DIRECTOR'S CORNER
DEQ sets course for healthier rivers and a healthier Chesapeake Bay
The Department of Environmental Quality is raising the bar in the Commonwealth's efforts to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's rivers. Our objective is to improve water quality and restore Virginia's water resources - and to reduce the discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus in a cost-effective and equitable manner.
At its June meeting, the State Water Control Board approved two permits developed by DEQ that initiate the process of controlling the amount of nutrient pollution entering the Bay and its tributaries from wastewater treatment plants. This marks the first time Virginia has directly addressed nitrogen discharges from sewage treatment plants and factories as a major source of nutrient pollution in the Bay.
Under these permits, Philip Morris USA in Chesterfield County and the town of Onancock in Accomack County will be required to conduct tests to more clearly determine the amount of nutrients released and to accelerate planning for the use of additional nutrient removal technology once regulatory standards have been adopted. They also will be required to optimize the operation of their plants to maximize nutrient removal capabilities. Because we have information on how much nitrogen and phosphorus Philip Morris is discharging now, its permit also contains limits to ensure their discharge of nutrients does not increase. Once regulatory standards are adopted, these permits will be amended to limit their discharges based on an analysis of what is required to protect our water quality.
These permits do not, however, require Philip Morris and Onancock to upgrade their wastewater treatment capabilities and reduce the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus they discharge. Those pollution reduction requirements will be imposed once the scientific standards - and the requirements for facility upgrades needed to meet those standards - are complete.
These permits are the first of many. DEQ will develop similar permits for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that are identified as significant sources of nutrient pollution as each permit comes in for renewal.
The new permit requirements will protect the Bay and its tributaries from additional pollutants now and also allow Virginia to meet stricter, nutrient-reduction regulations more quickly in the future.
View of Virginia's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay from a NASA satellite
The new regulations, currently being developed by DEQ, are scheduled for completion in the second half of 2005. They will establish both the water quality goals that will define a restored Bay and establish standards for the nutrient-reduction technology facilities will be required to use when treating wastewater before it enters Virginia streams. Once the State Water Control Board adopts the new regulations, DEQ can modify the permits to include the new requirements.
Our goal is to use cost-effective techniques to reach environmentally and scientifically sound standards. The water-monitoring permit requirement will help DEQ determine the best regulatory path to take based on sound scientific information. New technology planning outlined in the permits will also help ensure that facilities can successfully implement nutrient-reduction technology once the new regulations become effective.
While the new permits and regulatory standards target significant and specific pollution sources, it is important to realize the biggest source of nutrient pollution in the Bay could be in our backyards, literally. Water runoff from lawns, golf courses, farms, streets and parking lots is the largest contributor to nutrient pollution in the Bay and its tributaries. If we are going to restore the Chesapeake Bay and protect our rivers, each of us will have to do our part. Small changes Virginians could make to reduce nutrient pollution - closely following directions when fertilizing the lawn and picking up after a pet - could have a powerful effect on water quality in Virginia streams and ultimately the Bay.
The regulatory efforts under way and the recent discharge permits are a significant step toward achieving Virginia's water quality goals, but the full restoration of the Bay's health and the health of all our rivers will come only when Virginians, industries and government agencies work together to ensure strong environmental stewardship.