Elaine O'Neil Response To UDC

I am shocked by the Upper Delaware Council’s (UDC’s) April 5, 2007 letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) regarding the proposed Flexible Flow Management Plan (FFMP) Proposal for the New York City (NYC) Delaware Reservoirs.

In their four page comment letter to the DRBC, they mention “spill mitigation” – in their first paragraph. This concept is almost an after thought as it is the last item on the UDC’s descriptive list of what the FFMP Proposal is supposed to address.

If one dissects the UDC comment letter, one can plainly see what they value most, and what they value least. There are 13 paragraphs of substantive content, 11 of which deal with water release flows and fishing and one whole paragraph about boating.

The only time their letter mentions flood protection, again almost as an afterthought, is in the 10th paragraph, last statement: “However, flood protection should also be taken strongly into consideration.”
How utterly pathetic.

The UDC should be leading the charge for real change for the safe management of NYC’s DEP Reservoirs. They should be demanding the control of the Billions of Gallons of unchecked storm water that has caused preventable flooding. They should be demanding the protection of the people they represent. It unconscionable that they have abdicated this paramount and grave responsibility.

When the flooded towns of the Upper Delaware have people representing them in an organization such as this and these people only care about which plan is better for fishing, the flood victims of repeated, preventable flooding should be outraged.

The proof, they say, is in the pudding. If the UDC members cared about flood protection, they would have been at the Hawley meeting on March 27th. The only two people who showed up from the council were Bill Douglas and Phil Chase. If the other Council members attended either the afternoon meeting or the evening meeting, they would have seen that the “flood group” was the majority of the audience and testifiers. In the evening session of the hearing, at least 75 people, all part of the “flood group”, had life preservers on – signifying that the FFMP and the CP2 fringe fisherman group plans both sold us down the River.

Both the FFMP and the CP2 plan do not protect the Scenic and Wild Life Congressional Designation of the Upper Main Stem of the Delaware. If the UDC delegates bothered to investigate, they would know these facts. They would be fighting for protection against repeated, preventable flooding. Aren’t lives, commerce and people’s property worth their taking a stand?

Let the UDC, the DRBC and everyone else who should be listening know you count for something. And that your lives count FIRST – before fish, before boats, even before drinking water. Because the truth of it is – if preventable floods are stopped; if NYC DEP does not waste Billions of gallons of storm water dumped from mismanaged Reservoirs, if NYC DEP fixes the 20 plus years of 100 million gallons a day leakage from their aqueducts, then the fish, the boats, and drinking water will also be protected. The environment will not be repeatedly stressed by continual, preventable flooding.

Speak up. I know you are tired. I know you are angry. We have a right to be angry– our lives are threatened continually by 100% full Reservoirs that spill millions of gallons of storm water with the slightest amount of rain.

Take the time and send your comments to everyone you can think of. Let your voices be heard. Call AND write the UDC and the DRBC. Call AND write the Newspapers. Television. Elected officials. Governors. The President. Bill O’Reilly. Anyone and everyone, who, if they actually looked at how our lives are continually threatened, would be outraged too.

The DRBC has postponed presenting a plan until July. It means they heard a buzz in the wilderness. Now let them hear us ROAR.