Fred Suffian - EPA Region III
Focus on outcome of money spent by environmental groups.
Need to have public understand the concept of NPS better; how to accomplish; workgroup met; media tool boxes developed for a National media campaign.
Funding 319 FY03 same level $6.8 million for Pa.
Communicate successes at watershed scale; water quality improvement.
New watershed initiative $21 million nationally funding into up to 20 watersheds nationwide; website www.epa.gov/owow/watershed new site will be launched this summer.
Watershed rule (was TMDL rule); 303 various sections c d e; 305b 319 208 314; integrated watershed plans tie in standards, TMDLs, implementation; invigorate continuous planning process; use all sources of funding, including regulatory to get to goals of water quality improvement.
PA TMDLs; 43 approved in 66 impaired waters; develop additional 70 from 1996 list and 148 from 1998 list; use 319 funding in TMDL watersheds for project implementation for NPS reductions.
Trading for water quality reductions e.g. Conestoga River $100,000, Chesapeake Bay $125,000; trade between point and nonpoint sources to get money in place to implement BMPs in a more effective manner.
Phase II Stormwater Industrial activity - not NPS; Small construction sites -NPS up to one acre disturbance affected; small MS4 sanitary sewers for small communities 100,000 people; 6 minimum control measures; 4 deadlines for implementation/permitting set up.
CAFOs - Notice of Data Availability (NODA) released; info available on EPA website www.epa.gov.npdes.afo ; final rule expected December 2002.
Questions - Can Section 319 money be used only for impaired waters?
Only incremental money has to be used for impaired waters. This is 40% of total allotted to states. Incremental can be used in a watershed with mixed water quality and different NPS sources.
Russell Wagner Pa Nonpoint Source Management Program
A new Pa NPS Success Story document is under development. Send us any additional success stories you have.
Andy Zemba DEP, Water Management Deputate
Gave a presentation on the Conestoga River Nutrient Trading Pilot Project.
Why are we doing this? It pulls together a variety of issues, stakeholders, strategies to benefit a watershed.
A watershed approach in action. What is Nutrient Trading; 40 projects in US; credits buyers/sellers/trading/ banking to meet effluent criteria/water quality goals.
Potential for environmental results at less expensive costs.
Project Goals - Outreach meetings starting in July in the Conestoga River watershed. TMDL under development to be completed December 2002. The watershed is approximately 64% agricultural land use, with a mix of nutrient point sources.
Challenges in common need to be overcome, will look at other projects underway.
Question - Who might be buyers and sellers?
Working on that now. In other projects, buyers in past have often been point sources, sellers NPS, but will need to see how PA program works out.
Question - Will project be long enough to monitor effects of the trade?
Yes.
Work Group Summaries:
Resource Extraction - Jane Earle, DEP; Robert Hughes, EPCAMR; Jen Orr, SRBC; Bruce Golden, WPCAMR; Orest Kolodij, DEP; Bernie Hoffnar, DEP: Mike Hewett, EPCAMR; Heath Hines, Luzerne Conservation District; Kay Spyker, DEP.
Which items we have to contribute; Milestones C.4. and the % list of what watershed management plans completed; SWP; not % important, but which ones done
Is there a list/map of location
Where are the reports housed?
Map locations on Bruces (WPCAMR) web site
Quality of plans
Local involvement is important for successful plan and implementation
Any guidelines to develop a plan; yes guidelines; Ernies plan
Representative of a good plan to be put on Bruces site: www.AMRclearinghouse.org
Bureau of Oil & Gas plugging; G2 funds; $2 million/year now will shift other funds to continue checking into improvements; eliminating AMD seepage sites; how does this fit in with wellhead protection plans; develop displays on this; usually plug 20-30 wells in one area
Outreach activities tracked; are we using East and West PA Coalitions reports; also use watershed specialists outreach
AMDEC; in western Pennsylvania; 6 months for teachers/educators to be delivered to public schools books about AMD later; colleges, coalition, Kish-Conemaugh WSAs, CDs; regular meetings held; integrated lesson plans to be develop for AMD
USGS web site; AMD experiments/activities for school
GIS of WS Association delineate area on map; SRBC has this for their area under development
Greenworks TV- highlighted several AMD projects
Working biosolids importance for AMD reclaim
New technology especially for high volume
Posters reductions and manageable handouts; poster boards for watersheds to keep and use at meetings
Chucks stuff laymens summaries
Pull in townships and municipalities
Meet in September or October not 15-18
Dont forget Pa Game Commission (PGC) - reclamation projects; biosolids on PG lands; warm season grasses
Construction and Urban Runoff - Ken Murin, DEP; Beverly Reinhold, PENNVEST; Greg Williams, DEP; Melanie Cook, PBA; Pat Devlin; ACB
Review of status and updates on DEPs NPDES Stormwater Programs/Initiatives:
o Construction Phase I & II
o MS4-Phase II
o Integration of MS4 elements and Act 167 Program
o Comprehensive Stormwater Policy
o Annual Program Report Data Development of programs that encourages municipalities to adopt Low Impact Development techniques:
o Builders for the Bay
o TAG Revise BMP Handbook for Developing Areas or some Stormwater BMP technical guidance document
Funding possibilities-PENNVEST funding provided for small combined systems to separate stormwater from sanitary
General discussion/request for updates
Chester County Stormwater Demonstration-self guided BMP tour
Agriculture - Bill Bowers, NRCS; Fred Suffian, EPA; Johan Berger, PDA; Charlie Abdulla, Penn State University; Doug Goodlander, SCC; Dave Heicher, SRBC; Bill Achor, Wenger Feeds; Doug Brennan, DEP; Bob Gibson, DEP; Don Fiesta, DEP; Carl Rohr, DEP
Several new members introduced, backgrounds shared, mutual interests are many.
Reviewed success stories for new draft NPS publication entitled, Water Quality Improvements, and provided some suggestions on agricultural related success stories.
Talked about the FY2001 Annual Reports agricultural information and how we can utilize this to be more informative and useful for the public.
Agriculture Action Plan in NPS Update most important ones, funding process, effectiveness of programs and accomplishments.
Nutrient management planning process Update and Revisions lots of changes.
Alternative uses and technologies needs more attention.
Will look closer at our workgroups Action Plan and proposed activities for future recommendations.
The workgroup decided to meet again prior to the October NPS Liaison workgroup meeting.
Membership on workgroup will be a topic on the June 19 Agricultural Advisory Board meeting agenda.
Hydromodification - Gene Counsil, DEP; Pat Lietman, USGS; Stacy Cromer, CVI; Rebecca Purse, DEP; Bill Weihbrecht, Stream Restoration, Inc.; Colton Weber, DCED; Dave Reed, DEP and Fran Koch, DEP
Colton reported that FEMA is updating maps in PA.
Gene mentioned that BWE and PENNDOT have detailed study maps that they will provide to FEMA for digitizing.
Bill noted that Alan Tamm (PEMA) has expressed an interest in considering the development of a usable floodplain in association with homes, which are removed due to frequent flooding. He mentioned that this could be done under the flood hazard mitigation program.
Dave reported that 40 Conservation Districts were involved with updating FEMAs flood damage repetitive loss study. (DCED contracted with PACD)
Stacy announced that CVI will be offering two workshops on Natural Stream Channel Design (NSCD) in August. She also volunteered to compile a list of the people in PA who have been trained in NSCD.
Pat explained that the PA District, USGS is completing a flood insurance study using HEC-RAS, a one-dimensional (1D) elevation model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on Bachman Run, Manheim Twp, Lancaster Co in cooperation with FEMA and the county. USGS has proposed a workshop to be supported by FEMA that will present a 2D model with 3D graphical user interface for stream flow and elevation developed by the National Research Program, USGS and compare results obtained from the Corps and USGS models. The workshop is predicated on the widely accepted belief that multidimensional models are the next technological step in obtaining the stream flow and elevation information needed for management decisions. Based on a recent conversation with FEMA, funding for the workshop will probably come through. Once USGS has confirmation of that, the workshop will be scheduled for late this summer or early fall.
Land Disposal Bill LeCour, DEP; Sherene Hess, LWV-WREN; Dan Snowden, CAC; Lynn Langer, DEP
Bill reported that the DEP, Bureau of Land Reclamation and Waste Management is developing a new brochure on oil recycling.
The recycling promotion is being taken to NASCAR races in Pa.
The workgroup also discussed how outreach efforts could be improved for scrap dealers.
Tire pile removal should also be considered in the Pa NPS Management Program.
Doug Brennan - EFP2 Update
DEP Regional Office teams met; indicators developed; local base planning; more public meetings are underway
Aligning programs to indicators
Now setting up indicator expert teams for stormwater, flooding, water quality, etc. Indicators have been prioritized for accomplishments.
The DEP Office of Policy and Communications will now head this initiative.
There are seven (7) common focus areas statewide.
Ron Stanley Growing Greener Update
A July announcement will be made on Round 4 watershed restoration and TAG grants.
Grants fairs instead of workshops, including more than just G2, are being proposed for future rounds. Not sure yet of all the details.
Deadline for Round 5 applications could be early February 2003.