creating a sustainable world The Chesapeake Bay TMDL A Policy Model for Nutrient Pollution Reductions James Noonan October 15, 2012 MACO Administrators Meeting

creating a sustainable world MDEs Draft Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan Development Process Revised Waste Load Reductions allocated geographically and by source sector –waste water treatment plants (point sources), –agricultural sources, –stormwater and –septic systems The Phase II WIP Process

creating a sustainable world After 25 years of Voluntary Agreements –Anoxic Zone Continues to Enlarge –Living Resources Continue to Decline Statement of the Problem

creating a sustainable world Dissolved Oxygen

creating a sustainable world Watershed Nitrogen Sources Source:

creating a sustainable world Watershed Phosphorus Sources Source:

creating a sustainable world Source: / Watershed Sediment Sources

creating a sustainable world TMDL sets Bay watershed limits on an annual basis at –185.9 million pounds of nitrogen (25 percent reduction) –12.5 million pounds of phosphorus (24 percent reduction) and –6.45 billion pounds of sediment (20 percent reduction) Aggressive Milestones –60% Reduction by 2017 –100% Reduction by 2025 Chesapeake Bay TMDL

creating a sustainable world Pollution Reductions allocated –By Jurisdiction Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, the District of Columbia –By Major River Basin Chesapeake Bay TMDL

creating a sustainable world Phase I Plans Developed by States in Fall of 2010 used to inform the final TMDL December 29, 2010 EPA established the Final TMDL Draft Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans

creating a sustainable world States demonstrate: –How the reductions will be achieved; i.e., which sectors; municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, urban stormwater, and agricultural discharges will provide the nutrient and sediment load reductions necessary to achieve the waste load allocations of the Bay TMDL. –Address existing as well as any future nutrient and sediment sources associated with planned future development. Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans

creating a sustainable world Sediment August 23, 2011

creating a sustainable world Sediment September 13, 2011, four days after Tropical Storm Lee

creating a sustainable world For point source, stormwater, and septic components of the plan MDE organized local teams that developed: –What can be implemented to achieve the targeted reductions –How the implementation actions will be achieved (new local ordinances and revenue sources) –Two-year milestones that reflect near-term implementation actions and steps to be taken between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2013 Phase II WIP Process in Maryland

creating a sustainable world For Agriculture MDE formed agricultural work groups, organized for each soil conservation district Where local team strategies were not submitted, or fell short of the Final Target, the State supplemented the plans. Phase II WIP Process

creating a sustainable world To achieve the 2017 Interim Reductions –Point Source Sector - Major (>.5MGD) wastewater treatment plant upgrades to ENR –Agriculture Sector – Significant reduction from cropland, some reduction from AFOs, nurseries and pasture land –Stormwater Sector – Significant reduction from MS4 permittees retrofitting developed land with stormwater BMPs, also controlling fertilizer application and requiring forested stream buffers –Septic Sector - 60% in Critical Area upgrade or connection to an advanced waste water treatment plant. Phase II WIP Strategies

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental, civil, structural and mechanical engineering design services to implement ENR at major wastewater treatment plants. Strategies and Tools Point Sources Source: DC Water

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services to: Strategies and Tools Stormwater MS4 –Conduct watershed assessments. –Use GIS to calculate treated and untreated impervious cover, identify where retrofit BMPs/ESD are needed and where they can be installed.

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services to: Strategies and Tools Stormwater MS4 –Use software based models to calculate runoff volumes and estimate BMPs/ESD sizes. –Use software based models to evaluate treatment scenarios and perform cost benefit analysis

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services to: Strategies and Tools Stormwater MS4 –Use software design tools to design BMPs/ ESD stormwater retrofits stream restoration –Construct BMPs/ESD stormwater retrofits and stream restoration –Monitor retrofit performance

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services to: Strategies and Tools Stormwater MS4

creating a sustainable world Private Industry can support farmers providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services for implementation of –Animal waste management systems –Runoff control –Riparian buffer design and implementation Strategies and Tools Agriculture

creating a sustainable world Private Industry has been working with Local Government providing environmental planning, civil engineering design and construction services to: Strategies and Tools Critical Area Septic Systems –Determine feasibility and cost of small flow, community based wastewater treatment –Design collection and treatment facilities –Install replacement septic systems that improve nitrogen removal

creating a sustainable world Chesapeake Bay Watershed one of several across the U.S. that have multiple impairments. The Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, San Francisco Bay, and many others. Watershed based approach, addressing all source sectors. Watershed Based Approach

creating a sustainable world Take a holistic approach to the issue –Understand all of the changes made to State law and regulations and incorporate the impacts of those programs into your reporting Changes to Septic system regulations Focused Growth –Use GIS tools to think about nutrient reductions from a watershed based perspective Locate opportunities for off site nutrient reductions Prioritize improvements to targeted watersheds How can Local Governments Meet WIP goals without breaking their budgets??

creating a sustainable world Make reduction strategies Standard Practice –Incorporate ESD and low impact strategies into all construction programs –Incorporate funding for those strategies into budgets for capital projects Examine the full range of strategies available to determine which mix of approaches maximize reductions more efficiently How can Local Governments Meet WIP goals without breaking their budgets??

creating a sustainable world Questions?