For Release: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Three Broome County Waterbodies Set to Be Removed from Impaired List
DEC Proposes Delisting Following Water Quality Improvements
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has proposed removing three Broome County water bodies from a federal list of impaired waters, Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. Recent assessments found significant water-quality improvements in Beaver Lake and White Birch Lake, while Park Creek is expected to show similar improvements following construction of a new wastewater treatment plant.
"New York is making great progress in improving water quality throughout the state through initiatives that target untreated sewage effluent discharges, stormwater and agricultural runoff, industrial pollution, and other sources of contamination," Commissioner Grannis said. "While there is much more work to be done, we recognize the efforts of communities that have helped clean up our waters."
Under Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act, DEC must periodically identify waters for which a water quality standard has not been met due to pollution. Such waters are considered "water quality-limited" or "impaired." After assessing data collected from a variety of sources, DEC identifies waters that are impacted by pollution and that would benefit from a pollutant reduction plan (commonly referred to as a Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL.) Such waters are proposed by DEC for 303(d) listing to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Upon EPA approval of a final list, these waters are scheduled for development of a TMDL to restore water quality. If DEC develops necessary plans to demonstrate how a waterbody will be improved, if other non-TMDL actions are identified to address the impairment, or if waterbodies show sufficient improvement and begin meeting water quality standards again, DEC can then propose to delist them.
More information about the current and draft 303(d) impaired waters lists can be found on DEC's website. In addition, DEC is accepting public comments on the 2010 draft recommendations until Feb. 26, 2010.
The three Broome County waters being proposed for delisting from the federal impaired waters inventory are:
Beaver Lake and White Birch Lake: Town of Windsor
Both were first listed in 2002 for excessive phosphorus coming from nearby septic systems. DEC proposes to delist them due to recent assessments which have shown the attainment of water quality standards and full support of recreational uses.
Park Creek and tributaries: Town of Kirkwood
First listed in 2002 due to pathogens resulting from nearby septic systems, DEC proposes to delist it due to the pending construction of a municipal wastewater treatment facility in the Town of Windsor.
These local water quality improvements are also part of a broader cooperative effort to improve the waters of the Chesapeake Basin.
Public comments on DEC's draft can be sent to NYSDEC Division of Water, Bureau of Watershed Assessment and Management, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3502, or by email to jamyers@gw.dec.state.ny.us . DEC will submit the draft list to EPA in April, and EPA is expected to approve the list by the end of May.
