The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) seeks public comment from interested persons on 7 proposed minor modifications of the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) developed for the impaired segments: Beaverdam Creek (H38R-03), Fine Creek (H38R-01), and the James River (H33R-01 and H38R-04).
A total maximum daily load of E. coli was developed to address the bacterial impairments in the waterways and counties mentioned above. This TMDL was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency on 06/11/2008.The report is available at: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ tmdl/apptmdls/jamesrvr/jmsgrp2.pdf . The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) seeks written comments from interested persons on 7 minor modifications of this TMDL. Two modifications are proposed for Beaverdam Creek. The first is to remove Huguenot Academy (VA0063037) which should not have been given a waste load allocation (WLA) in Beaverdam Creek because it discharges to Fine Creek. The WLA of 6.96E+09 colony forming units per year (cfu/yr) based on a maximum discharge of 0.004 million gallons per day (MGD) will be added to the “future growth” for Beaverdam Creek. The second is to add new discharger, Oilville Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) (VA0092428), which is a municipal facility with a maximum discharge of 0.3 MGD and a WLA of 5.22E+11 (cfu/yr). The revised future growth in Beaverdam Creek as a result of this modification will be 1.58E+12 (cfu/yr). The proposed changes for the Beaverdam Creek TMDL are equal to < 1%.
One modification is proposed for Fine Creek, which is to add discharger Huguenot Academy (VA0063037), originally allocated to Beaverdam Creek by mistake. A WLA of 6.96E+09 (cfu/yr) will be assigned to the discharger from “future growth”. The revised future growth in Fine Creek as a result of this modification will be 2.96E+10 (cfu/yr). The proposed changes for the Fine Creek TMDL are equal to < 1%.
Two modifications are proposed for the upper James River (H33R-01) segment in order to include two domestic sewage discharges (VAG404276 and VAG404277) with a maximum discharge of 0.001 MGD each. These dischargers were not assigned WLAs in the TMDL. A WLA of 1.74E+09 (cfu/yr) will be assigned to each discharger from “future growth”. The revised future growth in the upper James River as a result of these modifications will be 2.79E+11 (cfu/yr). The revised total WLA in the upper James river as a result of these modifications will be 3.49E+11 (cfu/yr). The proposed changes for the upper James River (H33R-01) TMDL are equal to <1%.
Two modifications are proposed for the lower James River (H38R-04) segment in order to include two domestic sewage discharges (VAG404276 and VAG404277) with a maximum discharge of 0.001 MGD each. These dischargers were not assigned WLAs in the TMDL. A WLA of 1.74E+09 (cfu/yr) will be assigned to each discharger from “future growth”. The revised future growth in the lower James River as a result of this modification will be 6.54E+12. The proposed changes for the lower James River (H38R-04) TMDL are equal to <1%.
The proposed WLA changes above will neither cause nor contribute to the non-attainment of the James River basin. The public comment period for these modifications will end on February 16, 2011. Please send comments to the contact person below. Following the comment period, a modification letter and any comments received will be sent to EPA for approval final approval.
