By Jenny Tribo
Senior Water Resource Planner
Virginia submitted its final Chesapeake Bay TMDL Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) to EPA on November 29, 2010. This revised version includes stronger reasonable assurances that the agricultural loading reductions can be met; technically feasible reductions for stormwater runoff from existing development; and reduction of 2 million pounds of nitrogen from wastewater discharges in the Lower James River. This plan is an improvement over the Implementation Plan that was submitted in September, and will hopefully prevent EPA from imposing the backstop loads that were included in the TMDL. If EPA accepts Virginia’s revised WIP, then the cost to treat stormwater from existing development in Hampton Roads will be significantly lower than the cost to comply with EPA’s backstop allocations.
Sign up to receive regional planning info
Made in the U.S.A.