The Bay TMDL, Executive Order and Reauthorization: Interrelationships and Opportunities Jon Capacasa, Director Water Protection Division U.S. EPA Region III Chesapeake Bay Principals’ Staff Committee October 23, 2009
Promote Accountability and Performance EO/Reauth: Employ Federal Actions or Consequences Watershed Implementation Plans to identify nutrient and sediment reductions by location and sector to meet water quality standards. Plans include: TMDL/EO/Reauth: EO/Reauth: Model and Monitor to assess actions, load reduction progress and water quality response if insufficient commitments in Plans or 2-year milestones, or enhancements and reductions behind schedule Total maximum nutrient and sediment loads Wasteload and load allocations by state/DC, drainage area of tidal segments, and sector TMDL: Set Pollution Reduction Goals to Meet Bay Water Quality Standards EO/Reauth: 2-Year 1. Evaluation of Program Capacity (programmatic, financial, technical) necessary to fully achieve reductions Milestones with specific controls and program enhancements to maintain schedule. Contingencies by state/DC for not achieving milestones 2. Identification of Gaps between needed reductions and existing program capacity 3. Schedule to fill gaps and reduce - loads based on description of planned enhancements 2 Proposed reauthorization can incorporate new approaches into Clean Water Act
Common Elements Bay TMDL E.O. Reauth. TMDL sets nutrients and sediment cap Reference Develop implementation plans to meet cap 2-year milestones to assess progress New or better use of federal tools and authorities Potential federal actions or consequences
Opportunities Chesapeake Bay TMDL, Executive Order, and reauthorization of Chesapeake Bay Program build on each other New approach to ecosystem restoration
Jon Capacasa, Director Water Protection Division U. S Jon Capacasa, Director Water Protection Division U.S. EPA Region III capacasa.jon@epa.gov (215) 814-5422 5