Given the signficant fiscal and land use impacts that total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements will have on the counties, MACo is forming a workgroup to handle TMDL and watershed implementation plan (WIP) issues. The group will consist county elected officials, environmental officials, engineers, planners, and parks and recreation officials. The workgroup will review and comment on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) draft TMDL and Maryland’s draft Phase I WIP. Public comments to both are due to both by November 8.
The workgroup will then work with the State’s WIP Advisory Committee to help draft the State’s Phase II WIP, which will provide specific nutrient goals for individual counties and dictate the processes and policies that a county must use to meet those goals. The draft Phase II WIP is due to the EPA by next June.