#MACoCon Roundtable: Recommendations to Reality for TMDL Efforts and MS4 Permits

MACo’s Winter Conference, January 2-4, 2019, will feature several roundtable discussions for returning elected officials and professionals to dive deeply into complicated policy issues affecting county governments.

Among the top over-arching challenges facing governments in Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay. Its water quality is a major driver of our environment, economy, and way of life. The EPA-mandated “pollution diet” for the Bay watershed engages each county to shepherd its own Watershed Implementation Plan to target nutrient reductions under the “Total Maximum Daily Load” concept.

Further, Maryland’s counties and cities with federal stormwater permits face practical and technical challenges to meet those obligations. Federal regulators, state statutes, and third-party intervenors make this a complex web for counties.

This Wednesday afternoon session will talk through, and reveal partnerships for, the steps ahead for counties, as we all pursue watershed strategies to benefit the Bay and our citizens.

  • We’re Here to Help: Technical Assistance for the Bay TMDL and MS4 Permits
    • Description: The Local Government Advisory Committee provides the local government viewpoint in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) efforts, including Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits. One of the Committee’s longstanding recommendations has been to provide greater technical assistance to county and municipal governments, especially those with limited capacity to initiate projects or programs on their own. Recently, the Committee has formulated a realistic and flexible approach to make this recommendation a reality. Join Committee members and staff in a discussion of this proposal and provide your input on how this recommendation can best be realized in Maryland.
    • Speakers:
      • Mary Gattis, Director of Local Government Programs/Local Government Advisory Committee Coordinator
      • Bruce Williams, Chair, Local Government Advisory Committee
      • Frederika Moser, Director, Sea Grant Maryland
      • Bob Tjaden, Iterim Assistant Director and Program Leader, Environmental/Natural Resources and Sea Grant Extension, University of Maryland Extension (invited)
    • Date/Time: Wednesday, January 2, 2019; 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: