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ACEC Environmental Business Conference September 16, 2009

ACEC Environmental Business Conference September 16, 2009. Water Quality Priorities and Program Update. Bruno Pigott Assistant Commissioner Office of Water Quality IDEM. IDEM Update. General IDEM News Office of Water Priorities Office of Water Activities Office of Water Rulemakings.

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ACEC Environmental Business Conference September 16, 2009

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  1. ACEC Environmental Business ConferenceSeptember 16, 2009 Water Quality Priorities and Program Update Bruno Pigott Assistant Commissioner Office of Water Quality IDEM

  2. IDEM Update General IDEM News Office of Water Priorities Office of Water Activities Office of Water Rulemakings

  3. IDEM General News • South East Regional Office • Brownstown • Compliance Inspection staff from Air, Land, and Water. • Opening mid-October. • New Assistant Commissioner • Office of Legal Counsel • Commissioner’s Surgery • Drinking Water Branch Move

  4. OWQ Priorities Anti-Degradation Rule Steel Mill Permits Rethinking OWQ Preparing for new Drinking Water Rules Watershed Initiative NPDES Compliance: Small Systems and SSOs Virtual File Cabinet Tempo Expedited Compliance Initiative Compliance Assistance

  5. NPDES Permits Combined Sewers Blue Green Algae Office of Water QualityActivities

  6. NPDES Permit Backlog Reduction 2005: 263 backlogged permits 2009: 6 backlogged permits List includes: USS Gary Works. Under EPA review. US Midwest. Under EPA review. Arcelor Mittal Burns Harbor. Under EPA review Arcelor Mittal Indiana Harbor East. Drafting. Arcelor Mittal Indiana Harbor West. Drafting. Hoosier Merom. Drafting. Office of Water QualityActivities

  7. Office of Water QualityActivities Combined Sewer Overflow Reductions. 107 Communities with Combined Sewers Two largest Combined Sewer Communities implementing plan to reduce overflows 97 Communities with approved plans or under enforceable mechanism to develop and implement plans 10 Communities being reviewed by USEPA

  8. Office of Water QualityActivities Blue Green Algae Blue Green Algae in Central Indiana Reservoirs This Algae known as Cynobacteria that can produce toxins Microcystins - liver, tumor promotor Saxitoxins - neurotoxin Anatoxin-a - neurotoxin Anatoxin-b - neurotoxin Nodularins - liver, tumor promotor Lipopolysaccharide - inflammation Cylindrospermopsin – liver other organs

  9. Office of Water QualityActivities Blue Green Algae Center for Earth and Environmental Science, DNR, ISDH, IDEM Collaboration. Dr. Lenore Tedesco from the Center for Earth and Environmental Science collecting and analyzing samples in Geist, Morse, and Eagle Creek Reservoirs. IDEM Monitoring Upper Fall Creek Watershed IDEM updates conditions in reservoirs and posts to website: Idem.in.gov/algae

  10. Office of Water QualityRulemaking Drinking Water Standards Antidegradation

  11. Drinking Water Standards Lead and Copper short-term revisions Ground Water rule Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Long Term 2 Surface Water Enhancement Treatment Rule Office of Water QualityRulemaking

  12. Office of Water QualityRulemaking Antidegradation Federal requirement that allows for discharge of pollutants to water under specific circumstances. Indiana law defines how we will make those allowances and the rulemaking addresses implementation of the law.

  13. Office of Water QualityRulemaking Antidegradation (cont.) The current antidegradation rule only applies to the Great Lakes basin. The proposed Draft Rule expands the antidegradation procedures to apply to all waters across the entire state; and: Increases public opportunities for information and input; Protects current "fishable/swimmable“ and other existing uses of waters; Allows for the issuance of legal permits for discharges to water; and, Does not allow the violation of water quality standards.

  14. Antidegradation (cont.) Legislative changes mandated by House Enrolled Act 1162 have been incorporated into the rule. Stakeholder Workgroup meetings held. Four public meetings around the state. Draft rule to be ‘public noticed’ for 45 days in the Indiana Register. After public notice, IDEM summarizes comments, may make changes to the rule Draft Rule will be presented to the Water Pollution Control Board for preliminary/final adoption. EPA will review the rule as well. Office of Water QualityRulemaking

  15. In Summary IDEM has established clear priorities OWQ is working to issue permits, approve Long Term Control Plans, monitor water quality, and establish workable rules. OWQ and IDEM are working to Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment

  16. Questions? Bruno Pigott Assistant Commissioner Office of Water Quality IDEM 317/233-2550 bpigott@idem.in.gov

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