The comment period for the development of the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Big Reed Island Creek, Greasy Creek, Little Reed Island Creek, East Fork Little Reed Island Creek and Island Creek has been extended. The comment period began on September 17, 2018 and was initially set to end on October 17, 2018. However, due to inclement weather causing the postponement of the public meeting, the public comment period has been extended until November 19, 2018.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) seeks written and oral comments from interested persons on the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Big Reed Island Creek, Greasy Creek, Little Reed Island Creek, East Fork Little Reed Island Creek and Island Creek. These streams are listed on the 2016 303(d) TMDL Priority List and Report as impaired due to exceedances of the State’s water quality standards for bacteria, in Carroll, Floyd, Pulaski, and Wythe Counties and the town of Hillsville, Virginia. In addition, Big Reed Island Creek, Island Creek and Little Reed Island Creek are listed as impaired for failure to support the aquatic life use. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and §62.1-44.19:7.C of the State Water Control Law requires DEQ to develop TMDLs for pollutants responsible for each impaired water contained in Virginia’s 303(d) Priority List and Report. The impaired segments include: 19.85 miles of Big Reed Island Creek from its headwaters on Hurricane Knob downstream to the Pine Creek confluence; 13.81 miles of Big Reed Island Creek from the Bobbitt Creek confluence to the Greasy Creek confluence; 9.85 miles of Big Reed Island Creek from the Greasy Creek confluence to the confluence with the New River; 13.63 miles of Greasy Creek from the Carroll/Floyd line downstream to the Big Reed Island Creek confluence; 11 miles of Little Reed Island Creek from the confluence with Big Reed Island Creek upstream to the Rock Creek confluence; 19.7 miles of Little Reed Island Creek from the Rock Creek confluence upstream to the Hillsville Public Water Supply intake; 5.28 miles of East Fork Little Reed Island Creek from the Hillsville Public Water Supply intake upstream 5 miles and 13.35 miles of Island Creek and tributaries northeast of Hillsville near Huffman Knob. The first public meeting on the development of the TMDL to address the bacteria and aquatic life impairments for these segments will be held on October 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Crossroads Institute located at 1117 East Stuart Drive, Galax, VA 24333. The public comment period will end on November 19, 2018. An advisory committee to assist in development of this TMDL will be established. Persons interested in assisting should notify the DEQ contact person by the end of the comment period and provide their name, address, phone number, email address and the organization you represent (if any). Notification of the composition of the panel will be sent to all applicants.
Information on the development of the TMDLs for these impairments is available upon request. Questions or information requests should be addressed to staff contact person listed. Please note, all written comments should include name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the comments and should be sent to contact person.