Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
Board
Department of Environmental Quality

General Notice
General Notice - Public Notice to Review and Comment on the Priority Areas for TMDL and Watershed Plan Development
Date Posted: 11/18/2014
Expiration Date: 12/17/2014
Submitted to Registrar for publication: NO
No comment forum defined for this notice.

Purpose of notice:   The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is seeking input and comments on the 2015 priority areas for TMDL and Watershed Plan development.   These areas have been listed as impaired in Virginia’s Water Quality Assessment 305(b)/303(d) Integrated Report.  Developing plans to address and restore impaired waters is required by the Code of Virginia, § 62.1-44.2.

 

Public comment period:   November 17 – December 17, 2014

 

Description of proposed action:   In 2015, DEQ staff plan to continue or initiate TMDLs or Watershed Plans in the following areas:

Project Area

City/County

Listed Impairment

New River PCB

Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Radford City, Wythe

PCB

Wolf Creek and Tribs.

Bland, Tazewell, Giles

Bacteria

Long Meadow Run and Turley Creek

Rockingham, Shenandoah

Benthic [1]

Meadow Creek and Schenks Branch

Charlottesville, Albemarle

Benthic

Accotink Creek Benthic

Fairfax

Benthic

South Fork Holston River and Tribs.

Smyth

Bacteria

Mattaponi Watershed Bacteria

Spotsylvania, King William and Caroline

Bacteria

Stony Run (stressor analysis)

Henrico

Benthic

Lower Chickahominy River & Tribs

Charles City, New Kent

Bacteria, Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Little Mosquito Creek and Assawoman Creek

Accomack

DO

Nassawaddox Creek and tributaries

Northampton

Bacteria

Walker Creek and Tribs.

Bland, Giles

Bacteria

North Fork Catoctin Creek Benthic TMDL

Loudoun

Benthic

Kits Creek (stressor analysis)

Lunenburg

Benthic

Bluestone Creek

Mecklenburg

Bacteria

Nottoway River and Crooked Creek

Nottoway, Dinwiddie

Bacteria

Kerr Reservoir tributaries

Mecklenburg

Bacteria

Jeffries Branch

Loudoun, Fauquier

Benthic

Woods Creek

Lexington, Rockbridge

Bacteria, Benthic

McClure River

Dickenson

Benthic

 

TMDL reports and Watershed Plans are developed in accordance with federal regulations (40 CFR §130.7) and are exempt from the provisions of Article II of the Virginia Administrative Process Act.  The reports are subject to the TMDL public participation process contained in DEQ’s Public Participation Procedures for Water Quality Management Planning.  The public comment process provides the affected stakeholders an opportunity for public input on the TMDL development process. Once completed, draft reports are available for public review and comment on DEQ’s website at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WaterQualityInformationTMDLs/TMDL/TMDLDevelopment/DraftTMDLReports.aspx.

 

How to comment: The DEQ accepts written comments by e-mail, fax and postal mail. All written comments must include the full name, address and telephone number of the person commenting and be received by DEQ by 5 p.m. on December 17, 2014.

 

How a decision is made:  After comments have been considered, DEQ will make the final decision on 2015 priority areas. Comments will also be used for prioritizing waters in future work plans.

 


[1] Evidence of a degraded biological (benthic) community is a strong indicator that a water does not support the aquatic life designated use.  More information on Virginia’s biological monitoring program is available at the following website:  http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WaterQualityInformationTMDLs/WaterQualityMonitoring/BiologicalMonitoring.aspx


Contact Information
Name / Title: Sandra Mueller 
Address: 629 East Main Street
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, 23218
Email Address: sandra.mueller
Telephone: (804)698-4324    FAX: (804)698-4032    TDD: ()-