More than 100 residents of Eldred Township gathered Wednesday night at the Kunkletown Volunteer Firehouse to listen to representatives of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Delaware River Basin Commission discuss the permitting process for a water extraction project.

Nestle has submitted an application for a special exception permit to the Eldred Township Zoning Hearing Board, but DEP addressed the issue rather than the specific project.The company is seeking to withdraw 200,000 gallons of water daily from the Chestnut Spring site located on property belonging to township resident Ricky Gower.Brian Yagiello, an environmental program manager with DEP’s Safe Drinking Water Program, responded, “Just from the news articles that we have seen alone, we know that there is a large concern here with the project.”That’s why DEP came to Eldred before an application was filed.“We have also had ongoing discussions with supervisors to try and get this information session to take place,” Yagiello said.Both agencies laid out the process for the permitting stage of the project.“We at the Delaware River Basin Commission are most interested in quantity,” said David Kovach, a geologist in the project review section of the water resources management branch of the agency. “DEP is usually more concerned with water quality.”Kovach said once the application comes to DRBC, a docket number is assigned to the project and everyone who has signed up as an interested party will be notified of the docket number and status.DRBC will set a date for a public hearing on the docket and notices will be made 10 days prior to the hearing. Kovach said that the hearings are usually held in Washington Crossing, because it is centrally located to all four of the states the commission serves.The DEP does not hold public meetings, but takes all public comments in writing. When an application is received it is published in the PA Bulletin. Once published there is a 30-day comment period.Information can be accessed at

www.pabulletin.com/index.asp.The agencies rely on reports and information provided in the application by the applicant. In each case the applicant does the testing and reporting as part of the process.Residents said they were concerned about the veracity and truthfulness of the applicants and questioned how the agencies, in general, could approve of a permit when the only test data provided came from the entity with the most to gain financially.“We rely on licensed professionals,” said Kovach. “Licensed engineers sign off on the test data and any other documentation provided. It is not only their reputation, but their moral character at stake. It’s pretty serious. That is why we require a licensed engineer to sign off on the reports.”Neither agency indicated that it would do any of its own testing.Kovach did say that the DRBC permits are good for 10 years and then need to be renewed.He also said that at any time during the period covered by the permit, if a recurring problem arose, the commissioner has the right to reopen the permit and if necessary revoke it, essentially shutting down the project.Chairwoman Mary Anne Clausen and resident Donna Deihl both asked about sulfur showing up in wells that for years were sulfur free.Kovach suggested that all well owners regularly have their well water tested and offered to send a list of items to test for to the township to make it available to residents.Kovach also had an important message to all well owner, not just those in Kunkletown.“Residential wells are not regulated,” he said. “I suggest that all well owners test their wells on a regular basis. This will give you a baseline should any project, even just a neighbor drilling a new well, should impact your well.”Both agencies stressed that public comment will be an important factor in the decision-making process and residents were encouraged to submit their comments at the appropriate time.