Chesapeake Bay and New York State Water Quality and the Potential for Future Regulations Presented by the Upper Susquehanna Coalition

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Chesapeake Bay and New York StateWater
Quality and the Potential for Future
RegulationsPresented by the Upper Susquehanna
Coalition
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The Topic of Discussion

• New York is going to be involved with helping
  improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
  
• Todays presentation will try to explain some
  of the background on this issue and some of the
  potential ramifications.

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Upper Susquehanna Coalition - The Messenger - Who
are we?

• Coalition of 14 Counties in NY and PA formed in
  1992 7500 sq. mi.
• Headwaters of the Susquehanna River
• All USC counties agreed to work on water quality
  projects of mutual interest
• Includes staff from County Water Quality
  Committees, Soil and Water Districts, County
  Planners, Cooperative Extension, Town
  Supervisors, County Health, Local Lake
  Associations

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Upper Susquehanna Coalition What do we do?

• Develop watershed plans to address local nonpoint
  source water quality issues
• Provide advice to residents on soil and water
  conservation issues
• Provide technical support to other county, state
  and federal agencies
• Install Best Management Practices on farms
• Stabilize erosion on streams, road ditches, road
  banks and other problem areas
• Build wetlands to reduce flooding and improve
  water quality

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The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Covers 64,000 sq
mi Includes 6 states and Washington D.C. New York
contains the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay
NY
PA
MD
WV
DE
VA
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There are parts of 19 NY Counties in the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
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Chesapeake Bay Program In 1983 a multi - state
partnership formed to work toward a voluntary
restoration of the Bay The original Program
Members are EPA, D.C., PA, VA, MD. NY, WV, DE
signed an agreement in 2000 to help with water
quality aspects of the Program
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Delaware
West Virginia
District of Columbia
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Boundary
Virginia
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Chesapeake Bay Program
Under the Federal Clean Water Act the Bay is
considered impaired waters and the Chesapeake
Bay Program began to address that issue Info
SourceChesapeake Bay Program
Impaired Water
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The entire watershed contributes nutrients and
sediments that lead to the impairment of the
Bay Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
50 of the Bays fresh water
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What are the pollutants of concern for the
Chesapeake Bay and their major sources?

• Pollutants
• NITROGEN - supports algae blooms in salt water
  resulting in low dissolved oxygen (the real
  problem) when the algae dies
• PHOSPHORUS - supports algae blooms in fresh water
  resulting in low dissolved oxygen (the real
  problem) when the algae dies
• SEDIMENT - directly smothers aquatic plants and
  animals and indirectly impacts all living
  resources by reducing light
• Sources
• Urban runoff, sewage treatment plants, septic
  systems
• Runoff from agricultural operations
• Runoff from forests
• Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program

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Nitrogen Loads Delivered to the Chesapeake Bay
by Jurisdiction
39
28
Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
20
7
3
2
1
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Sediment Loads Delivered to the Chesapeake Bay
by Jurisdiction
47
Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
22
20
7
1
gt1
3
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The entire watershed contributes nutrients and
sediments that lead to the impairment of the
Bay Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
50 of the Bays fresh water
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Why is this important to New Yorkers?

• A recent lawsuit has resulted in a court order to
  cleanup the Bay. This lawsuit will require EPA
  to enact a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for
  the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed, including
  NY by 2011.
• The TMDL sets a maximum limit for pollutant
  levels in a Waterbody and these levels are
  reached and maintained through permits and other
  regulatory means.
• Municipalities, businesses, farmers, residents
  and others who produce sediment or nutrients
  could be affected.
• Regulations could impact the Local Economy

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Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)For Individual
Pollutants

• Required under Section 303 (d) of the Clean Water
  Act
• TMDL WLA LA MOS
• TMDL - A water bodys loading capacity for a
  particular pollutant
• WLA - Sum of point source waste load allocations
• LA - Sum of non-point source load allocations
• MOS - Margin of Safety

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Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)Why avoidance
is Good

• Prevent out of state regulatory control
• Mitigate the need for sweeping permit changes
• Allow those who are impacted local control and
  decision making

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But, There is Some Good News

• The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership has
  agreed to develop and carry out a cooperative
  approach to remove water quality impairments by
  2010. This will allow them more flexibility in
  how they restore the Bay without restrictive TMDL
  regulations." Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
• The Challenge Clean up the Bay by 2010 and avoid
  regulations in 2011

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NY Agreed to Help

• In 2000, Governor Pataki joined executives from
  the other Chesapeake Bay Watershed states and the
  federal government in agreeing to
• Work cooperatively to achieve a clean Chesapeake
  Bay by 2011
• Provide for public participation
• Collaborate on the development and use of
  innovative measures to achieve the necessary
  reductions

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A Window of Opportunity

• We should take advantage of this unique Window
  of Opportunity to develop our own strategy to
  address this potential regulatory issue.

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New York Goals developed by the CBP, based on
Computer Model and Water Sampling Information
Info SourceChesapeake Bay Program
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Approach Develop a plan that helps the Bay meet
its clean water standards and avoid a regulatory
TMDL

• Inform stakeholders, get feedback, challenge them
  to help
• Develop a plan that addresses economic
  development as well as water quality issues
• Develop a plan that helps local communities first
  and second, has downstream benefits
• Account for our past good practices to help get
  us closer to the goal
• Lobby for federal funds to support the increased
  efforts that will be needed to accomplish the
  necessary tasks

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Tributary Strategy Development

• Three Work Groups have started to help DEC
  develop the NY Tributary Strategy
• OUTREACH GROUP
• SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT GROUP
• STRATEGY ADVISORY GROUP

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OUTREACH

• We are giving presentations to discuss the issue
  and solicit feedback and questions
• We will hold informational meetings on the
  strategy after a draft is developed to gain
  further input
• We suggest interested individuals subscribe to
  the Bay Journal a free publication which can
  keep them informed on all aspects of this issue.

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SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT

• We are in the process of documenting all past
  practices that have resulted in nutrient and
  sediment reductions to take full credit for these
  activities
• We are reviewing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  Model to ensure it accurately describes NY
  contributions
• We are partnering with University researchers to
  investigate other models, practices and
  approaches that will help NY more easily reach it
  goals

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STRATEGY ADVICE

• We are soliciting individuals from all of the
  major stakeholder groups to help suggest what
  should be in the Strategy
• We are providing information to New Yorks member
  of the Bay Blue Ribbon Panel, a group which is
  soliciting funding support from Congress

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What can Stakeholders do?

• Understand the issue - visit www.chesapeakebay.net
  
• Inform others

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More Information?

• Upper Susquehanna Coalition
• Web Site www.u-s-c.org
• James Curatolo
• Watershed Coordinator
• 607-546-2528
• jac3_at_htva.net
• Chesapeake Bay Program
• Web Site www.chesapeakebay.net