PA Environment Digest

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the opportunity to comment on the draft 2010 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report required to be completed by Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.

Comments are due on the draft by May 3. (formal notice)

The report is comprised of four parts and also includes a five-part list that collectively summarizes the designated use attainment status of Commonwealth surface waters.

The federal Clean Water Act and 40 CFR Part 130 require states to identify waters which would still be impaired, even after the appropriate technology has been applied to point sources and requires best management practices are in place for nonpoint sources. Waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards after this evaluation are placed on Category 5 of the Integrated Waterbody List.

For each waterbody in Category 5, the state or the United States Environmental Protection Agency must develop Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocations. A TMDL is a calculation of the assimilative capacity of a waterbody to handle point and nonpoint pollutant loads without violating water quality standards. TMDLs also describe the conditions necessary to improve water quality.

TMDLs are used to set limits in NPDES water quality permits and identify where best management practices for nonpoint sources are necessary to improve and protect water quality. When a TMDL is approved for a waterbody, that waterbody listing is moved to Category 4a.

Waterbody assessment and compilation of the Integrated Report is an ongoing process. The Department will continue to verify the quality of data used in this process and, as needed, will publish supplements to the Integrated Report for public review and comment.

Written comments should be submitted to Angela Bransteitter, Division of Water Quality Standards, Bureau of Water Standards and Facility Regulation, P. O. Box 8467, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8467 or send by email to: abransteit@state.pa.us.

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