Healthy Waters

The Priority is based on plans in 4 Industry Sectors including Agriculture, Mining, Transportation, and Developed/Developing Lands, engaging States in comprehensive Healthy Waters Plans, and fostering innovation in water policy. The Priority emphasizes 4 key pollutants, nutrients, sediments, pathogens and toxics contaminants in these 4 sectors to address the 4 major designated uses and water impairments in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

4 Priority Pollutants

• Nutrients
• Phosphorus
• Nitrogen
• Pathogens
  • Cryptosporidium (description | images)
  • Giardia (description | images)
• Sediments
  • Total Suspended Solids
• Toxics
  • Metals
  • PCBs
  • Disinfection By-Products
  • Mercury

Protecting 4 Water Uses

• Drinking Water
• Aquatic Health / Habitat
• Recreational Use
• Fish Consumption

With 4 Methods

• Wholesale Policies
• Prevention Partnerships
• Integrated Strategies for on-the-ground activities
• Green Solutions

4 Industry Sectors & Special Projects

Agriculture —Reduce nutrient, sediment, pathogen and toxic impairments of waters caused by agricultural lands. Click for more...
The vision of the Agriculture Sector is to identify a list of priority actions through 2010 from voluntary and regulatory programs including USDA Farm Bill programs as well as corporate stewardship efforts to reduce nutrient, sediment, pathogen and toxic impairments of Mid-Atlantic waters from agricultural lands. The list will also include actions related to habitat and emerging contaminants of concern. These actions will be based on available data including logic models and GIS. The Healthy Waters-Agriculture Sector will also benefit from sharing program information across Mid-Atlantic divisions and field offices.
Goals
• Reduce nutrient, sediment, pathogen and toxic impairments.
• Address habitat and human health issues.
• Address emerging contaminants of concern.
• Data analysis and geographic targeting.
• 5. Share program information.
See the full Agriculture Plan (PDF) (8 pp, 65 KB, About PDF)
Land— Eliminate nutrient and sediment loads and the destruction of habitat caused by developed and developing lands. Click for more...
The Land sector has 10 plans focused in 4 areas that encompass both a reevaluation of current programs, seeking innovative approaches to traditional issues as well as leveraging partnerships to advance wholesale approaches to land issues. The four areas of focus include: A. Greater performance from stormwater regulatory programs B. Stormwater management and innovation C. Federal lands leadership D. Environmental high potential areas identified E. Conservation and protection of high quality waters
Recent Meetings — Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure
• On July 21 and 22, EPA Region III teamed with EPA Headquarters to host a two-day workshop for West Virginia Municipal Officials governed under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations. Over 100 state and local representatives participated. West Virginia has reissued its NPDES Stormwater Permit for small municipalities which requires new development and redevelopment to manage the first inch of runoff on site using green infrastructure practices. In addition, the state also has NPDES requirements in place for combined storm and sanitary sewer systems to reduce the number of combined sewer overflows. The goal of the workshop was to teach municipal officials how to design and manage green infrastructure (GI) systems to reduce wet weather runoff. Research has shown conventional engineered systems built to temporarily detain, then convey stormwater through systems of underground pipes to receiving waters, has the potential to impact surface water quality and deplete ground water resources (National Research Council, 2008) Green infrastructure is an approach to manage wet weather on site by using existing natural systems or creating systems that mimic natural hydrologic processes to infiltrate, evapotranspirate or capture and reuse precipitation. Green Infrastructure is practiced at all scales including site, neighborhood and watershed scales so that things like rain gardens, street trees, riparian buffers and large conservation easements, are all examples of GI. Workshop discussions focused on planning, design, installation and maintenance of GI technologies, changing land use codes and ordinances to incorporate GI, as well as the financial, social, and environmental benefits of green infrastructure. The workshop concluded with participants designing green infrastructure systems on proposed developments in West Virginia.
• April 29, 2009 EPA Region III teamed with EPA Headquarters to host a one-day workshop for Virginia Municipal Officials governed under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations. The goal of the workshop was to increase knowledge and effectiveness of wet weather management programs using green infrastructure (GI). Research has shown conventional approaches to control stormwater runoff has not resulted in adequate protection of water resources (National Research Council, 2008) Green infrastructure is a new approach to manage wet weather that uses or mimics natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspirate or capture and reuse precipitation near where it falls on the ground. It is practiced at all scales including site, neighborhood and watershed or regional scales so that things like rain gardens, street trees along commercial corridors, wildlife refuges and large conservation easements, are all examples of GI. Workshop discussions focused on planning, design, and installation of GI technologies, changing land use codes and ordinances to incorporate GI, as well as the financial, social, and environmental benefits of green infrastructure.
Mining— Protect healthy waters and restore degraded waters within watersheds affected by coal mining. Click for more...
The mining sector has 11 ongoing, short- and long-term plans focused primarily on leveraging existing relationships with State and other federal agencies for the purpose of managing toxic and sediment impairments due to acid mine drainage to restore stream habitats and drinking water sources.
Transportation — Green Highways Partnership Click for more...
The Green Highways Partnership (GHP) serves as a voluntary public-private collaborative that seeks to advance environmental stewardship and sustainability in transportation planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance while balancing economic and social objectives.
• A. Designing a blueprint for success, including the Green Highways Forum, a broad audience of consultants, federal agencies, industry groups and contractors to facilitate information exchange, including the GHP website at www.greenhighways.org. Outreach activities for students, a directory of professional personnel, presentations, incentive awards, etc., are included. The GHP continues to develop strategies to leverage support of multi-spectrum groups for pilot projects and support of the GHP.
• B. A five-year business plan is currently underway to ensure that activities, funding and execution of priorities continue to be met over a five-year timeframe.
• C. Theme Teams cross-cutting activities include:
• i. US 301 Case Study Project – workshop and information exchange
• ii. Beneficial re-use of industrial byproducts & recycling opportunities
• iii. Seeking regulatory flexibility and streamlining review process pursuant to CWA §404, 402 and 401 and continue programmatic capacity building
• iv. The 3 Theme Teams include
• a. Support watershed-driven stormwater management
• b. Support conservation & ecosystems
• c. Support recycling & reuse
Special Projects — The Elizabeth River. Click for more...
Elizabeth River, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay has been included in EPA's Urban Rivers Restoration Initiative, aimed at addressing water quality issues, economic revitalization, and the public use and enjoyment of urban rivers in conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers. See 2003 Press Release. The EPA has been working in partnership with the Elizabeth River Project (ERP), a grass-roots non-profit organization to improve the water quality of this beautiful resource..

Progress Through State & Interstate Innovations

Pennsylvania

The Resource Enhancement & Protection Tax Credit Program (REAP) offers transferable tax credits for the establishment of riparian forest buffers, no-till planting equipment, barnyard renovations and other conservation "best management practices" (BMPs).

PA Statewide Mercury Rule This plan will reduce the amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania by enhancing the state's current mercury emission regulations.

Virginia

Virginia Healthy Waters Cleanup Plan (PDF) (61 pp, 721K, About PDF) This plan lays out clear objectives, well-developed strategies, predictable time frames, realistic funding needs, commonsense mitigation strategies, and straightforward recommendations, all umbrellaed under measurable environmental outcomes and quantifiable pollution reductions to improve the waters of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay.

Poultry Companies Tackle Water Pollution This agreement will lower the phosphorus level in waste produced at poultry farms by introducing the enzyme phytase into chicken feed. This effort will reduce the environmental footprint of the participating poultry farms and thus reduce their adverse environmental impact on the surrounding Virginia rivers and waterbodies.

Maryland

Statewide Ban on Phosphorus in Dish Detergent This policy will ban phosphorus in commercial dish detergent by reducing the amount of phosphorus in the dish soap formula from 7% to 0.5% over two years.

Delaware River Basin Commission

PCB Levels Reduced in Delaware River The Delaware River Basin Commission's rule establishes pollutant minimization plan (PMP) requirements for point and nonpoint discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Delaware Estuary. It also sets a goal of reducing PCB loadings by 50% in five years.