WaterNews for November 18, 2003

G. Tracy Mehan, III
Assistant Administrator
Office of Water

WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.

Inside this week’s WaterNews

• EPA’s Approves More Than 9,000 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
• EPA Launches New Partnership with Broadcast Meteorologists
• EPA Issues Producers’ Compliance Guide For Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
• Now Available: "Small Systems Guide to Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations"
• Coastal America Recognizes EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) Peter W. Anderson with a Coastal America Partnership Award
• New Website for EPA's National Program To Promote Water-Efficient Products
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EPA’s Approves More Than 9,000 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Assistant Administrator G. Tracy Mehan III today announced that the Agency has approved more than 9,000 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), which provide information about what pollution reductions are needed to meet water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. Of the more than 9,000 TMDLs approved to date, over 4,000 have been approved since Jan. 2001.

“These numbers show that EPA has made substantial progress over the past three years in the TMDL Program,” Mehan said. “Prior to 1998, fewer than 1,000 TMDLs were completed. Thus, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of TMDLs approved by EPA.”

The Clean Water Act requires states to identify waters not meeting water quality standards and to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) which describe reductions in loadings necessary to meet these water quality goals. TMDLs identify sources of the pollution and the reductions needed to achieve state water quality standards. In essence, TMDLs establish “pollution budgets” which allocate the load among the sources of the pollutant. These pollution budgets are translated into permit requirements for point sources. For other pollution sources, the program relies on local, state and federal watershed plans and programs to determine priorities for implementation.

TMDLs are a key tool for addressing the nation’s remaining water quality problems. Since the early 1990's, states and EPA have been using the TMDL Program to identify where water quality problems remain. Through the TMDL Program, states develop lists of impaired waters and then TMDLs are done for those impaired waters. TMDLs provide key information on the sources of pollution and provide a roadmap for implementing solutions.

“EPA is committed to implementing a TMDL Program that is effective, innovative and focuses on achieving clean water across the nation,” said Diane Regas, Director, EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. EPA has been working closely with the states to approve record number of TMDLs to identify and publicize innovative, effective TMDLs, and has given priority in its Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program for funding of development and implementation of TMDLs.

Numbers of TMDLs approved are one indicator of success for the TMDL Program. The ultimate indicator of success is that the TMDLs are actually implemented as part of watershed plans and water quality goals are met. EPA is pleased to report that this is happening in a number of localities. For example:

• Hickey Run, a stream that discharges into the Anacostia River, in the District of Columbia was listed as impaired due to oil and grease. A TMDL was approved by EPA and the District has been implementing an education program in the drainage area to get the automobile service industries to use better waste management practices and has also continued visual inspections of the stream for oil and grease. EPA approved the District’s updated list of impaired waters in March 2003 and Hickey Run was no longer listed as impaired by oil and grease due to the District’s implementation efforts.

• In 2002, Connecticut began implementing a TMDL to reduce nitrogen loads to Long Island Sound. The State is using an innovative trading program to reduce by 64% the nitrogen discharges from 79 wastewater treatment plants that eventually drain to the Sound. After the first year of trading, nitrogen loadings to the Sound have been reduced from 2000 levels by more than 35%.

• EPA approved a TMDL in Feb. 2001, which called for a 30% reduction in sediment delivered to Lake Sharpe from the Bad River in South Dakota. Lake Sharpe is a reservoir on the Missouri River. In addition, State funds, the Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cost sharing have been used to implement agricultural practices in the Bad River Watershed. Data from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2001 show that there has been a 40% reduction in sediment delivered from the Bad River to Lake Sharpe. Due to these reductions, Lake Sharpe was removed from South Dakota’s 2002 list of impaired waters.

EPA is continuing efforts to improve the TMDL Program in order to further enhance the quality of the nation’s waters. States and EPA continue to work to improve the quality of the TMDLs and to use the TMDLs to achieve water quality standards. For more information on EPA’s TMDL Program, please visit our web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/

EPA Launches New Partnership with Broadcast Meteorologists

Kathy Orr, Chief Meteorologist at KYW-TV (CBS) in Philadelphia, unveiled last week the station's new Watershed Project Web site, http://kyw.iewatershed.com, which was developed in partnership with EPA Region III, the Philadelphia Water Department, the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF), the US Forest Service, and StormCenter Communications. This site is an adaptation of “Where the Atmosphere Meets the Earth,” a featured site on WRC-TV’s (NBC4) popular WeatherNet4 web site in Washington, D.C., first piloted by NBC-4's Chief Meteorologist Bob Ryan. Kathy plans to do weekly features on the Delaware River and Bay for her viewing audience of 7.3 million. As with the NBC4 site, the web site boasts an impressive "learning center" (left side bar) that offers information about watersheds, coasts and forest subjects.

Since last year, WRC-TV’s weather team in Washington, D.C. has done more than 20 watershed feature stories – covering topics such as polluted runoff, erosion, and World Water Monitoring Day. Over 1.8 million TV viewers in the DC metropolitan area have clicked on “Where the Atmosphere Meets the Earth,” www.watershed.interactive-environment.com. The NBC-4 site has had over 150,000 unique visitors, staying on average about 7 minutes to review content. New features include real-time Water Quality Data taken from 11 Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ monitoring stations within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is also a partner in this innovative effort to bring more environmental information to the American public. AMS is working to train broadcast meteorologists to become the “station scientist.” As part of their continuing education programs, AMS is working with NEETF, EPA and others to develop environmental curriculum so that broadcast meteorologists will have the necessary tools and information to educate their viewers about weather, water quality, and related environmental issues.

EPA Issues Producers’ Compliance Guide For Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

EPA has published a guide to help producers comply with the revised Clean Water Act regulations for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

The guide provides the following information to producers in a plain English format:

• Background information on EPA’s program for regulating CAFOs.
• How to determine if a facility is affected by these regulations.
• How to apply for a permit.
• What requirements a permit would contain.
• What is the compliance assurance process.
• Contact information for each States’ NPDES program.

EPA will be printing the guide and making it available through its regional offices, state agricultural agencies and other sources. The guide will also be available on the Internet at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/cafofinalrule.cfm

For further information: contact Nina Bonnelycke, (202) 564-0764, bonnelycke.nina@epa.gov

Now Available: "Small Systems Guide to Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations"

The Office of Water's Drinking Water Utilities Team recently published a booklet entitled Small Systems Guide to Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations – The First STEP to Providing Safe and Reliable Drinking Water – One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series. The booklet was produced to serve as a resource for small drinking water systems and others working with small systems. The guide provides general information about the various Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, how the regulations relate to each other, and how drinking water regulations fit into the multi-barrier approach to drinking water protection. To access the booklet on-line, go to http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm. Hard copies can be obtained from the Office of Water Resources Center or by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. (Reference Document Number EPA 816-R-03-017). For more information, please contact Andrew Bielanski at (202) 564-3824.

Coastal America Recognizes EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) Peter W. Anderson with a Coastal America Partnership Award

EPA was recognized by Coastal America for its participation in enhancing public education and awareness of our coastal resources at an award ceremony held at the New England Aquarium on Nov. 5 in Boston, MA. EPA's Ocean and Coastal Protection Division has made the OSV Anderson available annually since 1998 to conduct educational near shore cruises with local teachers and students sponsored by Coastal America and its partners. The Coastal America Partnership is made up of Federal, State, local governments and private sector members in alliances to enhance the protection, restoration, and understanding of our valuable coastal resources. Annual trips on the OSV Anderson provide unique opportunities for students and teachers to receive "hands on" experience with oceanographic techniques that are used in assessing the health of local coastal waters and habitats. These activities have included hundreds of students and teachers as well as hundreds of citizens who have participated in open house events aboard the vessel. For more information, contact Ken Potts at (202) 566-1267.

New Website for EPA's National Program To Promote Water-Efficient Products

To provide up-to-the minute information on the new national program to promote water-efficient products to consumers, a website has been launched which contains the Washington, DC Oct 9th stakeholder meeting information, including a participant list, presentations of panelists, meeting summary and post-meeting comments. You can also register for the next meeting to be held in Austin, Texas on Jan 15, 2004.

New Website for EPA's National Program To Promote Water-Efficient Products

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