This is a recap of the most recent DRBC Commission Business Meeting.

• Here you will find information given at the business meeting, as well as links to the items approved.

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DRBC Business Meeting Minutes

• To view DRBC Commission Meeting Minutes going back to 2010, please visit https://www.nj.gov/drbc/meetings/archive/drbc-mtg-minutes.html. 

The Delaware River Basin Commission held its regularly scheduled business meeting on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

The meeting, which was open to the public, was held remotely via Zoom Webinar.

A public hearing was held remotely on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, via Zoom Webinar. Items heard at the public hearing, which began at 1:30 p.m., included 23 draft dockets for withdrawals, discharges and other water-related projects that could have a substantial effect on the Basin's water resources and are subject to the Commission's review.

• Written comments on the 23 draft dockets heard on February 7, 2024, were accepted through 5 p.m., Monday, February 12, 2024.

Both the public hearing and business meeting were livestreamed to DRBC's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/delrivbasincomm. 

Business Meeting Agenda:

The business meeting on March 6, 2024, began at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned at approximately 11:15 a.m. An open public comment session began after the close of the business meeting and lasted for approximately 30 minutes.

Please Note: Comments made during Open Public Comment Sessions are NOT included in any decision-making record. There is no requirement for the Commission to provide for open public comment.

The agenda for the business meeting follows, with links to the items approved (links to documents are added to this page as they become available).

Items heard at the February 7, 2024, public hearing are noted by *.

1. Call to Order. (Commission Chair, Steve Domber, NJDEP)

2. Roll Call and Introductions. (Commission Secretary Pam Bush and Commissioners)

3. Minutes. (Pam Bush; The minutes of the December 6, 2023, business meeting were approved by unanimous vote)

• December 6, 2023, Minutes (pdf)
  
  

4. Announcements.

• Upcoming Advisory Committee Meetings (Pam Bush)
  
  

5. Hydrologic Conditions Report. (Fanghui Chen)

• View Hydrologic Conditions Report (pdf)
  
  
• Check hydrologic conditions in the Basin daily at hydrosnap.drbc.net

6. Summary of Executive Director's Report. (Steve Tambini)

• The DRBC is continuing its partnership with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in 2024 by hosting a series of workshops for local officials in several Pennsylvania counties to help them advance hazard mitigation (e.g., flood loss reduction) projects for FEMA funding approval. The counties in the study area are Carbon, Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks and parts of Luzerne. The first introductory webinar for county officials was held on January 18. This month and in April, a series of Hazard Mitigation Plan Implementation and Grant Development workshops will be held throughout the project area. Interested local government, planning, conservation, floodplain or emergency management personnel should visit the DRBC website for workshop dates and details.
  
  
• The public comment period for EPA's proposed rule addressing Water Quality Standards to Protect Aquatic Life in the Delaware River closed on February 20. At the EPA's February 6 public hearing, I expressed the DRBC's support for the revised designated use and the application of science-based water quality criteria to protect all stages of aquatic life. DRBC also submitted detailed technical comments to EPA, addressing the basis and background of the proposed water quality criteria, based upon our extensive scientific research, modeling and analysis of the Estuary. DRBC's comments are available on the DRBC website at https://www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/quality/designated-use.html#7, and all comments submitted to EPA can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0222-0001.
  
  
• I am pleased to share that the next DRBC business meeting, to be held in June, will take place in Narrowsburg, N.Y. at the Tusten Theater. More information will be available for the public as we get closer to June. Those interested in receiving updates on DRBC business meetings or other subjects should sign up for one or more of our e-mail lists or follow us on X, @drbc1961. Visit our 'Contact Us' page to learn how to stay in touch: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/contact/.
  
  
• Today, I am announcing that I plan to retire in December of this year, after 42 fulfilling years working in water resources, including a decade as DRBC's Executive Director. Leading and advancing the DRBC's worthy mission of managing, protecting and improving the shared water resources of the Delaware River Basin has been the highlight of my career. It has been a privilege to work alongside so many talented professionals at the Commission and at our member agencies over the years. Thanks also go to the many individuals and organizations in the Basin community who are engaged in water resource issues. And, finally, thank you, Commissioners, for the opportunity to serve the public in this role. It's been an absolute pleasure. I am proud of the work we've done together to conserve, protect and improve the extraordinary water resources of this Basin. Why retire now? In short, the timing was right, personally and professionally. You can be sure that, until then, I remain committed to leading our staff toward our program goals. Click here to view the news release announcing Tambini's retirement.

7. General Counsel's Report. (Ken Warren)

*8. Project Review Docket Applications. (David Kovach; approved dockets are all pdfs) 

• Please note that at each of its public meetings, the Commission may consider action on any item for which a hearing has been completed or may defer one or more such items for consideration at a public meeting of the Commission on a future date.
  
  
• Dockets #1-23 were subject to public hearings on February 7, 2024.
  
  
• Dockets #1-23 were approved unanimously by the Commissioners on March 6, 2024. 

View docket location map of projects heard on February 7 (pdf)

1. Lehigh County Authority, D-1977-041 CP-5.
   
   
2. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., D-1978-083 CP-3.
   
   
3. Summit Hill Water Authority, D-1984-003 CP-5.
   
   
4. Brightsmith, LLC, D-1985-059-4.
   
   
5. Walnutport Authority, D-1990-087 CP-4.
   
   
6. Pennsylvania American Water Company, D-1992-064 CP-5.
   
   
7. Ametek US Gauge Division, D-1993-025-4.
   
   
8. Evonik Corporation, D-1996-011-5.
   
   
9. Whitehall Township Authority, D-2000-009 CP-3.
   
   
10. Yardley Country Club, Inc., D-2000-032-3.
    
    
11. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., D-2001-050 CP-4.
    
    
12. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., D-2001-054-4.
    
    
13. Aronimink Golf Club, D-2001-062-3.
    
    
14. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., D-2002-006 CP-5.
    
    
15. Downingtown Municipal Water Authority, D-2006-031 CP-4.
    
    
16. WestRock Converting Company, LLC, D-2006-041-4.
    
    
17. Maxatawny Township Municipal Authority, D-2007-001 CP-4.
    
    
18. Laury MHC, LLC, D-2008-007 CP-4.
    
    
19. Pocono Waterworks Company, Inc., D-2013-009 CP-3.
    
    
20. SPG, Inc., D-2018-002-2.
    
    
21. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc., D-1981-061 CP-5.
    
    
22. Amity Township, D-1990-078 CP-6.
    
    
23. Trane Technologies Company LLC, D-2006-014-4.