ENB - Region 8 Notices
Public Notice
Availability for Comment on Draft TMDLs
This notice announces the availability of a DRAFT Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) document proposed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) to address each of four specific waterbodies:
Chautauqua Lake, Chautauqua County
Buck Pond, Monroe County
Cranberry Pond, Monroe County
Long Pond, Monroe County
These are waterbodies that are impaired by phosphorus. Public comment on these documents will be accepted for 30 days, through August 27, 2010.
Background: States are required by Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA's) implementing regulations (40CFR Part 130) to develop TMDL plans for waterbodies and pollutants where water quality standards are not being met. By definition, a TMDL specifies the allowable pollutant loading from all contributing sources (e.g., point sources, nonpoint sources, and natural background) at a level necessary to attain the applicable water quality standards with seasonal variations and a margin of safety that takes into account any lack of knowledge concerning the relationship between the sources of the pollutant and water quality. In essence, a TMDL defines the assimilative capacity of the waterbody to absorb a pollutant and still meet water quality standards. The proposed phosphorus TMDL for Chautauqua Lake will require stringent permit limits on the major wastewater treatment plants and will rely on significant voluntary load reduction efforts from the agricultural community, developed land and septic systems to address existing water quality impairments. The proposed phosphorus TMDLs for the Monroe County Ponds will require stringent permit limits on the wastewater treatment plants and significant reductions from the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). Considerable load reduction efforts from the agricultural community and elimination of septic systems via sewering are also recommended voluntary actions to address existing water quality impairments. The implementation of these three TMDLs will be staged, allowing for more refined data collection that will facilitate improved modeling and adjustments of implementation activities.
Information: Copies of the proposed draft plans can be found on the NYS DEC website at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/23835.html#Small, or by contacting Dan Hayes at NYS DEC -Division of Water, Bureau of Watershed Assessment and Management by mail at 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3502, or by phone at: (518) 402-8207, or via E-mail at:dahayes@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Comments should be sent, written or via email, to the same addresses. Comments received by close of business August 27, 2010 will be considered prior to submitting the final TMDLs to the EPA for approval.
