National Water Quality Monitoring Council Herndon, VA 15 July 2010 Ocean Policy Task Force: Water Quality Objective Jawed Hameedi National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Silver Spring, MD 1

Ocean Policy Task Force -- Overview Established by President’s memorandum, dated June 12, 2009 The message is to collaborate on ocean-related [coasts, open water, the Great Lakes] issues and work within a unifying framework Share knowledge and resources Coordinate activities Integrate toward common goals Communicate 2

Ocean Policy Task Force – Initial Actions Within 90 days develop recommendations for: A National Policy A US Framework for Policy Coordination An Implementation Strategy Completed: Interim Report, September 2009 Within 180 days A recommended framework for effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Completed: Draft interim framework, December

Ocean Policy Task Force Nine (9) Priority Objectives 1. Ecosystem-based management 2. Coastal and marine spatial planning 3. Inform decisions and improve understanding 4. Coordinate and support 5. Resiliency and adaptation to climate change and ocean acidification 6. Regional ecosystem protection and restoration 7. Water quality and sustainable practices on land 8. Changing conditions in the Arctic 9. Ocean, coastal and Great Lakes observations and infrastructure 4

Eight (8) Water Quality Issues: Coastal waters and the Great Lakes (NWQMN) Oxygen depletion Nutrient over-enrichment; eutrophication Toxic contamination Sedimentation Harmful Algal Blooms Habitat degradation (freshwater availability; dredging impacts; shoreline armoring; etc.) Invasion by non-indigenous species Pathogens (indicator bacteria) 5

6 Ask me how – Successfully reducing nutrient input to alleviate eutrophication may be contributing to increased incidence of botulism in coastal birds, aided by expanding invasive species

Ocean Policy Task Force: Policy Coordination Framework [Draft] National Ocean Council Principals and Deputies Co-Chairs: CEQ/OSTP Ocean Resource Management IPC Ocean Science and Technology IPC Governance Coordination Committee Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel Steering Committee White House Councils and Offices (Climate, Economy, Security, etc.) IPC= Interagency Policy Committee

Presumptive Framework for Developing Strategic Action Plan: Water Quality Strategic Action Planning Committee Chair/co-Chairs Staff Interagency Work Group (workers, not representatives) Theme Teams Leaders Regional Teams Leaders O&CDI&TScience NOC ORM-IPC; OST IPC NOPC Governance – 13 IOOS – 11 CMSP -- 9

Strategic Action Plan Guidance from NOC; more specifically from ORM-IPC and OST-IPC Plans -- one for each objective -- to include: Actionable items – to do list -- with milestones, performance measures, and likely outcomes; Small-scale and incremental opportunities to build upon existing activities; Key lead and participating agencies; Information gaps and needs in science and technology; and Resource requirements and steps for collaboration (current and out- year budgets) Also SWOT analysis 9 Threat Weakness Strength Opportunity Apathy toward the goal Commitment to achieving the goal Agency requirements External needs

Actionable Items – examples i. Identify contaminants of concern and their sources within the watershed ii. Document the nature, severity and putative cause(s) of water quality-related problems, e.g., seafood consumption advisories, habitats degradation (hypoxia, eutrophication, and shoreline alteration), toxins and infectious agents, and economic losses iii. Estimate contaminant input to the watershed and loading from the watershed (and airshed) to the receiving body iv. Develop methods and technologies to quantify transport, transformation and fate of contaminants in the watershed and receiving waters v. Recommend and provide decision-support tools for more effective conservation practices and use efficiencies for improving water quality and quantity vi. Provide the knowledge and tools for monitoring the status and trends of water quality and assessing watershed condition 10

Focus on “nonpoint” pollution sources Agriculture – nutrients, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, sediment Forestry – pesticides, sediment, temperature Hydromodifcation and habitat alteration – channelization, dams, beach armoring – sediment, contaminants, hydrology Ports, marina and boating – petroleum hydrocarbons, solid waste, sediment, fish processing waste, boat cleaning, antifouling chemicals, and coastal armoring Roads, highways and bridges – heavy metals, oils, sediments, etc. Urban areas – sediments, oils, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, toxic metals and chemicals, thermal pollution, road salt, viruses and other pathogens Regional emissions and deposition of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ammonia Wetland and riparian management – thermal pollution, nutrients, contaminants, sediments, etc. Abandoned mine drainage – e.g., acidic waters with high metal content 11

Other pollution sources cannot be ignored Municipal wastewater discharge Industrial effluents and plumes Smokestacks – power plants, factories and ships – does a ship constitute a point source? Aquaculture impacts – where does this fit? Ballast water – where does this fit? Oil spills Marine debris 12

NOC organizesPHASE I (1-12 months) Phase II (9-24 months) Phase III (18 monhts-5 years) NOC Strategic Action Plan Scientific guidance and information mgmt plan Fed agency coordination Implement regional steps Coordinate with states; workshops Capacity assessment Work plan to NOC Plan implementation, reviews, feedback Governance Adv Comm Funding and support Regional planning bodies formed Strawman phased implementation plan

Key federal partners NOAA EPA US Forest Service Agriculture Research Service US Geological Survey National Park Service US F&WS Coastal Program US Army Corps of Engineers 14

Thank You For more information: Your comments and suggestions are welcome 15

Strawman Plan Objective Water Quality and Sustainable Practices on Land: Enhance water quality in the ocean, along our coasts, and in the Great Lakes by promoting and implementing sustainable practices on land 16

Performance Measures Develop and transfer technology and implement practices to reduce delivery of contaminants from the watershed to coastal waters, and document water quality improvements: – Initial: demonstration of technologies, practices and improvements in at least one of nine regions – Cumulative: demonstration of technologies, practices and improvements in each of nine regions 17

Key Measurable Outcomes Improved water quality as demonstrated by reduced accumulation of contaminants in the environment and sentinel biota, improvements in eutrophication and hypoxic conditions, recovery of natural habitat and biodiversity, and enhanced economic benefits [Note: in the context of “ecosystem-based” management, regional differences are acknowledged, so the outcomes will relate to specific water quality- related issues or scientific questions in a particular study area]. 18

NOAA does not develop regulations for toxic substances or water quality criteria Regulations Regulations U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Recommendations or guidelines [cannot be enforced by law] Recommendations or guidelines [cannot be enforced by law] Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) NOAA, e.g. Sediment Quality Guidelines NOAA, e.g. Sediment Quality Guidelines 19

20 NOAA’s Water Quality Data Needs Establishing connections between water [and air] quality and undesirable ecosystem conditions or outcomes (e.g., nuisance or harmful algal blooms, eutrophication, fish diseases and deformities, hypoxic conditions, and loss of species, habitats and biodiversity)

21 Water Quality Data Needs – contd. Understanding the role of physical processes (including episodic events, decadal changes, and global warming) on coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. Loading from a Runoff Event in Chesapeake Bay, March 2008 (High-Resolution Ocean Color Satellite Data) TSS Chl

22 Water Quality Data Needs – contd. Fostering collaboration between NOAA, universities, and states Fostering collaboration between NOAA, universities, and states Enhancing environmental literacy (through education, outreach and training) Enhancing environmental literacy (through education, outreach and training) Impervious surface area; ISAT; Rutgers COOL; Teachers at Sea

23 NOAA’s approach: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems NOAA will use the full range of its capabilities (research, assessment, monitoring, management, technology transfer, education and outreach) to achieve: Greater understanding of interactions among the components of healthy coastal ecosystems Designing and implementing management solutions that are comprehensive, integrated and geographically focused over a variety of time scales Synthesizing and communicating information to coastal decision-makers and stakeholders