A better plan for dealing with stormwater runoff from the Pennsylvania Turnpike should protect Valley Forge National Historical Park, including Gen. Washington's headquarters/NPS file

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has OKed the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s expanded plan to control stormwater runoff from the turnpike extension in Chester County, which is expected to prevent hot, dirty water from polluting Valley Creek and reduce future flooding of Valley Forge National Historical Park.

The new plan comes after more than a year of legal proceedings and months of negotiations among DEP, PTC, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited. NPCA and VFTU filed a legal challenge to DEP’s July 2016 decision to approve the original project’s stormwater permit on grounds that it provided inadequate protections for the historical park, including General George Washington’s Continental Army Headquarters and Valley Creek.

According to NPCa, for years the lack of stormwater management upstream of the national park caused large volumes of warm, polluted water to run off the turnpike and many other paved surfaces into Valley Creek, degrading the creek’s water quality and eroding its banks. Flooding of Valley Creek during heavy rain storms has damaged the archaeologically-rich area around Washington’s Headquarters, which has stood for nearly 250 years, and threatens the area’s prized recreational wild trout fishery.

“This plan will better protect Valley Forge National Historical Park, its neighboring communities and Valley Creek,” said Joy Oakes, senior regional director for National Parks Conservation Association. “Now every drop of stormwater that flows off this expanded six-mile stretch of the turnpike will be cooled and cleaned before gradually entering the national park and Valley Creek. This improved stormwater management plan will prevent flooding of Washington’s Headquarters and protect a national park landscape rich with diverse plants and animals.”

The parties reached a legal settlement to move forward with a new stormwater management plan to bring a stretch of the turnpike currently lacking stormwater controls into compliance with state and federal clean water protections. The plan includes best management practices that communities across the Commonwealth could consider as they struggle to cope with stormwater and flood impacts. The modified turnpike expansion plan will treat the temperature, speed and quality of the water to more closely resemble the natural flow of rainwater.

Peter Hughes, president of Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said “the new settled upon plan is a success story for the exceptional value Valley Creek watershed, which draws hundreds of visitors each year to fly fish the prized wild brown trout of the creek.”

Valley Forge National Historical Park connects more than two million visitors each year to the nation’s Revolutionary War history, dating back to the Continental Army’s winter encampment. This park tells the stories of hardship and sacrifices made during our nation’s struggle for liberty. Along with its historical significance, the park preserves a unique collection of plants and wildlife, including tall-grass meadows and wild brown trout that thrive in the park due to its abundance of cold-water resources.

Several years ago, the DEP originally approved the PTC’s stormwater management proposal, which would have allowed the agency to move forward with widening the turnpike from four to six lanes with expanded median and breakdown lanes. NPCA and VFTU challenged their plan with failing to comply with numerous state and federal clean water protections and not accounting for increased flooding along the banks of Valley Creek, which the National Park Service documented as a threat to Valley Forge and its natural and cultural resources. These negotiations, involving all parties, resulted in a solution benefiting both the state’s transportation needs and the preservation of one of our nation’s most historic park sites.

The turnpike widening project is in Chester County between milepost 320 and 326. Construction on the project is expected to begin in the summer of 2020. For nearly 10 years, national parks and clean water advocates, the National Park Service, VFTU, and PennFuture advocated for stronger stormwater protections along this stretch of roadway. The successful outcome for controlling polluted runoff from this stretch of turnpike included public comment opportunities to litigation and engineering negotiations.