COMPREHENSIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Policies, Reports, Guidance Documents, Meetings
EPA's National Watershed Assessment Project Presents Challenge
to AMSA
Background: EPA's Office of Water and its many public
and private partners are using joint information to characterize
the conditions of the 2,150 watersheds in the continental United
States. According to EPA, the purpose of the project is fivefold:
(1) to use the rich array of information from multiple sources
to paint a portrait of our 2,150 watersheds, (2) to stimulate
and empower citizens to know about and work to preserve their
watershed, (3) to identify the watersheds at particular risk,
(4) to serve as a baseline in a dialogue between many public and
private partners who can help assess and maintain or improve the
condition of the watershed, and (5) to measure progress towards
our goal that all watersheds will be healthy and productive places.
Results of the assessment will be posted on EPA's Internet "Surf
Your Watershed" Web site (http://www.epa.gov/surf) via maps
and 2-page summary assessments for each watershed.
Status: AMSA learned recently that preliminary results
of EPA's National Watershed Assessment project, which is intended
to characterize the conditions of the 2,150 watersheds in the
continental U.S. and provide information to the public, have highlighted
POTWs as a major source of noncompliance and watershed impairment.
EPA has been working to develop an algorithm which depicts watershed
conditions using a variety of data sources. AMSA met with key
EPA officials on Dec. 19 to discuss the data algorithms, preliminary
results, and how AMSA can provide additional input to watershed
characterization efforts. One critical issue is the quality of
data used and its presentation to the general public. EPA indicated
its need for input in these areas. AMSA also discussed receiving
preliminary results of individual watershed profiles prior to
public release. The National office will coordinate with members
who wish to receive preliminary watershed profiles. AMSA members
will be able to provide additional data via "hot links"
to EPA's Web site. EPA plans to complete Phase I of the project
by April 1997. CONTACT: Mark Hoeke, AMSA (202) 833-9106 or
Geoff Grubbs, EPA (202) 260-7040.
EPA's Draft Framework for Watershed Based Trading
Background: On June 10, 1996, EPA released a draft
effluent trading framework document detailing information on
the types of trading that can occur within a watershed, such as
point-point source, intra-plant, pretreatment, point-nonpoint
source and nonpoint-nonpoint source. It lays out the conditions
necessary for allowable trading to ensure that waters receive
the same or better levels of protection that would be attained
without trading, stressing that "total pollutant reduction
must be the same or greater than what would be achieved if no
trade occurred." The document lists eight principles of
effluent trading that pollutant sources must follow in order to
meet water quality standards. For example, trades must be developed
within a total maximum daily load process or other equivalent
analytical and management framework, and affected industry involvement
and public participation are crucial components to trading.
Status: AMSA submitted its comments on EPA's recently
released "Draft Framework for Watershed-Based Trading."
on September 6, 1996 (see September 1996, Regulatory Update).
EPA offices are internally discussing their concerns, as well
as comments received on the framework, including those from AMSA,
and will solicit additional stakeholder input through public meetings,
potentially in Spring 1997. CONTACTS: Mark Hoeke, AMSA (202)
833-9106, or Mahesh Podar, EPA (202) 260-5387.
TMDL Committee Forms Workgroups to Address Issues
Background: Due to the number of lawsuits being filed
by environmental groups against EPA and states which have not
met TMDL development/implementation requirements under CWA Section
303(d), EPA continues to develop a broad strategy to reinvent
the TMDL process. Under CWA Section 303(d) states are required
to identify waters in which technology-based effluent limitations
are not sufficient to meet water quality-based standards, and
requires states to develop TMDLs for these waters which will ensure
that applicable water quality standards are met. EPA has formed
a federal advisory committee of stakeholder interests to develop
recommendations concerning needed changes to the agency's TMDL
program implementation strategy, as well as TMDL-related policies,
guidance, regulations and priorities. AMSA is represented on
the Committee and has formed an internal TMDL working group to
help identify priority issues among AMSA member agencies.
Status: During the first meeting of EPA's TMDL Advisory
Subcommittee, participants established sub-categories for four
primary TMDL issues, (1) listing of impaired waters, (2) criteria
for EPA approval of state TMDLs, (3) management of TMDL programs,
and (4) science and tools. Workgroups of the committee have
been formed. Cheryl Creson, AMSA's spokesperson on the Subcommittee
is participating in the "listing workgroup." FACA workgroup
conference calls on the issues are being held during the month
of January to discuss key topics. The next advisory committee
meeting will be held in Galveston, Texas, Feb. 19-21, 1997, and
will address listing, and science and tools workgroup issues.
CONTACT: Mark Hoeke, AMSA (202) 833-9106 or Don Brady, EPA (202)
260-5368.