ACEC Environmental Business Conference

1. ACEC Environmental Business Conference September 18, 2014 Marriott North Hotel Indianapolis, Indiana Bruno Pigott Assistant Commissioner Office of Water Quality Indiana Department of Environmental Management

7. Agenda • Charleston Spill • Lake Erie/Toledo Drinking Water • Technology Initiatives • Electronic Reporting Rule • Operator Certification

8. Charleston Chemical Spill

9. Charleston Chemical Spill • January 9, 2014, Freedom Industries reports chemical storage tank leaking MCHM and PPH. • Governor of West Virginia declares a state of emergency. • 300,000 people told not to drink or use the water. • Plume reaches the Ohio River

10. Charleston Chemical Spill • January 13, 2014 • Drinking water ban begins to be lifted. • January 15, 2014 • West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources issues an advisory for pregnant women advising they drink bottled water. • January 18, 2014 • Drinking water ban lifted completely. • January 20, 2014 • Amid fears that water isn’t safe, The governor says it is the public’s decision about whether to drink the water.

12. Charleston Chemical Spill • Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana Impact • Cincinnati closed water intake as plume came past. • Louisville did not close their water intake, but added treatment and monitored. • IDEM monitored the location of the plume and was in touch with Surface Water Systems. • Plume diluted so Evansville not detect MCHM by the time the plume reached the intake.

13. Charleston Chemical Spill • What is IDEM doing? • Evaluating above ground storage tanks • Working with Drinking Water Systems

14. Above Ground Storage Tanks Indiana • 9,581 ASTs from Tier 2 Reporting • 2,614 Unregulated ASTs in Zone of Concern • 462 Unregulated ASTs in Zone 1 at 120 facilities

15. What is IDEM Doing? • Developing an outreach program • Fact Sheets for AST owners • Conduct survey of ASTs in Zone 1 or Zone of Concern • Conducting inspections for compliance with existing tank rules • Working with Local Emergency Planning Committees • Identify risks from hazardous chemicals in their communities • Plan for response. • Identifying potential rule revisions

16. What is IDEM Doing? • Working with Drinking Water Systems • Partnering with SRF program to conduct outreach with surface water systems to review emergency response plans • Sharing information about ASTs with surface water systems • Encouraging and helping surface water systems to improve their emergency response plans to include specific approaches for reacting to a spill

17. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014

18. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014

19. Lake Erie August 3, 2014

20. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014 • August 2nd, Toledo municipal water supply infected with a toxin called microcystin in raw and finished water produced from Blue Green Algae. • 500,000 residents told not to drink, boil or bathe in the water. • Facility treated the water with alum and chlorine. • Monday, August 4th, Water Advisory lifted.

21. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014 • Why? Perfect Soup: • Shallow area in Lake Erie • Lake Warmer in the shallow area • Nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) in water • Urban Runoff • Agricultural • Failing Septics • Warmer Temperatures

22. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014 • Can this happen here? • Never say never. • Lakes throughout the US have reported some Blue Green Algae for years. • Unlikely that the conditions that exist in Lake Erie exist in Lake Michigan. • Some lakes and reservoirs this year have reported high cell counts, though low toxins.

23. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014 • What has the federal government done? • Called meeting with Ohio, Michigan, Indiana. • Reviewed efforts to reduce nutrients in watersheds that feed Lake Erie. • September 3rd, EPA announces initiative to devote $12 million to federal and state agencies to target harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. • Expand Monitoring • Increase incentives to farmers to reduce phosphorus runoff.

24. Lake Erie Algae Bloom 2014 • What is IDEM doing? • IDEM has built testing capacity • IDEM visits locations around the state to test for Blue Green Algae. www.in.gov/idem/algae • IDEM working to discuss ways to expand sampling to vulnerable drinking water surface water systems.

25. Lessons from Charleston and Toledo • Drinking Water Sources that draw water from surface water are vulnerable to a variety of possible contaminants. • Drinking Water Systems can be prepared. • Update Emergency Response plans. • Update Vulnerability Assessments. • Work with Local Emergency Management Planning Commissions.

26. New Initiatives

29. Operator Certification Exams • Concerns: • Inconvenient • Currently offered only twice a year • Only a few locations • Resource Drain • Exams proctored by IDEM employees • Takes a long time to prepare • Too SLOW!!! • Slow delivery of results

30. Operator Certification Exams • Goals • Increase the number of exam locations • Increase frequency of exams • Administer exam electronically • Provide results earlier

31. Operator Certification Exams • New System • Offer exam through Ivy Tech and IDEM • Ivy Tech has over 25 testing centers • Ivy Tech will offer exam times several times a week • Results will be available immediately • Old and New System • At least initially, IDEM will continue to over the exam one time a year • IDEM expects to phase out the hard copy exam over time

32. Operator Certification Exams • How it will Work • Operator applies to IDEM to take exam. Pays $30 application fee. • IDEM processes application and sends applicant an approval letter. • If applicant chooses to take the exam at Ivy Tech, schedules a time and date to take the exam at approved test centers. Must pay $40 convenience fee. • Applicant shows the IDEM approval letter to Ivy Tech. • Applicant takes exam. Results available immediately and are sent to IDEM. • IDEM sends license through Professional Licensing Agency to applicant.

33. Operator Certification Exams • When will it be ready? • Testing to make sure it works properly • Putting written materials together • Acceptance Letter • How to log-on to Ivy Tech • Arranging payment • Hope to be ready before the end of this year.

34. Electronic Reporting

36. NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule • Rule Process • Published in Federal Register July 30, 2013 • Comment Period Closed December 12, 2013 • Government Agencies provided 50% of comments • Industrial stakeholders contributed 42% of comments • Final Rule Projected no earlier than end of 1st Quarter 2015

37. NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule • Requirements • Permit holders to submit the following electronically: • DMRs • General Permit NOIs, NOTs, No Exposure Exclusions • SSO or bypass events • Pretreatment Reports • CAFO Annual Reports • Annual Reports from biosolid generators • MS4 Annual Reports

38. NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule • Time Frames • One year from effective date: • 90% of DMRs • 90% of General Permit NOIs • Two years from the effective date: • 90% of all other reports

39. NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule • States’ Activity • 24 States have a working version of electronic DMR. • 10 States have a system planned. • 8 States have plans for an electronic NOI • Ohio claims 99% electronic reporting rate.

40. NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule • Indiana • Using NetDMR software for DMR submission • IDEM sent letter to NPDES major facilities asking them to submit through NetDMR. • IDEM TEMPO system is capable of receiving Rule 6 NOIs and Rule 5 is being designed. • 297 facilities currently enrolled in NetDMR

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