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New England Coasts Restoration Summit

New England Coasts Restoration Summit. Melville P. Coté , Jr. EPA Region 1 January 12, 2012. Water Quality Issues. Nutrient enrichment/ eutrophication Beach and shellfish bed closures Contaminated sediments Endocrine disruption. Nutrient enrichment/ eutrophication.

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New England Coasts Restoration Summit

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  1. New England Coasts Restoration Summit Melville P. Coté, Jr. EPA Region 1 January 12, 2012

  2. Water Quality Issues • Nutrient enrichment/eutrophication • Beach and shellfish bed closures • Contaminated sediments • Endocrine disruption

  3. Nutrient enrichment/eutrophication Primarily nitrogen in marine and estuarine waters. Sources include: • Wastewater treatment plants • Stormwater (in urban areas) • Nonpoint sources (rural areas) • Septic systems • Atmospheric deposition • Runoff • Combined sewer overflows

  4. Beach and shellfish bed closures Bacteria and pathogens. Sources include: • Stormwater (e.g., illicit connections) • Nonpoint sources (primarily runoff) • Combined sewer overflows • Vessel sewage discharges • Wastewater treatment facilities (very rarely)

  5. Contaminated sediments Toxic pollutants (e.g., oil and gas, pesticides, dioxin, etc. Sources include: • Legacy pollutants from industrial discharges • Stormwater • Nonpoint sources • Wastewater treatment facilities (very rarely)

  6. Endocrine disruption Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP). Sources include: • Wastewater treatment facilities • CSOs • Stormwater (illicit connections)

  7. Solutions • Upgrading outdated sewage treatment facilities • Eliminating or reducing frequency of CSOs • Managing stormwater more effectively • Managing nonpoint sources • Eliminating vessel sewage discharges • Reducing toxic contamination • Monitoring

  8. Upgrading sewage treatment facilities • Expand capacity • Remove nitrogen • Consider climate change (e.g., SLR)

  9. Eliminating CSOs • Expand wastewater treatment capacity • Separate sanitary and stormwater pipes • Reduce stormwater flows through infiltration • Construct underground storage

  10. Better stormwater management • Reduce impervious surfaces in new development • Maintain natural hydrology/pre-construction conditions to maximum extent • Infiltrate runoff • Treat what can’t be infiltrated

  11. Better NPS management • Reduce impervious surfaces in new development • Maintain natural hydrology/pre-construction conditions to maximum extent • Infiltrate runoff • Treat what can’t be infiltrated • Maintain or upgrade septic systems (or sewer) • Reduce air pollution

  12. Eliminating vessel discharges • Provide sewage pumpout facilities • Educate boaters about impacts of discharges • Designate No Discharge Areas

  13. Monitoring • State beach monitoring programs (w/ federal BEACH Act funding) • MRWA Outfall Monitoring • National Estuary Program and National Estuarine Research Reserve Monitoring Programs • Volunteer monitoring • Ocean observing • systems

  14. New England Coasts Restoration Summit Thanks – Any Questions? Cote.mel@epa.gov (617) 918-1553 http://www.epa.gov/region1/topics/water/ocp.html

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