DEP turns down Water Permit

The state Department of Environmental Protection turned down an application for a local bottling company to draw water from a Laurel Hill Creek tributary. Regional DEP spokesperson Helen Humphreys says if they had approved the application for Cooper Springs Trout Hatchery, it would have drained 40 percent of the water from Shafer Run, which is unacceptable. Cooper Springs now has the option to either appeal the DEP’s decision within 30 days, or reapply for the water permit. Humphreys says unless the results change significantly, they will not approve. Laurel Hill Creek was recently listed as one of the nation’s 10 most endangered streams by nonprofit American Rivers, and a bottling company on a tributary would put significant strain on wildlife.