03/05/2026
๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐-๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐จ๐๐
๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค.
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ โ The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) denied Route 115 Associatesโ National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application to build a mega-warehouse in Tunkhannock Township, PA. The proposed 803,000 SF distribution center and twenty acres of asphalt parking and its related infrastructure would have cut and paved forests within an important pristine fishery of the Pocono Plateau.
https://www.pennfuture.org/Files/Admin/Permit-Denial-%28Route-115-Associates%29.pdf
DEPโs permit denial comes after more than four years of watchdogging and opposition from grassroots and environmental groups, collaborating as part of the Our Pocono Waters campaign, as development continues to pressure some of the most pristine special protection waters and recreationally important habitats of the Poconos region.
โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐โ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ-๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฏ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ญ, ๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค,โ said ๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ค๐ฒ, President, Tobyhanna Creek/Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association.
โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐
๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง,โ said ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ง, president of Tunkhanna Fishing Association. โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐
๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐.โ
Residents and watershed groups first raised awareness at the municipal level of the warehouse project and its potential impact on Exceptional Value Tunkhannock Creek and nearby wetlands in 2022. On March 2, 2023, Route 115 Associates submitted its NPDES permit application to DEP. For the next three years, the developer attempted, and failed, to design stormwater controls that would adequately protect the quality of Exceptional Value waters that would receive the stormwater runoff from the project.
โ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐, ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ โ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค,โ said ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐. ๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ, the Delaware Riverkeeper, Delaware Riverkeeper Network. โ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.โ
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐. With more than two dozen technical deficiencies still remaining after three yearsโ worth of deficiency letters and revisions, it denied the application.
โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ,โ said ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ, staff attorney for PennFuture. โ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐.โ
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐.
The environmental and watershed groups will continue to track other development proposals that pose risks to the ecosystem and health of neighboring communities.
