Join the Watershed Institute on June 29th at 10am for a joint presentation by EPA Region 2 and NJDEP regarding the 303(d) Impaired Waters List and TMDLs. State and federal officials will address the ways in which their agencies use water quality data (including data collected by nonprofits and citizen scientists) to identify and prioritize waterways for restoration.
The workshop is centered around the 2014 NJ Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report, also known as the 303(d) list. This bi-annual assessment of the state's waterways is required under the Clean Water Act in order to establish priorities for cleaning polluted streams and rivers. Those priorities are used to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), which limit the amount of pollution that can flow into a degraded waterbody.
EPA Region 2 officials will address the following issues:
- What is EPA's role in the 303(d) list process (including list approval/disapproval)?
- What should environmental stakeholders know about how EPA interprets the letter of the law regarding DEP's responsibilities to create the list?
- Are there circumstances when EPA increases its involvement in the development of a TMDL or prepares a TMDL on its own (for example, if the State lacks resources to do so)?
The presentation from NJDEP will cover the following issues:
- Explanation of the new Sublists (5A, 5R, 5L) in the 2014 Integrated Report
- Explanation of de-listings due to insufficient data, administrative correction or assessment methods change
- How impaired waters are prioritized (and why TMDLs may not end up being developed for some high priority waters)
- Implementation of TMDLs in NJ waterways
Finally, officials from both agencies will address how environmental stakeholders can improve the 303(d) list process and ensure the development and implementation of TMDLs in New Jersey.
Event Registration: Free, click here to register
Light refreshments will be provided.