Plant equipment continued to function normally at each of the Exelon Nuclear stations. Operators are
currently performing “walk-downs” to identify any potential affects from the seismic activity, but no
damage to equipment or plant operations has been identified at this time. Each plant continued to operate
at normal power level throughout the event and no evacuations or additional safety measures were required.

Nuclear energy plants are designed specifically to withstand the impact of earthquakes and other severe acts of nature. The earthquake, reported to be at a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter Scale, did not challenge the engineered design of the Exelon facilities.

An “Unusual Event” is the lowest level emergency classifications as determined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with approximately $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

Residents near the plant may hear a steady three-minute tone during both tests.

This siren activation will help the company test the new system that features battery back-up for the sirens prior to its official implementation in April 2011.

Residents may contact the counties at the following numbers if they have concerns during testing:

Berks County
(610) 374-4800
Chester County
(610) 344-5000
Montgomery County (610) 631-6530

The test is performed on the first Monday of each month as part of Exelon Nuclear’s comprehensive Emergency Preparedness program. The warning sirens are one of several methods used by county emergency management authorities to provide notification of emergencies. Individual counties may activate the sirens to warn the surrounding community of events such as fires, floods, tornados, hazardous material releases, or nuclear energy plant events.

The sirens are not a signal to evacuate. In an actual emergency, residents should tune to one of the county Emergency Alert System radio or television stations for further information. Should a siren fail to activate, local police and firefighters would alert residents using mobile public address systems or door-to-door notifications.

Residents should refer to the “emergency” section of their telephone books for further emergency response information. Additional information on emergency preparedness is also available at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency web site, www.pema.state.pa.us.

Limerick Generating Station is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The plant produces approximately 2,200 net megawatts of carbon-free electricity per hour, enough to power approximately two million homes.

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Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 486,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

“Anyone with travel plans should be aware that there is the potential for a major winter storm that could have a significant impact on all or parts of Pennsylvania this weekend,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “It’s essential for motorists to carefully monitor weather forecasts and check conditions along their entire route before traveling this weekend.

“If a winter storm does strike, our advice is to avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary – for your own safety. If you must travel, use common sense, pack an emergency kit, have realistic expectations of road conditions and remember that if winter precipitation is falling, roads will not be completely free of ice and snow.”

Although PennDOT crews will be plowing and treating roadways around the clock as necessary, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow. PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear.

Motorists should remember that interstates and other high-volume expressways are treated first during winter storms. Secondary state routes are a lower priority and during severe winter storms, deeper accumulations will occur on these roadways.

“The easiest way for motorists to avoid having a crash or getting or stranded is to stay off the roads when common sense dictates that you should,” Biehler said. “Remember: we can’t plow it if you’re stuck in it.”

Although PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by calling 511 or visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 500 traffic cameras. The 511 site also provides easy-to-use, color-coded winter road conditions for all interstates and other routes covered in the 511 reporting network. Regional Twitter alerts are also available on the 511PA website.

The department also asks motorists to allow plenty of space when driving near plow trucks. Also, for their own safety and the safety of plow operators, motorists should never attempt to pass a truck while it is plowing or spreading winter materials.

PennDOT reminds motorists to pack an emergency kit for their vehicles. A basic kit should include non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. When preparing an emergency kit, motorists should take into account special needs of passengers such as baby food, pet supplies or medications and pack accordingly.

For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.dot.state.pa.us/winter.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews

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Hanger announced that 90 small businesses across the state will receive more than $560,000 in grants through the Small Business Advantage program to reduce energy use and pollution, enabling them to become more competitive.

“Small-business owners face many challenges including how to reinvest their hard-earned dollars,” said Hanger. “In recent years, a growing number of small-business owners have realized that investing in projects that reduce pollution and energy use produce immediate and long-term positive results. Owners can improve their bottom lines, allowing them to make significant investments in their own futures, and the economic and environmental future of Pennsylvania, as well.”

Pennsylvania’s Small Business Advantage program provides small businesses (those with fewer than 100 employees) with 50-percent matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to implement projects that will save at least 20 percent annually in pollution prevention or energy-related costs. Since 2004, the Small Business Advantage Grant program has invested $6.7 million in 1,220 small businesses.

Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units that help large trucks reduce time spent with idling engines.

The 90 projects in 40 counties will receive a total of $564,291 and leverage an additional $1.1 million in private investments. In the first year, they will have a cumulative savings of $521,782 in operating expenses related to reductions in energy and pollution. The savings include:

* 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity–enough to power 130 homes;
* 110,421 therms of natural gas;
* 28,000 gallons of propane;
* 26,000 gallons of kerosene and fuel oil; and
* 40,741 gallons of diesel fuel.

In addition, the projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly five million pounds, equivalent to the total energy used by 190 homes or removing 425 passenger vehicles from the roads.

Governor Rendell has initiated several other programs to assist small business owners. The Alternative Energy Investment Act he signed into law in July 2008, created the Small Business Energy Efficiency program, which provides a 25 percent reimbursement grant up to $25,000 to help small businesses acquire equipment or adopt processes that promote energy efficiency. The program has awarded $2.3 million to 214 small businesses.

The Investment Act also created the Sunshine Solar program, which reimburses small business owners and homeowners up to 35 percent of the purchase and installation costs of solar energy technology. To date, this program has allocated more than $44 million to 664 businesses to install solar energy technology. These projects will generate 59 megawatts of electricity, or enough annually to power 7,000 average homes in Pennsylvania.

“These financial incentives have made energy-conserving and pollution-reducing technologies more affordable to a greater number of small business owners in the state,” said Hanger. “These types of projects can make a business more productive and more profitable — a combination that is good for the company, the employees, the economy and the environment.”

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us or call 717-783-8411.

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Participants shredded more than 8,000 pounds of documents at the event. National Penn hosts a series of Community Shred Days annually to raise awareness about identity theft.

This form allows borough residents to notify the city of issues in their neighborhoods while helping others.

We are working to improve the quality of life in Pottstown. We believe that for homeowners and renters alike we can help the Borough become a better place to live, which will ultimately help with the revitalization of the Borough.

Before this can happen, the substandard housing, slumlords and unkempt housing conditions must be eliminated.

We believe this website can help us change the landscape in the Borough of Pottstown.

Should you have a complaint regarding the above mentioned items please visit http://www.acleanerpottstown.org

Thank you for your participation in this new initiative!

To mitigate these problems, the Montgomery County Commissioners have authorized the Waste System Authority to hold a free tire collection so that residents can get rid of these hard-to-dispose-of items.

On Saturday, September 25th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Municipal parking , 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, the Waste System Authority will hold a tire collection for Montgomery County residents only.  A maximum of 4 tires per vehicle will be allowed, and no tires from commercial activities will be accepted.

Waste tires present environmental, health, and safety hazards. Rainwater accumulates in tire piles creating an ideal environment for mosquitoes, which are known to transmit West Nile Virus.  Another hazard is fire.  A massive tire fire under a major highway in Philadelphia cost millions of dollars in damage and affected commuters and businesses in the region over several months.  Large tire piles can burn for weeks causing the rubber to decompose into oil, which can pollute ground and surface water.

“Disposing of tires properly is an expensive proposition and it’s crucial for the environment and for people’s quality of life,” Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews said.

“One tire with standing water in it can make it impossible for all the neighbors to enjoy their back yards,” Matthews said. “Even if you’re willing to pay, it’s hard to find anyone who will take old tires.”

Please join the Waste System Authority on September 25th in our efforts to create a cleaner and safer place to work and live. Four tires maximum.

For additional information, contact: Chris Kaasmann, Montgomery County Recycling Coordinator, 610-278-3618 or at recycling@wsaemc.org

The hunt will take place on Monday, November 8, 2010, and will be performed by hunters using conventional archery equipment or crossbows. Lorimer Park and the Pennypack Trail will be closed to all other visitor activities on this date.

Buck and/or antlerless deer may be harvested, however, all participants must possess an antlerless tag for Wildlife Management Unit 5D.

Hunters interested in participating should mail or drop-off a 3”x 5” card with their name, address, telephone number, e-mail address (if have one), PA hunting license number, and WMU 5D antlerless tag number (if already purchased), along with a self-addressed stamped business size envelope to: Lorimer Park, 183 Moredon Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006.
Please note: E-mail or internet applications will not be accepted.

A lottery will be used to pick 55 qualified hunters. Applications must be received by park closing time on Sunday, October 3, 2010. Only one permit will be issued per person. Only those chosen will be permitted on the park grounds that day. All hunting activity will be under the direct supervision of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

This program was initiated in 2002 and has been successful in contributing to reducing the effects of too many deer on both public and private lands in the park and surrounding neighborhoods.

For full rules and application information, please go to www.montcopa.org and continue to the Lorimer Park webpage, or call 215-947-3477, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

The directive is part of a modified consent order and agreement between the agency and the company that requires Cabot to continue providing temporary water services until the permanent solution can be implemented.

The 60-day timetable represents an extension that was made necessary when residents in the affected area objected to the company’s previous proposal to fix the water contamination issue.

“This week’s modification to the consent order and agreement gives us more time to find a water supply solution that will address the needs and concerns of residents,” said DEP Secretary John Hanger. “Our goal is to find a permanent solution that will be agreeable to all parties.”

In April 2010, DEP and Cabot entered into a modification of the original consent order and agreement that was executed in November 2009. One of the provisions required whole-house water treatment systems to be installed in 14 homes as a permanent water supply resolution.

After the document was signed, several of those residents expressed dissatisfaction with whole-house treatment systems. DEP met with a number of them in May to discuss their concerns.

Due to the resident reaction, Cabot requested an extension of the consent order and agreement time frame to install a permanent solution. DEP agreed to delay enforcement of that provision to allow for additional discussions with residents.  Meanwhile, several residents in the affected area appealed the April modification to the consent order and agreement to the Environmental Hearing Board.

Also in April, DEP suspended its review of Cabot’s pending permit applications for new drilling activities statewide until the company fulfilled its obligations to plug and repair the wells that caused the gas migration, which caused the water contamination.

This week’s modification acknowledges Cabot’s progress to date under the earlier agreement. In particular, Cabot has plugged three gas wells, as required, and has made repairs to another well. As a result, DEP will resume reviewing Cabot applications only for permits to drill gas wells outside of the affected area in Dimock Township.

Except for the permanent water supply and permit application review provisions, all other terms and conditions of the November 2009 consent order and agreement and April 2010 modification remain in effect, including the restrictions on drilling and hydrofracturing within the affected area.

Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. is headquartered in Houston, Tex. with a mailing address in Pittsburgh.

For more information on oil and gas wells, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Oil and gas.

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“Problems with the underground diesel fuel tank at the facility have impacted three area businesses served by one common well,” said Southeast Regional Director Joseph A. Feola. “The department has instructed the owners of the station to sample the private wells in the area and to supply clean water to any impacted properties.”

DEP received a report during the early morning hours of July 21 that a neighboring business had a strong gasoline odor in its water supply. North Coventry officials initially responded and confirmed the diesel fuel’s presence. DEP continues to work with the impacted property owners, the township and local fire department during this investigation.

Although Coventry Mart voluntarily took the diesel tank out of service, DEP issued an order requiring the facility to cease operations and empty all of its tanks. The order also directs Coventry Mart to immediately supply replacement water to the impacted parties, and sample private wells in the surrounding area.

This latest incident follows a March 10 report of a diesel fuel release from the facility. At that time, fuel had seeped into a storm water detention basin at the site and into a tributary of Pigeon Creek. Cleanup actions were taken and the product was contained.

On June 18, DEP received an interim cleanup report that was found to be incomplete. Several attempts were made to obtain additional information from the owner of the facility and the consultant.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Storage Tank.