Abington, PA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Chapter 142, adopted by Ord. No. 2100 to implement the Pennypack Creek, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford and Wissahickon Creek Act 167 watershed plans, governs earth disturbance in Abington. Section 142-403 requires evidence of any necessary DEP or County Conservation District permit for regulated earth disturbance before work proceeds, and requires infiltration BMP areas to be protected from sedimentation and compaction during construction so they retain infiltration capacity; an infiltration BMP may not be built or receive runoff until its whole contributing drainage area has reached final stabilization. Section 142-408 targets stream bank erosion directly: where a perennial or intermittent stream crosses a site, the applicant must create a riparian buffer extending at least 50 feet to either side of the top-of-bank, kept undisturbed as a mown meadow or a forested buffer of native vegetation.

Where the rear or side yard setback is under 50 feet, the buffer may shrink to 25% of that setback, with a 10-foot floor. Applicants must also design a BMP to detain the two-year, 24-hour storm to the pre-development one-year flow rate, using a minimum three-inch outlet orifice with a trash rack against clogging. The chapter does not include lakes or wetlands within this streambank buffer duty.