Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Administrator Curt Spalding, standing today on the shores of Lake Champlain at North Beach, shared the formal Plan to reduce phosphorous runoff into Lake Champlain and the agreed upon “Total Maximum Daily Load” (TMDL) that will place a cap on the maximum amount of phosphorous that is allowed to enter the Lake and still meet Vermont’s water quality standards.
The TMDL sets new pollution reduction targets and pairs with Vermont’s final draft implementation plan to prevent pollution from flowing into Lake Champlain and its tributaries. The EPA opens a 30-day public comment period on the TMDL with its release.
Vermont is experiencing another summer when polluted stormwater runoff is causing excessive growth of algae in the form of “blooms” in some areas of the lake. These blooms turn water murky shades of green, brown, or blue, and can be toxic to people, pets, and wildlife. This pollution also increases the costs of drinking water and wastewater treatment, hurts businesses that depend on clean water, damages Vermont’s tourism and recreational opportunities, and depresses property values. Excessive polluted runoff also harms local streams and rivers that feed into Lake Champlain.
“EPA sincerely appreciates the dedication and hard work shown by Vermont officials and citizens to address the water quality problems faced by Lake Champlain. Working together, we are confident that we can reduce the levels of harmful nutrients and other pollution, and ensure a vibrant and healthy Lake Champlain for generations to come,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office.
“What we are announcing today is a culmination of the hard work of many interested parties, including municipalities, farmers, watershed groups and the public committed to restoring Lake Champlain and the streams that flow into it,” said Gov. Shumlin. “This marks a tremendous step forward in our state’s longstanding efforts to clean up Lake Champlain and builds on our extensive efforts with partners to pass and begin implementing the Vermont Clean Water Act signed in June.”
Senator Patrick Leahy said:“I look forward to reviewing the new phosphorus total maximum daily load plan for Vermont that the EPA issued today. Since this plan first came into development, we have seen a powerful, positive and renewed focus on water quality across Vermont. This is an important federal, state and local commitment; we have all witnessed water quality problems, with algae staining our northern bays even today.
“Governor Shumlin and his team, especially Chuck Ross, Deb Markowitz and David Mears, have demonstrated an unprecedented state commitment to Lake Champlain water quality, and have been engaged at every step in the development of this plan. While this new set of requirements from the EPA will require very significant investments to be made by towns and cities, commercial businesses, farmers and most others living and working in the Basin, I am committed to working at the federal level to ensure the EPA is fulfilling its commitment to our “Great” Lake, as well.
“Thanks to the 2014 Farm Bill, and commitments made by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack during his visit with me to the waterfront a year ago, the USDA is providing a minimum of $60 million over the next five years to assist farmers in the Lake Champlain Basin with conservation practices. EPA Administrator McCarthy learned of these challenges first hand when she joined me on the beach at St. Albans Bay last fall, and I will do everything that I can to make sure that the EPA, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and all other federal agencies are “all in” with Vermont on this task. I believe that we can, and must, make real progress towards a cleaner lake.”
Mayor Miro Weinberger said:“Burlingtonians are committed to a clean and healthy Lake Champlain and, over many years, we have invested substantially in the Lake's protection. We welcome the release of a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) as a long-awaited step in the on-going efforts to improve protection of the lake, and thank Governor Shumlin’s Administration for its efforts to promote municipal flexibility and common sense policies within the plan. We will be closely reviewing the lengthy TMDL document released today in the months ahead to understand if it will create the fair, effective, and efficient water policy that I and other local leaders have been advocating in recent years.”
EPA information on Vermont Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL: http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/tmdl/lakechamplain.html
To find the TMDL Plan or other information, view the VTDEC Restoring Lake Champlain Page: http://www.watershedmanagement.vt.gov/erp/champlain/