Milford Beach in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area closed Oct. 4 for multi-agency training exercise
DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA – Milford Beach in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will be closed to the public from sunrise to sunset on Oct. 4 for a multi-agency, multi-hazard response exercise.
The closure includes the beach, picnic area and pavilion, boat and canoe launches, and the McDade Trail.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring the full-scale multi-agency/jurisdictional hazmat exercise to test geographic response plans related to a hazmat or oil incident in the upper Delaware River.
The exercise will be based at Milford Beach with elements taking place downriver as far as Dingmans Bridge. There will be no actual hazard, and no oil or hazardous material will be in the river, however boom may be placed at locations determined by the participants in the exercise.
“The best time to plan for an emergency of any kind, is not when you are in the middle of one,” said Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Superintendent Doyle Sapp. “Joint training exercises like this one help us to test our response, identify and improve on weaknesses, improve coordination among agencies, and develop informed response plans so that we can be better prepared to protect our staff, the public, and the natural and cultural resources in our care when something does happen.”
In addition to the site closure, the public may see signage that indicates an exercise is in progress on that day as well as response vehicles from multiple agencies and activities on the Delaware River. Response vehicles will include command posts, police and fire, and boat personnel. The Delaware River will remain open during the exercise though users can expect to see increased activity between Milford Beach and Dingmans Access.
Participants will include federal, state, county, and select local agencies:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- National Park Service
- United States Department of the Interior
- United States Coast Guard
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Dingmans Bridge
- Pike, Monroe & Northampton Counties (PA)
- Sussex & Warren Counties (NJ)
- Select Local Fire Departments
For more information on Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and alternate destinations for the day, call 570-426-2452 or visit www.nps.gov/dewa.
