broadcast Illuminates Rift Between NJ DEP and New York City DEP Over Reservoir Management Policies That Exacerbate Floods

Chuck Schroeder of Drowning on the Delaware and Jeff Zimmerman, an attorney working with 8 organizations fighting the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, were invited on the Capital Green Scene program broadcast from WVCR in Albany to publicize the threat of another flooding disaster and discuss the recent meeting of the Regulated Flows Advisory Committee (RFAC) meeting at the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) headquarters in West Trenton, NJ.

In a stunning development during the meeting, the representative from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for the first time publicly criticized New York City's DEP, saying:
 "You are holding too much water in your reservoirs!".

“This is the break we were looking for” said Chuck Schroeder. “New Jersey finally got fed up and called out New York City. Too much water in those reservoirs are directly to blame for higher crests during the last three terrible floods.”

Added Jeff Zimmerman: “New York’s DEP has, for a LONG time, been sitting on the NJDEP’s Safe Yields Report, a very thorough scientific study that calls into question New York City’s reservoir management practices. New York never even responded. I’m guessing New Jersey had just had enough.”

The radio broadcast also delved into the background of the original Supreme Court decision that created the DRBC, New York City’s water supply system and the reservoir management policies that contributed to the floods of September '04, April '05 and June of '06.

This program was originally broadcast June 20, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. and is now available at DrowningontheDelaware.com under “Landmarks”.

For more information, contact Chuck Schroeder at (201) 926-9987 or water2high@yahoo.com.