Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
Board
State Water Control Board

General Notice
Announcement of the Sixth Technical Advisory Committee Meeting for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Study for the tidal Potomac River
Date Posted: 6/21/2007
Expiration Date: 8/10/2007
Submitted to Registrar for publication: NO
No comment forum defined for this notice.

Announcement of the sixth Technical Advisory Committee Meeting for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study to restore water quality in the tidal Potomac River, including selected tributaries to the tidal Potomac River in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, which are impaired by the pollutant Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB).

PURPOSE OF NOTICE: The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Washington D.C. Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of the Environment, and Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin announce the sixth Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting to present the draft Potomac PCB TMDL Report and allocation scenarios to members of the TAC and other interested stakeholders.

TECHINCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING:  Northern Regional Office of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Conference Rooms 1 and 2, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, Virginia 22193, Thursday, July 12, 2007 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

MEETING DESCRIPTION: This is the sixth Technical Advisory Committee meeting for the Potomac PCB Project.  The TMDL study addresses elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Potomac River estuary.  The purpose of this meeting will be to present the draft TMDL allocation scenarios and report to the TAC.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. agencies are working to understand the nature of the PCB contamination in the tidal waters of the Potomac River. This study aims to identify the sources of PCBs into the estuary, understand the fate and transport of the pollutants, and determine the reductions in PCB loadings needed to achieve compliance with water quality standards and fish consumption goals. These load reductions are known as total maximum daily loads, or TMDLs. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant a water body can contain and still meet water quality targets. To restore water quality, PCB levels have to be reduced to the TMDL amount.

How to comment:  The public comment period for the draft TMDL report will extend from July 11, 2007 to August 10, 2007.  DEQ accepts written comments by e-mail, fax, or postal mail. Written comments should include the name, address, and telephone number of the person commenting and be received by DEQ during the comment period. Please send all comments to the contact listed below.

CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Mark Richards, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 629 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23240, Telephone: (804) 698-4392, E-mail: marichards@deq.virginia.gov Fax: (804) 698-4116


Contact Information
Name / Title: Mark Richards 
Address: 629 East Main Street, P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, 23218
Email Address: marichards@deq.virginia.gov
Telephone: (804)698-4392    FAX: (804)698-4116