Monday, January 28, 2013

Revision To Missouri NPDES Compliance Schedule Requirements

EPA Region 7 has approved Missouri's change to state water quality standards rules to provide greater flexibility in Missouri's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted rule changes to EPA on Dec. 11, 2012, for review and approval. State regulations previously allowed no more than three years for a permittee to come into compliance with its NPDES permit. Due to the limits of current technology for controlling some pollutants, full compliance is not always possible within a three-year period. Therefore Missouri proposed new regulations that allow for a longer compliance period, in accordance with federal regulations.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address water quality standards, wastewater permitting and assessing potential impacts of chemicals in the aquatic environment.

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Summary of 2011 EPCRA 313 TRI Releases To Great Lakes

Releases of EPCRA Section 313 reportable chemicals into surface waters in the Great Lakes Basin increased by 12 % from 2010 to 2011, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual Toxics Release Inventory report. Nationwide, releases due to surface water discharges decreased by 3 %.

Nitrates and pesticides from municipal wastewater treatment plants and agriculture account for most of the releases from surface water discharges to the Great Lakes Basin. Nitrates were also discharged by primary metals facilities, such as iron and steel mills and smelters, and food and beverage manufacturers.

For the summary, the Great Lakes Basin consists of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario; a number of other smaller lakes and waterways; and the surrounding watershed. The watershed covers parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and parts of Ontario in Canada. Despite increases from 2010 to 2011, overall Section 313 releases in the Great Lakes Basin have decreased about 40 % since 2003 and are currently at the second-lowest level in a decade. Surface water, air and land releases in the basin increased by 12, 1 and 4 % respectively, while underground injection decreased 5 % from 2010 to 2011.

Read summary of national EPCRA TRI releases for 2011.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address water quality standards, wastewater permitting and assessing potential impacts of chemicals in the aquatic environment.

Caltha LLP Aquatic Toxicology / WQ Standards Services Website


Monday, January 14, 2013

EPA Comments On Draft Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

U.S. EPA Region 7 has provided comments on the draft Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy released Nov. 19, 2012. EPA commends the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) for developing the strategy that embraces ambitious specific nutrient reduction targets. Iowa based its draft strategy on EPA’s 2011 memorandum that dealt with how states should achieve long-term reductions in nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in water bodies.

EPA states that supports states leading efforts to reduce nutrient loads from point and nonpoint sources but stresses that EPA is not mandating specific strategies or solutions. The draft strategy raised concerns about EPA’s ecoregional criteria published in 2000. Since then, EPA and some states have identified a range of options that can be appropriately used for development and implementation of numeric nutrient criteria.

In its comments, EPA does offer recommendations to strengthen the policy considerations and point and nonpoint source sections of the document. The Agency makes a number of recommendations to be addressed during implementation of Iowa’s nutrient reduction efforts.

Read a summary of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address water quality standards, wastewater permitting and assessing potential impacts of chemicals in the aquatic environment.

Caltha LLP Aquatic Toxicology / WQ Standards Services Website


Saturday, January 5, 2013

Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Comment Period Extended

The public comment period for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy has been extended by two weeks until January 18, 2013. The original 45-day comment period was scheduled to close on January 4.

According to IDNR, as of January 2 more than 350 comments had been received on the plan. The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a science and technology-based approach to assess and reduce nutrients delivered to Iowa waterways and the Gulf of Mexico. The strategy outlines voluntary efforts to reduce nutrients in surface water from both point sources, such as wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban areas.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) worked with Iowa State University over a two-year period to develop the strategy. The Iowa strategy was developed in response to the 2008 Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan that calls for the 12 states along the Mississippi River to develop strategies to reduce nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico. The Iowa strategy follows the recommended framework provided by EPA in 2011 and is only the second state to complete a statewide nutrient reduction strategy.

More information on Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address water quality standards, wastewater permitting and assessing potential impacts of chemicals in the aquatic environment.
Caltha LLP Aquatic Toxicology / WQ Standards Services Website