Tag: DEP

bookmark_borderDepartment of Environmental Protection

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The DEP office for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia is located in Norristown, Montgomery County, PA.

DEP Southeast Regional Office
2 E. Main Street Norristown, PA 19401-4915.
Phone: 484 250-5900 (24 hours/day)

PA DEP Emergency Response Program
The Department of Environmental Protection’s mission during emergencies and disasters is to respond quickly and professionally to any incident which adversely affects the health and safety or the environment of the citizens of the Commonwealth. First on-scene is usually the Environmental Emergency Response Team whose members are highly trained, experienced emergency first responders.

Emergency Response Contact Numbers In Your Area
DEP maintains 24 hr. phone lines in each Region which are monitored 24/7/365 for dispatching response personnel to emergency and incidents within DEP purview.

bookmark_borderMosquito Spraying Set for Montgomery County

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NORRISTOWN, PA — The Department of Environmental Protection will apply treatments the evening of Thursday, Aug. 30, in portions of Abington, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland townships, Montgomery County, to control adult mosquito populations. In the event of rain, the spraying will be rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 31.

The treatment will be administered with truck-mounted equipment to spray open spaces in residential and recreational areas. The equipment dispenses Biomist 3+15 at a rate of .75 ounces per acre.

These products are designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. The application materials have a very low toxicity profile to mammals and are safe for the environment.

Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis.

Mosquito samples in 47 counties have been identified with the West Nile virus so far this year. Human cases, including one fatality, have been confirmed in Bucks, Centre, Chester, Delaware, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties.
Individuals can take a number of precautionary measures around their homes to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:

• Dispose of cans, buckets, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar containers that hold water.
• Properly dispose of discarded tires that can collect water. Stagnant water is where most mosquitoes breed.
• Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers.
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use and remove any water that may collect on pool covers.

If a resident has stagnant pools of water on their property, they can buy BTI products at lawn and garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacterium kills mosquito larva but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people who are most at risk:

• Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.
• Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of mosquitoes.
• When possible, reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods, usually April through October.
• Use insect repellants according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An effective repellant will contain DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician for questions about the use of repellant on children, as repellant is not recommended for children under the age of two months.

For more information about West Nile virus and the state’s surveillance and control program, visit www.westnile.state.pa.us.

bookmark_borderPennsylvania Falcon-cam

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HARRISBURG — The Department of Environmental Protection has begun its annual live, 24-hour webcast of a nesting pair of peregrine falcons living on a ledge on the Market Street side of the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg. Three cameras chronicle the falcons while streaming the footage live on the Internet to viewers around the world.

“Technology enables us to provide the world’s bird lovers with a front-row seat to watch the story of our falcon couple and offspring unfold before our eyes,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “This is a great show and more people are tuning in all the time.”

Follow the falcons by visiting www.dep.state.pa.us and clicking on the live stream button. There, fans can also sign up to receive the Falcon Wire electronic newsletter. Follow the falcons on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FalconChatter.

Already this year, the resident male, who has been at the site since 2005, has had to defend his territory from an ambitious adolescent tiercel. This development leaves the female falcon with two potential mates this season.

“The encouraging thing is that the female is here and healthy,” DEP Environmental Education director Jack Farster said. “My expectation is that the breeding season will be successful and the resident male will maintain his breeding dominance.”

Falcons have nested at the building for 12 years. To date, the nest has produced 53 eggs and 45 hatchlings. Of these, 29 falcons survived; 13 males and 16 females. The gender of one of the nestlings that hatched in 2008, the runt of the clutch, or set of offspring, could not be determined.

Last year, the female falcon laid a clutch of four eggs, and only one hatched. The first eggs of the 2012 breeding season will be laid in late March. The eggs should begin to hatch around mid-May and the young falcons, or “eyases,” will begin to take their first flights, or “fledge” in mid-June.

While their numbers are increasing, the Pennsylvania Game Commission still lists peregrine falcons as an endangered species. The bird’s population in Pennsylvania has increased since the early 1990s as a direct result of conservation efforts like this one. There are now 32 pairs of peregrine falcons nesting at various locations across the state, according to the Game Commission.

Nationally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bird from its list of endangered and threatened species in 1999.