As previously reported on Conduit Street, the State is scheduling a series of four public meetings to introduce and discuss the Draft Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) that the State submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 1.  Prior to each of the four public meetings, there will be a separate meeting for local elected and public officials.  The Phase I WIP will include nutrient and sediment load targets by source (agriculture, stormwater, sewerage treatment plans, septic systems, etc.) and the general methods for achieving those targets.  The draft WIP contains a range of possible methods and will be subject to public review and comment from September 24 to November 8.  The WIP must be finalized in December.

The Phase II WIP, which is due November 1, 2011, will refine the TMDL allocations and provide much more detail on the methods and controls that the State and local governments will use to meet their goals.  A draft Phase II WIP is due to the EPA by June 1, 2011.

The EPA is also working to schedule a local government meeting on the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) numbers in addition to the three already scheduled public meetings.  MACo will provide further information when the local government meeting is finalized.

September 2 Conduit Street post on Draft Phase I WIP

August 25 Conduit Street post on Public WIP and TMDL Regional Meetings – post includes meeting information