Chesapeake Bay TMDL

Update: Regional Report Completed

HRPDC staff has completed the "Hampton Roads Regional Planning Framework, Scernario, and Strategies" report that local governments will submit with their Phase II WIP reports to DCR on February 1, 2012.

Overview

The EPA completed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay watershed on December 29, 2010. The TMDL identified the nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reductions that each Bay State needs to achieve in order for the Chesapeake Bay to meet water quality standards. The TMDL included Phase I Watershed Implementation Plans developed by States within the Bay watershed. Virginia’s Plan outlined the actions expected of the wastewater, urban/stormwater, agriculture, and on-site sewage sectors in order to meet statewide nutrient and sediment reduction goals.

HRPDC FAQ Sheet

EPA TMDL Website

DCR TMDL Website

LGAC Outreach Document (Our Waters, Our Towns, Local Governments' Role in the WIPs)

The next step in the TMDL process is to develop Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans that will scale the statewide nutrient reduction goals to the local level. The State has requested that Planning District Commissions throughout the Bay watershed help the State collect input from localities for the Chesapeake Bay TMDL Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP).

HRPDC has developed a two-tiered approach to coordinate stakeholder involvement for the Phase II WIP throughout Hampton Roads. The local tier will consist of local government teams composed of staff from all departments affected by or affecting nutrient load reductions. The local tier will develop the locality’s nutrient reduction strategy by selecting a combination of BMPs (nutrient reduction methods) that meet the locality’s nutrient reduction target.

The regional tier will be a steering committee composed of locality representatives, federal and state agencies, agriculture representatives, and selected environmental groups. The Steering Committee will serve as a forum for local government representatives and other stakeholders to communicate their questions and concerns as they identify the management actions they will implement in order to meet the nutrient and sediment reduction goals necessary for a clean Bay. HRPDC staff will work with the Steering Committee and Virginia and EPA staff to address the local government concerns and provide technical assistance to develop management action scenarios. The following issues have already been identified for the Steering Committee to address:

1. Divide nutrient loads based on land use and ownership (Agricultural, VDOT, DoD, etc.) to clearly identify the portion of the nutrient reductions that the locality must implement.
2. Coordinate with the EPA and DCR to expand the types of BMPs that can be incorporated into the Bay model.
3. Provide regional feedback to the State on what localities need from the State such as more authority, regulations or funding.

WIP Development in other states:
Delaware: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/wr/Information/Pages/Chesapeake_WIP.aspx

Maryland - http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Water/TMDL/TMDLImplementation/Pages/PhaseIIBayWIPDev.aspx

New York: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/33279.html

Pennsylvania: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/chesapeake_bay_program/10513

West Virignia: http://www.wvca.us/bay/index.cfm

Additional Materials

Locality Loading Target Spreadsheets (xls file)
Locality Septic System Information
BMP Crosswalk (xls file)
Chesapeake Bay Model BMP Documentation
DCR Chesapeake Bay Q and A
Comparison of EPA and HRPDC Data on Federal Facilities in Hampton Roads
Cost Estimates for the Chesapeake Bay TMDL
Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) WIP II FAQ and Fact Sheet
Stormwater Retrofits to Maximize Nutrient Reduction (Webcast from 8/19/2011)

Future Projects and Grant Proposals

Meeting Information

The Regional Steering Committee held its first meeting on July 14, 2011.

August 4, 2011

September 1, 2011

October 6, 2011

November 3, 2011

December 1, 2011

January 5, 2012