EPA 840-R-97-001
A Partnership
to Restore and Protect
the Sound

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              ISLAND
              SOUND
              STUDY
 ____
A P 'trtntnl^i To Raton And Proud TJte Sound
                                  ESTUARY OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE
                                  The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) is a partnership involving federal, state,
                                  interstate, and local agencies, universities, environmental groups, industry,
                                  and the public in a program to protect and restore the health of Long Island
                                  Sound. The LISS began in 1985 under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environ-
                                  mental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states of New York and Connecticut.
                                  At the request of the states of Connecticut and New York, EPA designated
                                  Long Island Sound an Estuary of National Significance in 1988 and convened
                                  a  Management Conference. In 1994, the LISS Management  Conference
                                  issued a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan  (CCMP) to
                                  improve the health  of the  Long Island Sound, while ensuring compatible
                                  human uses. In September 1996, the Governors of New York and Connecti-
                                  cut and the EPA signed a Long island Sound Agreement, reaffirming then-
                                  commitment to the restoration effort.


                                  PRIORITY AREAS OF CONCERN
                                  The LISS has identified seven issues tneritihg special attention: (1) low oxy-
                                  gen conditions (hypoxia), (2) toxic contamination,  (3) pathogen contamina-
                                  tion, (4) floatable debris, (5) the impact of these water quality problems and
                                  habitat degradation and loss on the health of living  resources; (6) public
                                  involvement and education, and (7) land use.

                                  The LISS has focused its efforts and resources on trie most pressing problem,
                                  the low oxygen levels affecting substantial areas  of western Long Island
                                  Sound in iate summer, and has  identified overenrichment of nitrogen as the
                                  primary cause. Management has been proceeding in phases. In 1990, the EPA
                                  and the states of New York and Connecticut agreed to cap nitrogen loadings
                                  as Phase I. The 1994 CCMP contained commitments to begin to reduce the
                                  load of nitrogen to the Sound as Phase H. The EPA and the states of New York
                                  and Connecticut also committed to develop Nitrogen Reduction Targets for
                                  Long Island Sound to guide Phase lit implementation.


                                   PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
                                   On February 7, 1997, the states of New York and Connecticut and the EPA
                                  released a proposal for Phase m Actions for Hypoxia Management, including
                                   nitrogen reduction targets: This report describes the proposal and its benefits.
                                   A series of public meetings will be held in New York and Connecticut to pro-
                                   mote discussion between agency officials and the public and solicit public
                                   input before it is finalized. Written comments are encouraged and can be sub-
                                   mitted until October 1, 1997 to the EPA Long Island Sound Office at the fol-
                                   lowing addresses:
EPA Long Island Sound Office
Marine Sciences Research Center
SUNY @ Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000
EPA Long Island Sound Office
Stamford Government Center
888 Washington Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06904-2152

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 A MATTER OF HYPOXIA                                                 1

 UNDERSTANDING HYPOXIA                                               3
          Conditions  	3
          Causes  	    3

 MANAGING HYPOXIA: A PROGRESS REPORT                                 5
          Sources	5
          Reductions  	5

 PHASE III: FRAMEWORK                                                 9
          Oxygen Benchmarks	.9
          Cost-Effectiveness  	9
          Allocating Responsibility  	n
 PHASE III: PROPOSED ACTIONS                                          13
          Strategies  	;	13
          Timing  	14
          Cost  . .	14
          Financing  	14
          Effluent Trading 	15
          Enforcement	15
          Evaluating Progress  	16

 BENEFITS OF THE PHASE III NITROGEN REDUCTION TARGETS                  17
         Ecosystem Health	17
         Human Use Benefits	17

 •GETTING THE WORD PUT                                ...              21

 SUGGESTED READING                                                  22

APPENDIX:      „                                                    23
         Proposal for Phase in Actions for Hypoxia Management
         Released for Public Comment by the LISS Policy Committee  	23


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        ,*- rom mid-July through Septem-
          ber,  Long Island  Sound  and
           many of its aquatic inhabi-
         --~ tants suffer from a  condition
     called hypoxia—a technical term for
 low levels of oxygen in the water. During
 this period, oxygen levels in the bottom
 waters of Long Island Sound  fall well
 below normal, to  levels inadequate to
 support healthy populations of aquatic
 life.

 But hypoxia is a symptom of a larger
 problem, the  over  fertilization of  the
 Sound with nutrients, primarily  nitrogen.
 While nitrogen is a necessary nutrient in a
 productive ecosystem—a building block
 for plant and animal tissue—too much
 nitrogen fuels  the excessive growth of
 planktonic algae. The dense algae blooms
 cloud  the water and shade  the bottom.
 When the algae die and settle to the bot-
 tom of the Sound, they are  decayed by
 bacteria, a process that uses up available
 oxygen. Like people and other air-breath-
 ing  creatures,  aquatic  organisms  need
 oxygen to breathe. Oxygen in short sup-
 ply impairs  the feeding, growth,  and
 reproduction of the Sound's aquatic life.
 In extreme conditions, some organisms
 may suffocate and die, while others flee
 the hypoxic zones. The dense blooms also
 prevent enough light from reaching shal-
 low water bottoms to support the growth
 of submerged  aquatic vegetation,  an
 important habitat for shellfish and juve-
 nile  fish.  As  a result,  nitrogen—in
 excess—impairs the function and health
of Long Island Sound (Figure 1).
                                        •*Cf » f.
EFFECTS  OF EXCESS NITROGEN
        Aquatic
         Plant
        Growth
       Inhibited

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LONG  ISLAND SOUND  STUDY PROPOSAL FOR  PHASE  III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
  S'.i"'1"'Ij
  g?-!
  ,1!!;,
  Bis:1;
 o
To  address the problem, the Long
Island Sound Study (LISS) has been
proceeding with a phased approach to
nitrogen reduction, allowing the pro-
gram to move forward in stages as
more information is obtained to sup-
port more aggressive steps.

The LISS's  first  formal  action to
address the  hypoxia  problem took
place in 1990 with the release of its
Status Report and Interim Actions for
Hypoxia  Management. The report
announced a freeze on point and non-
point nitrogen loadings to the Sound
in key geographic areas at 1990 levels
 —a move intended to prevent  the
hypoxia problem from getting worse.
This constitutes what is now known as
Phase I of the LISS hypoxia manage-
ment program.

 Phase n,  which was adopted in 1994
 upon release of the Long Island Sound
 Comprehensive  Conservation  and
 Management Plan, initiated actions to
 begin to improve oxygen levels in the
 Sound. This phase is being actively
 implemented in Connecticut and New
 York and will begin to reverse a 300
 year trend of ever-increasing nitrogen
 loads to  the Sound. Phase n reduc-
 tions, while significant,  will  not
 restore the  health of Long  Island
 Sound. Therefore, the LISS  made a
 commitment to identify a third phase
 of nitrogen  controls  to  guide long-
 ;term management.
On February  7, 1997,  the LISS
released  a proposal for  Phase  III
Actions for Hypoxia Management,
including  nitrogen reduction targets
for 11 "management zones" that com-
prise the Connecticut and New York
portion of the Long Island Sound
watershed.

The LISS has  prepared this report to
be used in concert  with a series of
public meetings  that will be held in
Connecticut and New York to present
the proposal and solicit comments. In
addition  to identifying the nitrogen
reduction targets, this report explains
the framework within which the  tar-
gets were established, discusses  the
benefits associated with achieving the
targets,  and  recommends  specific
nitrogen control actions that need to
be undertaken to help meet the targets.
Based on public input, the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency and the
states of  Connecticut and New York
will formally adopt nitrogen reduction
targets by the  end of 1997, fulfilling a
 stated commitment of the Long Island
 Sound Comprehensive Conservation
 and Management Plan.

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                                                                                         .••v
 CONDITIONS
 While hypoxia in the Sound is not a new
 occurrence, a comparison of recent data
 with that collected since the 1950s sug-
 gests that it has become more severe and
 more common.  Monitoring  of Long
 Island Sound conducted since 1986 has
 recorded hypoxia occurrences each year.
 Natural  variations from year to year in
 weather and other physical factors have
 affected the size of the impacted area, the
 length of time each event has lasted, and
 how low  oxygen  concentrations  have
 fallen. Generally,  hypoxia occurrences
 have spanned a period of 40 to 80 days
 from July through September (Figure 2).
 In 1989, about 40 percent of the Sound's
 bottom (more  than  500 square  miles)
 experienced unhealthy  levels of oxygen
 during the late summer. As recently as
 1994,  25  percent  of  the  Sound  was
 affected.

 CAUSES
 In order to understand the relationship
 between  natural variations in weather
 and  human-induced pollutant loadings,
 the LISS developed mathematical mod-
 els of Long Island Sound. The computer
modeling effort was designed to answer
some fundamental questions:
 *• What causes  low  oxygen condi-
   tions?
 *• How  much of the problem is caused
   by natural  factors versus human
   influences?
 *• What can be  done to manage the
    problem? How effective will differ-
    ent controls be?

 *• How much will it cost to correct the
    problem?

 *• How  long  will it take  to  see
    improvements?

The modeling, combined with field mon-
itoring and laboratory studies, provided a
level of detail to support some clear con-
clusions about hypoxia in the Sound, its
causes, and its solutions. In addition, the
models allowed  the  LISS  to  simulate
water quality conditions as they were in
the past, as they are today, and as they
could be in the future under alternative
nitrogen control scenarios.
£- I
r i
DURATION AND TIMING OF HYPOXIA
1987-1990 University of Connecticut
1991-1996 CTDEP Bureau of Water Management
1988
1989
1990
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
r— r i


B • 1 -


I; • 1




». 1

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct l\
Mf"': '•"'"" " 	 1 HVPO>


lov Dec
ic Period


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LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE  III  ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA .MANAGEMENT
                                                                        upon the availability of nutrients.
                                                                        These blooms end when the pool
                                                                        of nitrogen available for contin-
                                                                        ued growth is depleted.
                                                                        In  pre-colonial days, natural,
                                                                        healthy   biological  activity
                                                                        brought oxygen levels below sat-
                                                                        uration due to the natural load-
                                                                        ings  of  organic material  and
                                                                        nitrogen, but oxygen levels prob-
                                                                        ably fell below 5 mg/1 only in
                                                                        limited areas and for short peri-
                                                                        ods of time.
                                                                       • Under today's higher nutrient and
                                                                        organic material  loading condi-
                                                                        tions, minimum  oxygen  levels
                                                                        average approximately 1.5  mg/1.
                                                                        These levels are associated with
                                                                        severe hypoxia.
                                                                       » By substantially reducing nitro-
                                                                        gen loadings to the  Sound, the
                                                                        minimum  oxygen levels  in  the
                                                                        bottom waters  during late sum-
                                                                        mer can be increased to an aver-
                                                                        age of about 3.5 mg/1,  thereby
                                                                        significantly reducing the proba-
                                                                        bility and  frequency of  severe
                                                                        hypoxia and reducing the area
                                                                         affected by hypoxia.
                                                                       • Increases in nitrogen delivered to
                                                                         the  Sound  could  significantly
                                                                         worsen  the hypoxia problem,
                                                                         causing larger areas to have lower
                                                                         oxygen  levels  for longer periods
                                                                         of time. The probability of events
                                                                         like  the summer of 1987, when
                                                                         anoxia  (no oxygen) became  a
                                                                         reality in  the Sound, offshore of
                                                                         Hempstead Harbor, would  also
                                                                         increase.
            THE LONG ISLAND SOUND MODELS

The LISS has relied heavily on computer modeling of the Sound to sort
out the complex interaction between natural  conditions and human
Influences in causing hypoxia. Two models, a water quality model that
approximates the biological and chemical processes of the Sound and a
hydrodynamic model that describes physical processes, have been devel-
oped, An intensive field program in Long Island Sound to collect data for
the computer models was undertaken from April 1988 to  September
1989. These data were used to calibrate and verify the models to ensure
that they reproduce the important features of the Sound.

The water quality model, called LIS 2.0, provided needed insight into the
causes of hypoxia and was the basis for actions to begin to reduce nitro-
gen  discharges to the Sound. However, because it simulates the move-
ment of the Sound's waters in only two dimensions (east-west and sur-
face to bottom) and in  a  simplified manner, the LIS 2.0 model did not
provide the best technical foundation for identifying the total level of
reduction in nitrogen loads that should be attained or the most cost-
effective means to achieve targeted reductions.

The hydrodynamic model,  developed  by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and completed in  July, 1993, uses tide and
current measurements  to simulate  the water's  circulation in three
dimensions (east-west, north-south, surface to bottom). It was coupled
to the water quality model, to create LIS 3.0. The LIS 3.0 model provides
an advanced tool to relate sources of nitrogen  from specific geographic
areas to the hypoxia problem in the western Sound. Because the impact
 of the nitrogen load from different management zones can be deter-
 mined using LIS 3.0, the  LISS can assign priorities for management to
 ensure that the most the cost-effective options are pursued.
                                n» The most oxygen that can be dis-
                                   solved in Long Island Sound at
                                   summer water temperatures is
                                   about  7.5  milligrams per liter
                                   (mg/1) of water. This is known as
                                   the saturation level.
                                *• Oxygen concentrations  greater
                                   than  5.0 mg/1 provide  healthy
                                   conditions  for aquatic  life. Con-
                                   centrations between 5.0 mg/1 and
                                   3.5 mg/1 are  generally healthy,
                                   except for the most sensitive
                                   species. When concentrations fall
                                   below 3.5  mg/1, conditions be-
                                   come unhealthy. The most severe
                                   effects occur if concentrations
                                   fall below 2.0 mg/1, even for short
                                   periods of time.
                                *• The growth of algal blooms  in
                                   Long  Island Sound is dependent

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 MANAGING
 HYPOXIA:
 A PROGRESS
 REPORT
[..••••
...•••*..
       •«••
 SOURCES
 To improve the health of Long Island
 Sound, the estimated 99,900 tons of
 nitrogen that enters the ecosystem each
 year  must be reduced. Of that amount,
 approximately 41,400 tons are from nat-
 ural sources and not  easily reduced by
 management activity. The  remaining
 58,500 tons of nitrogen are associated
 with  human activities and have  the
 potential to be reduced through manage-
 ment. (Figure 3).

 In some cases, human activities outside of
 the area can affect the amount of nitrogen
 entering Long Island Sound. For exam-
 ple, 10,700 tons of nitrogen per year enter
 the Sound through its  boundaries — the
 East River in the west and The Race in
 the east. The tributaries flowing into Con-
 necticut bring 2,300 tons of nitrogen per
 year from activities north of the state line.
 Deposition of nitrogen from the atmos-
 phere from rain and dryfall is another sig-
 nificant source, contributing 6,500 tons of
 nitrogen per year, 3,700 tons of which fall
 directly onto the Sound and 2,800 tons
 onto the watershed. Of the 39,000 tons of
 nitrogen per year resulting from human
 activity in the Sound's drainage basin,
 point source discharges, primarily sewage
 treatment plants, contribute 37,000 tons
 of nitrogen and nonpoint source dis-
 charges, such as agricultural and stormwa-
 ter runoff, contribute 2,000 tons of nitro-
gen. These loading estimates have been
revised based on  updated information
since the 1994 Comprehensive Conserva-
tion and Management Plan was published.
                                          -.
                                    ..•*v
....•••.
                                                        SOURCES OF NITROGEN
                       Human-Caused Load
                           58,500 tons/yr
                                           Natural Load
                                             41,400 tons/yr
                             18.3%  4.8% 3.4%
                                6.3% 3.8%
                                       '2,800
                   in-Basin, Human-Caused Load
                          45,500 tons/yr
                         81 3%   8.1%  4.4%
                                 6.2%
                                        lO Point
                                        L"! 8 Nonpoint
                                        I   I Tributary Import
                                           | Indirect Atmosphere
                                           | Direct Atmosphere
                                        I   I Boundary
                                MANAGEMENT ZONES

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LONG ISLAND SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR PHASE III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
             BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL

Conventional primary and secondary sewage treatment plants remove
only small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater.
Biological nutrient removal (BNR) removes much greater amounts of
nitrogen and phosphorus using natural breakdown processes. Relatively
minor modifications (retrofitting) can be made to the equipment or
operation of the sewage treatment plant to achieve nutrient removal,
but only if the plant has excess capacity. Full BNR often requires recon-
struction  of the treatment plant at a high cost.

In BNR, biological organisms are used to remove the nitrogen from the
wastewater. The basic principal is to have alternating anaerobic (no or
little oxygen) and aerobic (oxygenated) zones or tanks within the treat-
ment process. In the aerobic zones, nitrification occurs while in the
anaerobic zones, denttrification occurs.

Nitrification is a process in which bacteria convert ammonia and organic
nitrogen to nitrate. In sewage treatment plants, ammonia and organic
nitrogen come from human wastes and dead plant and animal matter.
The nitrifying bacteria are cultured  for use at the plants to convert
ammonia to nitrite and nitrate. Nitrification occurs naturally  in ecosys-
tems such as streams and salt marshes and plays an important role in the
cycling of nitrogen through the  earth's environment.  In sewage treat-
ment plants and in nature, nitrification requires the presence of nitrify-
ing bacteria and high concentrations of dissolved oxygen, also referred
to as "oxic" or "aerobic" conditions.

In the denitrification process, another type of bacteria extract oxygen
from nitrates, causing harmless  nitrogen gas to be released into the
atmosphere.  Like nitrification, denitrification  also occurs naturally in
salt marshes and other ecosystems but under low oxygen conditions, or
 "anoxic" conditions, in the presence of denitrifying bacteria, nitrates,
and organic carbon.

The two processes are linked through the recycling of the wastewater
 in the anoxic and oxic zones of the tanks. Typically, bacteria and nitrates
 generated in the nitrification stage are cycled along with sewage from
 the secondary settling tanks to the anoxic denitrification zone to fuel
 the denitrification process just described.
                                Eleven watershed management zones,
                                based on natural drainage basin and
                                political boundaries, have been estab-
                                lished to foster identification of nitro-
                                gen sources and comprehensive water-
                                shed planning (Figure 4).
                                REDUCTIONS
                                Since  1990,  activities  have  been
                                underway in New York and Connecti-
                                cut to manage nitrogen from sources
                                within the New York and Connecticut
                                portions of the drainage basin, starting
with adoption of the Phase I "freeze"
on loadings.  The sewage  treatment
plants under the freeze are identified in
Figure 5.

For Phase H, the LISS made the addi-
tional commitment in 1994 to reduce
nitrogen discharges to the  Sound by
approximately 7,550  tons  per year.
This phase consists of incorporating a
variety  of low-cost nitrogen removal
technologies at selected sewage treat-
ment plants, which are identified in
Figure  6. The  states  have moved
aggressively to implement nitrogen
control  activities, using  innovative
strategies and seeking the cooperation
of local governments.

In  Connecticut,  the  goal  was  to
achieve a reduction of 850 tons per
year in nitrogen loads. The state of
Connecticut has awarded  more than
$15 million through its State Clean
Water  Fund  to 11  southwestern
 sewage treatment plants to  test and
 demonstrate the efficiency  of up-
 grades  for nitrogen treatment. In addi-
 tion, the first  plant  in  the  state
 designed to denitrify has  been con-
 structed in Seymour. As of May 1997,
 the load of nitrogen from plants in the
 Phase U agreement has been reduced
 by almost 1,000 tons per year, exceed-
 ing the Phase II goal.

 The state of New York revised the per-
 mits  issued to sewage   treatment
 plants, with the  consent  of local
 authorities, to establish nitrogen limits
 at 1990 levels. The permits include an
 aggregate load for  facilities  within
 Management Zones 7-11  (New York
 City, Westchester County, and Long
 Island).  The New York goal  was  to
 reduce nitrogen loadings by  6,700
 tons per year from actions to be com-
 pleted by 2006. To date, one sewage
 treatment plant in Westchester County
 and four  in  New York  City  have

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LONG ISLAND SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL  FOR PHASE III  ACTIONS FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
              SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS SUBJECT TO PHASE I FREEZE
                                                                      IT* Sewage
                                                                        treatment
                                                                        plants dis-
                                                                        charging into
                                                                        Long Island
                                                                        Sound or its
                                                                        tributaries
         /   <*      • '     I
        /  r -   'if  'i   }
                                                                       W Sewage treat-
                                                                        ment plants
                                                                        subject to "No
                                                                        Net Increase
                                                                        of Nitrogen"
                                                                        under Phase I
                                                                        oftheLISS
                                                                        Nitrogen
                                                                        Reduction
                                                                        Strategy
           SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS SUBJECT TO PHASE II REDUCTIONS
                      .*.	"""•'

                 l-i^
            '•     1     i  /
           /'   (  !•   /   LITCHFIELD
                 I
               V.
i  ;    <   v •
>!/    %  t
       /  /  ,  \!/  i  I
    // /   '    '^
    ll/ O-'-'     i\
   xf   V      - : ^
   f Y           * *
 r\   /  ^    )i   *,
    ))  (    'V^^
*• Sewage
  treatment
  plants dis-
  charging into
  Long Island
  Sound or its
  tributaries

T*r Sewage treat-
  ment plants
  participating
  in Retrofit
  Activities
  under Phase II
  oftheLISS
  Nitrogen
  Reduction
  Strategy	


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LONG  ISLAND SOUND STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR PHASE  III  ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
   tic
 I     !
implemented nitrogen removal tech-
nologies. In addition, New York City
will  begin to  implement additional
nitrogen removal technologies at East
River sewage  treatment plants  this
year. As a result, it's  expected  that
these actions will result in loadings at
or below the  1990 baseline by the end
of 1997. In addition, New York City
has entered  into a consent  order to
provide at least 50  percent  nitrogen
reduction for the reconstructed New-
town Creek facility, scheduled for
completion hi 2007.

In addition, both states have:
 *•• Developed materials and  con-
    ducted  training for treatment
    plant  personnel  on   nitrogen
    removal technologies and proce-
    dures.
 >» Required sewage treatment plants
    to identify in their plans how they
    will remove nitrogen, if required
    to do so.
 *• Required nutrient monitoring at
    sewage   treatment   plants  to
    improve understanding  of nitro-
   gen sources  and treatment plant
   capability.
*» Increased the share  of nonpoint
   source pollution  control funds
   targeted to projects  that reduce
   nitrogen loads to the Sound.
*» Formulated  Coastal Nonpoint
   Pollution  Control Programs to
   address coastal nonpoint sources
   of nitrogen.
*• Undertaken  demonstration  pro-
   jects  that address a variety of
   nonpoint source  control issues
   and  technologies (e.g., urban
   runoff treatment by  artificial
   pond/wetland  systems,  parking
   lot runoff treatment, septic sys-
   tem  technologies to  treat and
   remove  nitrogen,  controlling
   runoff from  agricultural land and
   from marinas).

As of December 31, 1996,  nitrogen
loadings to the Sound from point and
nonpoint sources within the New York
and Connecticut portions of the water-
shed have been reduced  as a result of
these activities by 4,900  tons per year
from peak loadings (Figure 7).
                                        CHANGES IN HUMAN-CAUSED NITROGEN LOADS

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PHASE  III
FRAMEWORK
                          ..-•V
        hile steps taken in Phases I and II
         will help to reduce the extent of
         hypoxia, additional nitrogen
          reduction is needed to restore
*""""  the health of Long Island Sound.
 Phase III sets the course by setting spe-
 cific nitrogen  reduction targets for each
 of the 11 management zones around the
 Sound. An array of environmental and
 economic considerations were taken into
 account throughout the process. This
 chapter describes the process—step by
 step.


 OXYGEN BENCHMARKS
 The water quality standard for oxygen in
 Long Island Sound is 6 mg/1 in Connecti-
 cut and 5 mg/1 in New York. Modeling
 indicates that even if maximum nitrogen
 reduction  technologies  were  imple-
 mented, the water quality  standards  for
 oxygen would not be achieved through-
 out the summer in all areas of the Sound.
 To help establish priorities for action, the
 LISS has identified  oxygen conditions
 that will minimize adverse impacts  on
 living resources of the Sound.

 Two major research efforts have pro-
 vided much of the information on how
 low oxygen conditions  affect living
 resources in the Sound. The first of these
 was a  study conducted by the EPA's
 Office of Research and Development.
 Species of fish and crustaceans (e.g.,
 crab, shrimp, lobster) known to reside in
 the bottom waters of Long Island Sound
 were exposed to low levels of oxygen in
 the  laboratory. The effect  of different
 concentration of oxygen on growth and
 survival  was  measured. Life  stages
 known to be sensitive to low oxygen lev-
 els,  such as the eggs and juveniles, were
 emphasized in  the  tests.  In the second
 study, the Connecticut Department of
 Environmental Protection (CTDEP) col-
 lected bottom-dwelling fish and inverte-
 brates and compared  the quantity of
 organisms and  number of species with
 the levels of oxygen in the water.

 Both studies corroborated  that severe
 effects occurred whenever levels of oxy-
 gen  feU below  2.0 mg/1. The  field sur-
 veys noted large reductions in the num-
 ber and types of aquatic rife present. The
 lab experiments recorded reductions in
 growth and increases in mortality. In both
 studies, effects became significant when
 oxygen levels fell below 3.5 mg/1, though
 some effects occurred at levels between
 3.5-5.0 mg/1.

 As a result, the LISS has determined that
 unhealthy  conditions occur  whenever
 oxygen levels fall below 2.0 mg/1 at any-
 time or remain  below 3.5 mg/1 over a
 24-hour period. Most adverse impacts
 can be prevented if oxygen levels exceed
 these conditions,  and they  have been
 used as benchmarks to assess the relative
benefits  of  alternative  management
 strategies  for improving the health  of
Long Island Sound.
                                                                                     ..••
                                                                                 «•••
^    1

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LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE  III  ACTIONS FOR HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
  ,8	j
  'IK."*1
COST-EFFEaiVENESS
How  do we maximize progress in
improving  water  quality within the
framework of existing technology and
financial capability? The answer lies
somewhere between where we are
now (Phase II) and what is achievable
if all currently available technologies
were   employed.  LISS  managers
looked at a range  of nitrogen reduc-
tion options  for  the  three major
sources of nitrogen in the watershed,
sewage treatment plants,  industrial
facilities, and nonpoint source runoff,
to answer that question

 >* SEWAGE TREATMENT  PLANTS: As
    nitrogen removal requirements
    become more  stringent, the cost
    of controls tends to increase. To
    identify a cost-effective level of
    treatment, LISS managers arrayed
    the possible  nitrogen  reduction
    options for all 70 sewage  treat-
    ment     plants     in     the
    11 management zones and calcu-
    lated   the    average   oxygen
    improvement  in  the Sound per
    dollar spent.  Improvements  at
sewage treatment plants that had
better man average cost-effective-
ness at improving oxygen condi-
tions in the Sound were identified.
These actions,  in  total, could
achieve a 62 percent reduction in
loads, or  122,044 pounds/day.
INDUSTRIAL  FACILITIES: A limited
number  of industrial facilities
dkectly contribute nitrogen to the
Sound; all are located in  Con-
necticut  and contribute an  esti-
mated 6,717 pounds per day of
nitrogen  to the  Sound. Because
information on the cost of reduc-
ing   nitrogen  from  industrial
sources was not readily available,
these facilities were not included
in  the cost  analyses used for
sewage treatment plants. Instead,
the cost-effective level of  treat-
ment identified for sewage treat-
ment plants, 62  percent,  was
applied to  the industrial sources,
resulting in a 4,165 pounds per
day reduction for industrial facili-
ties. This represents an aggressive
but cost-effective level of  nitro-
gen control for these sources.
                                            OXYGEN IMPROVEMENT VERSUS COST FOR
                                                   SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS

                                 To find out how critical areas of the Sound would respond to specific manage-
                                 ment options, data on oxygen improvement versus cost were plotted on curves
                                 for three key areas in the Sound: western Narrows, offshore of New Haven, and
                                 offshore of Stony Brook. Figure 8 on page 12 shows the curve for the western
                                 Narrows. Each  point on the curve represents a specific nitrogen reduction
                                 approach at a specific plant at an associated cost. The point at which the curve
                                 begins to level out represents the "knee"  of each curve, the area where we
                                 begin to experience much less oxygen improvement for that region per dollar
                                 spent. This point separates those options that yield better than average cost-
                                 effectiveness from those with below average cost-effectiveness. This analysis
                                 was repeated for two other hot spots in the Sound. Actions with  better than
                                 average cost-effectiveness  in improving oxygen conditions in any one of the
                                 three locations were identified and the cost of the actions tallied. Based on the
                                 curves for the three response regions, environmental improvement can be max-
                                 imized and costs minimized with nitrogen  reductions of 62 percent reduction
                                 from sewage treatment plants (122,044 pounds/day) at a cost of around the
                                 $650 million.


-------
  LONG  ISLAND SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
    ESTIMATING POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IN NONPOINT SOURCE RUNOFF

    Current information on land cover in the watershed and the cost and effectiveness of
    best management practices (BMPs)  to control nitrogen from that land cover was
    assessed. To determine a loading reduction level, BMP effectiveness was multiplied by
    the percent of land on which the BMPs are applied. For example, estimates suggest
    that BMPs reduce nitrogen runoff, on average, by 20 percent. If BMPs were applied
    to over 50 percent of the land, the level of nitrogen reduction would be 10 percent
    from the total nitrogen load from urban and agricultural sources. A maximum level
    of management (100% coverage) would be unrealistic. Thus, a 50 percent BMP appli-
    cation scenario, reflective of an aggressive nonpoint source program, was used to cal-
    culate the Soundwide nonpoint source reduction target. This resulted in a 10 percent
    reduction in nonpoint source nitrogen runoff.
  *•  NONPOINT SOURCES:  Decisions on
     controls of nonpoint source runoff
     must be made in the broader context
     of watershed  management,  since
     control  measures  will  also help
     reduce suspended solids, toxic cont-
     aminants, pathogens, and floatable
     debris.  The LISS recommends that
     aggressive  controls  of  nonpoint
     source pollution be implemented for
     both existing and new development,
     through both habitat protection and
     restoration activities, and  structural
     and nonstructural best management
     practices. This effort could result in
     a  10  percent reduction in the non-
     point source load  from  sources
     within the New York and Connecti-
     cut portions  of the watershed, or
     2,604 pounds per day.

Adding the potential nitrogen reductions
from cost-effective controls  on sewage
treatment plants, industrial sources, and
nonpoint runoff sources results in a total
reduction of  128,813 pounds per  day
(23,500 tons per year). The next step is to
allocate responsibility for achieving these
reductions among the  11 management
zones fairly.


ALLOCATING RESPONSIBILITY
The  cost curve analysis  provided an
option for allocating nitrogen reductions
 among  the  sewage treatment plants.
 Sewage treatment  plant upgrades with
 greater  than average cost-effectiveness
 would be implemented while upgrades
 with below  average cost-effectiveness
 would not be implemented. However, the
 LISS decided  that relying on  the cost
 curve analysis  alone would not be a fair
 or even feasible approach and would not
 provide  the best solution to allocating
 nitrogen reduction.

 There are several reasons for this conclu-
 sion. Most importantly, the cost estimates
 were general and not uniform in  their
 development. More accurate cost  esti-
 mates must await detailed facilities plan-
 ning based upon a clear definition of the
 nitrogen discharge limits that will have to
 be met. In addition, local concerns and
 considerations such as the need to pur-
 chase land for  expansion and to distin-
 guish between costs for nitrogen removal
 versus ongoing  maintenance, expansions
 for growth, and secondary upgrade needs
 (which were not included in the cost esti-
 mates) were not addressed evenly in the
 cost analysis.

 Cost considerations aside, it is necessary
 for all sewage treatment plants to share
the burden of nitrogen removal. All
sewage treatment plants contribute nitro-
gen to Long  Island Sound, albeit with

-------
LONG ISLAND SOUND  STUDY PROPOSAL FOR  PHASE  III ACTIONS FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
                           different effect. All jurisdictions will
                           benefit from improved water quality.
                           Therefore, it is reasonable to expect
                           all contributors to the problem to con-
                           tribute to the solution.

                           For those reasons, LISS proposes to
                           assign each management zone equal
                           responsibility to reduce its share of the
                           nitrogen load. To achieve a  similar
                           level  of oxygen improvement from
                           reductions allocated to each zone by
                           the same percentage,  the load reduc-
                           tion target was adjusted slightly to
                           23,800 tons per year from the original
                           23,500 tons per year. The total human-
                           derived  load  coming from sewage
                           treatment plants, industrial  point
                           sources, and nonpoint  sources  is
                           40,650 tons per year. Therefore, the
                           proposed Soundwide nitrogen target is
                           a 58.5 percent reduction in the human-
                           derived  load from point and nonpoint
                           sources  hi the watershed.
                             FIGURE'S	
OXYGEN  IMPROVEMENT vs CAPITAL COST
OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES
                                                Effect of Nitrogen Reductions in
                                                  Western Long Island Sound
                              I
                              o.
                               I
                               O
                                               500        1,000       1,500       2,000
                                                     Capital Cost (millions)
                                             2,500


-------
PHASE  III
PROPOSED
ACTIONS

         he LISS is proposing actions to
          minimize adverse impacts  of
        J. hypoxia caused by human
       ^activities in a cost-effective man-
 ner, while ensuring that new information
 is gathered to refine and improve man-
 agement over the long term. Using the
 framework  described  in  the  previous
 chapter,  the LISS proposes that a  58.5
 percent  reduction be  achieved in the
 enriched load of nitrogen from sources
 within the New  York and Connecticut
 portions of the watershed.  The specific
 proposal for Phase III Actions for
 Hypoxia Management is provided as an
 appendix to this report.
 STRATEGIES
 Attaining the nitrogen reduction targets
 will require aggressive control of point
 sources, such as sewage treatment plants
 and industrial  sources, and nonpoint
 sources, such as on-site sewage systems
 and runoff from roads, parking lots, and
 construction sites. To achieve the reduc-
 tion targets, the  states, working with
 local governments, will select the mix of
 point and nonpoint source controls to be
 implemented in each management zone.
Recognizing that each watershed is dif-
ferent, the proposal provides the states
and municipalities considerable flexibil-
ity in determining how nitrogen reduc-
tion actions are carried out within each
zone.
 Within  2 years after  the  targets  are
 adopted the states will take the following
 actions:

 *•  Develop watershed plans for each
     management zone that will set the
     course for achieving the targets as
     scheduled.
 *•  Consistent with those plans, incor-
     porate limits on the amount of nitro-
     gen that  can  be discharged  from
     sewage  treatment plants and indus-
     trial sources into discharge permits.
 *•  Conduct comprehensive nonpoint
     source  management  and  habitat
    restoration activities.

 Because the total nitrogen load entering
 the Sound from human sources is domi-
 nated by point source discharges, the pro-
 posed plan emphasizes technologies that
 can be applied to sewage treatment facil-
 ities and industrial discharges.

 In order to achieve significant reductions
 in the nonpoint source nitrogen load,
 home  owners,  farmers,  businesses,
 municipalities, and the states will need to
 reduce current inputs of nitrogen to the
 watershed and restore and preserve the
 nitrogen removal capabilities of existing
 natural  systems. These  reductions  can
 be   achieved   using   a  number   of
 approaches—resource-based  land use
 decisions at  the  local level, watershed-
wide use of appropriate structural and
nonstractural best management practices

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LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE  III  ACTIONS FOR HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
 1	:

(e.g., stormwater  detention  ponds,
artificial wetlands, streetsweeping,
cleaning catch basins), habitat protec-
tion and restoration, and pollution pre-
vention management practices.  All
approaches will requke a concerted
education and outreach effort.

TIMING
The  planning,  financing, and con-
struction of upgrades to sewage treat-
ment plants necessary to achieve the
58.5 percent reduction  target will
require sustained effort and  commit-
ment over  a long period of time.
Therefore,  the LISS recommends
phasing-in the necessary reductions
over 15 years:

     •  40 percent in 5 years,
     •  75 percent in 10 years, and
     • 100 percent in 15 years.

COST
The  Comprehensive  Conservation
and Management Plan identified that
the cost of achieving maximum nitro-
gen removal from all point sources
would  range from $6 to $8 billion
($5.1 to $6.4 billion in New York state
and from $900 million to $1.7 billion
in Connecticut). Because of the suc-
cessful  demonstration of full scale
nitrogen removal technologies  at
 sewage treatment plants undertaken as
part of Phase n, the estimated costs of
 capital improvements at sewage treat-
 ment plants have decreased.  The esti-
 mated cost of achieving maximum
 nitrogen removal levels at the 70 treat-
 ment  plants in New York and Con-
 necticut is now about $2.5 billion

 Because of the  cost-effective  ap-
 proach described in the previous chap-
 ter, the proposed LISS nitrogen reduc-
 tion strategy  would not require  all
 treatment plants to meet limit-of-tech-
nology reductions. As a result, the
incremental capital cost of achieving
the Phase HI point source controls is
estimated to be $300 million for New
York state and $350 million for Con-
necticut.  While these cost  estimates
may be revised as more detailed facil-
ity planning and design is performed,
they show clearly that the potential
cost of achieving  our goals  can be
much less than originally  estimated.

Nonpoint source  controls  will be
implemented as part of broader water-
shed  and habitat  protection  efforts.
The  cost  of controlling  nonpoint
sources is more difficult to estimate
than the  cost of point source controls.
Rather than one type  of technology
applied to a similar source, a variety
of strategies can be applied to control
a variety of nonpoint sources of nitro-
gen. As a result, the costs  of achieving
nonpoint nitrogen reductions have not
been estimated but are expected to be
significant.


FINANCING
As recommended  in the  Comprehen-
sive  Conservation and Management
Plan, the main source of funding for
these wastewater treatment facility
 improvements  will  be the  State
 Revolving Fund programs. The EPA,
 through the federal Clean Water Act,
 provides financing to support  State
 Revolving Fund loan programs.

 Connecticut  uses the capitalization
 grant from EPA to leverage with state
 bond funds to provide grants and low
 interest loans, at 2  percent  interest
 over  20 years, to finance improve-
 ments at  municipal facilities.  Con-
 necticut provides about $50  million
 per year in state  bonding to  supple-
 ment the  $15 million per year pro-
 vided under the Clean Water Act. At
 this  capitalization rate, Connecticut

-------
  LONG  ISLAMD  SOUND  STUDY PROPOSAL FOR PHASE III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA	
                                                                                                    PI
                                                                                                    K'-S
                                                  ANAGEMI
  should be able to meet municipal financ-
  ing needs to implement Phase m nitro-
  gen reductions. During fiscal year 1997,
  CTDEP awarded $250 million from their
  Clean Water Fund to finance projects of
  benefit to Long  Island Sound, including
  major sewage treatment plant upgrades in
  Norwalk and Waterbury.

  New  York  state established its State
  Revolving  Fund in the custody of  the
  Environmental  Facilities Corporation.
  This  public corporation benefits local
  governments in New York state by offer-
  ing below-market interest rate loans to
 municipalities to finance  wastewater
 improvements. Currently, the interest rate
 is set  at up to one-half of the market rate
 to be  repaid in 20 years. Lower rates of
 interest, including zero interest loans, are
 available  for communities that  can
 demonstrate an inability to pay the stan-
 dard  subsidized rate. Another major
 source of funding in New York state is
 the $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clean Air
 Bond Act approved by voters in Noven>
 ber  1996. The Bond Act targeted $200
 million for Long Island Sound that will
 be   available  for  sewage   treatment
 upgrades, habitat restoration, nonpoint
 source control, and pollution prevention.

 The possible funding  sources for non-
 point source controls reflect the diversity
 of both the sources  and the  control
 options. Grant funding through federal
 and state water quality management, nat-
 ural  resources management, and coastal
 zone management programs is available
 for nonpoint source activities. The State
 Revolving Fund  loan  program  is also
 available to  fund stormwater manage-
 ment and habitat restoration projects but
 has not been used to a great extent for
 these types of activities due to  the magni-
tude  of existing  point  source funding
needs in Connecticut and New York.
  EFFLUENT TRADING
  To provide further flexibility and incen-
  tives for maximizing the timeliness and
  cost-effectiveness  of nitrogen reduction
  actions, the LISS is investigating the fea-
  sibility of allowing effluent trading. Trad-
  ing, if employed as part of the nitrogen
  reduction effort, may be an innovative
  way to use market forces to more effi-
  ciently  meet water  quality  goals. The
  LISS will  develop a proposed trading
  program and then  convene  a public
  forum for federal,  state, and local water
  quality officials, together with public and
 private interests, to evaluate its potential.

 ENFORCEMENT
 The provisions of the federal Clean Water
 Act provide a vehicle for ensuring that
 nitrogen  reduction targets  are  legally
 enforceable. Section 303(d)  of the Act
 requires the identification of a Total Max-
 imum Daily Load for pollutants that will
 result in the attainment of water quality
 standards. Once a Total Maximum Daily
 Load has been established, the act calls
 for reductions to be allocated to sources
 so that the load target is met.

 New York and Connecticut and EPA will
 use  their authorities to  provide  an
 enforceable foundation for achieving the
 proposed nitrogen reduction targets. The
 states will, within 2 years of adopting the
 targets, develop a Total Maximum Daily
 Load designed to meet state oxygen stan-
 dards. The  current Long Island  Sound
 standards  were developed with limited
 data on how low oxygen levels affect
 aquatic life in Long Island Sound. EPA is
 currently  developing  regional  marine
oxygen criteria that will provide a more
scientifically valid basis for the develop-
ment of oxygen standards. Based on this
information, the states may, in the future,
modify their oxygen standards.

-------
LONG  ISLAND SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR PHASE  III  ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT	
 I	i
                             While LISS managers predict signifi-
                             cant improvement in water quality as
                             the proposed nitrogen reduction tar-
                             gets are implemented, the attainment
                             of current water quality standards at
                             all  times and  in all  areas  is  not
                             expected. For this reason, the LISS
                             will continue to assess what other
                             kinds of actions will be needed to
                             bring the Sound into full compliance
                             with water quality standards.

                             These actions may include control of
                             nitrogen and carbon sources  outside
                             of the Long Island Sound basin (e.g.,
                             tributary import from  point and non-
                             point sources north of Connecticut,
                             atmospheric deposition,  boundary
                             import  from  point  and  nonpoint
                             sources  affecting New York  Harbor
                             and The Race). Alternatives to nitro-
                             gen reduction, such as aeration, will
                             need to be  considered as a possible
                             means to achie^ w§ter-j5|uality stan-
                             dards in ffimamng,areas'.
EVALUATING PROGRESS
The  LISS  will track, monitor, and
report  on progress in  meeting the
nitrogen reduction targets annually. In
addition, a formal review of the goals
and objectives of the program will be
performed every 5 years, coinciding
with the progress checkpoints for
nitrogen reduction. The review should
consider progress in meeting the nitro-
gen  reduction targets, the levels of
oxygen  in  Long  Island  Sound in
response to loading  reductions, the
effects of these actions on the health
of living resources, other factors that
may affect water quality conditions,
and  scientific and technical advances
in controlling  nitrogen and under-
standing the cause and  impacts  of
hypoxia. As a result of the review, the
LISS may recommend improvements
.in how  the overall program will be
implemented.
                                                          S^5i«^K-4s^g3^r*r^^Sfc
                                      ^^^^^^^^^j^^^^^^^~^^^^^^^^^^^^^:

                                                                                 '"i

-------
 BENEFITS
 OF THE
 PHASE  III
 NITROGEN
 REDUCTION
 ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
 Phase m will yield significant ecological
 and environmental benefits. The maxi-
 mum area of the Sound that is unhealthy
 for marine life will be reduced by an esti-
 mated 75 percent (Figures 9 and 10). The
 period during which unhealthy condi-
 tions exist in the Sound is predicted to be
 reduced by 85 percent, from more  than
 50 days to 6.5 days.

 By limiting the area  and duration of
 unhealthy conditions, overall biological ef-
 fects will be greatly reduced Soundwide.

 In the western Narrows:
 *• Death rates of larvae of marine life
    sensitive to hypoxia will be reduced
    by 67 percent;
 *• Adverse impacts on fish abundance
    will be reduced by 97 percent;
 *~ Adverse impacts on  scup (porgy)
    abundance  will be reduced by 61
   percent  and on winter  flounder
   abundance by 99 percent. Effects on
   lobster  abundance  will be elimi-
   nated.

In the waters  off of New  Haven,
Connecticut:
 *~ Mortality of sensitive larvae will be
   reduced by 65 percent;
 *• Adverse impacts on fish abundance
   will be eliminated.
 In the waters off of Stony Brook New
 York:

  *•  Larval mortality will be reduced by
     an estimated 84 percent;
  *•  Adverse impacts on fish abundance
     will be eliminated.

 While the model analysis was intended
 to analyze the open waters of the Sound,
 improvements are expected in harbors,
 embayments, and near  shore waters as
 well. These waterways are flushed with
 water from the Sound as a result of tidal
 action. As the quality of water from the
 Sound  improves,  we  can  expect
 improvement in the harbors, embay-
 ments, and  near shore  waters as well.
 Improved visibility of waters will also
 expand the amount of shallow water area
 conducive to the growth of submerged
 aquatic vegetation, an important habitat
.that has?diminished in rangtefrom histor-
    levels. »5;,
-------
LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
                             benefits from improved water quality
                             resulting from nitrogen reduction in
                             the Sound would include:

                                 BOATERS:  By
                                 loadings  to  the
                                 blooms will be re^ur^aor
                                 vented. By reducing or prevent-
                                 ing algal blooms, the clarity and
                                 aesthetics of the water will be
                                 improved, increasing enjoyment
                                 for boaters.
                                 SWIMMERS: Swimmers will notice
                                 better water clarity, as a result of
                                 less  severe algal growth. Less
                                 nitrogen will also bring growth of
                                 seaweed back into balance.
                                 ANGLERS:    Because   finfish
                                 actively avoid unhealthy  waters
                                 with low oxygen levels, the Phase
                                 HI nitrogen reductions will bene-
                                 " fit anglers by increasing the area
                                  of the Sound  in which fish are
                                  likely to be found.
                                  SCUBA DIVERS AND SNORKELERS:
                                  Scuba divers and snorkelers will
                                  benefit from unproved visibility
                                  underwater as  a result of reduced
                                  algal blooms, as well as the pres-
                                  ence  of  more abundant  and
                                  healthier marine life.
                                  BIRDWATCHERS  AND  SIGHTSEERS:
                                  Although birds and wildlife that
                                  use the shore area are not directly
                                  affected by oxygen levels, many
                                  of them feed on marine life, such
                                  as small fish, shellfish (e.g., mus-
                                  sels), and  crustaceans   (e.g.,
                                  'crabs). By improving the health
                                   ^  e waters of the Sound, birds
                                       Wildlife will have a  greater
                                     pply of food, and will be more
                                   likely to use the shoreline areas.
                                   Therefore,  birdwatchers   and
                                   sightseers will benefit from Phase
                                   m  nitrogen reductions  because
                                   shorebirds,   waterfowl,   and
                                   wildlife will  be more abundant
                                   along the shoreline.
 COMMERCIAL FISHING AND SHELL-
 FISHING: The healthier the condi-
 tion of the Sound, the more fish
 and shellfish will prosper, which
 .means that more of them will be
 available  for harvest by people.
 The value of commercial fishing
 in Long Island Sound during 1990
 was more than $148 million.
 TOURISM: Visiting the beach, fish-
 ing and diving charters, sightsee-
 ing trips, and other leisure pas-
 times contribute to  the local
 economy, both directly to  the
 tourism industry and to other
 businesses that support the tourist
 trade (e.g., restaurants,  gas  sta-
 tions, sporting goods stores).
• REAL ESTATE: Studies have shown
 that the value of properties used
 for recreation (e.g.,  seasonal cot-
 tages) drop in value in  response
 to decreasing water quality.  It is
 likely that  improved water qual-
 ity in the Sound^wJlL^increase
 property valueftalbn^the shot

-------
LONG ISLAND SOUND STUDY PROPOSAL FOR PHASE III ACTIONS FOR HYPOXIA  MANAGEME
                                                                      NT
                     EXISTING OXYGEN CONDITIONS
 FlGURi'lt)
PROJECTED PHASE III OXYGEN CONDITIONS

-------

-------
        ne of the  primary reasons for
        preparing  this report is to pro-
        i vide information to support
         public review and comment on
both the general direction and specific
actions proposed by the LISS to manage
hypoxia. The LISS will be soliciting pub-
lic input through a series  of public meet-
ings around the Sound. In addition to this
report, fact sheets,  summary briefs, and
detailed technical backup reports will be
available  for review. All  comments
received at  meetings or submitted in
writing  will  be considered. A Public
Response Summary will  provide details
on the response to all comments received
on the proposed reduction targets. Writ-
ten comments are encouraged and can be
submitted  until October  1, 1997 to the
EPA Long Island Sound Office at the fol-
lowing addresses:
                                                   .«•
    EPA Long Island Sound Office
    Marine Sciences Research Center
    SUNY @ Stony Brook
    Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000
EPA Long Island Sound Office
Stamford Government Center
888 Washington Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06904-2152

-------
LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR  PHASE III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
                                                                  ^s^SMmSw^^^"^^ J^-™rj
                            The following list represents selected reports  available from the Long Island
                            Sound Office that provide additional information.

                              1. Altobello, M.A. 1992. The Economic Importance of Long Island Sound's
                                 Water Quality Dependent Activities. University of Connecticut.

                              2. CTDEP. 1995. A study of Marine Recreational Fisheries in Connecticut.
                                 Federal Aid to Sport Fish Restoration. F54R Final Report.

                              3. Howell, P., D. Simpson. 1994. Abundance of Marine Resources in Relation
                                 to Dissolved Oxygen in Long Island Sound. Estuaries. 17:394-402.

                              4. HydroQual. 1991. Water Quality Modeling Analysis of Hypoxia in Long
                                 Island Sound. Prepared for the Management Committee of the Long Island
                                 Sound Study and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control
                                 Commission. Job #NENG0012.

                              5. HydroQual. 1996. Water Quality Modeling Analysis of Hypoxia in Long
                                 Island Sound Using LIS 3.0. Prepared for the Management Committee of
                                 the Long Island Sound Study and the New England Interstate Water Pollu-
                                 tion Control Commission. Job #NENG0035.

                              6. HydroQual. 1997. Evaluation of Nutrient Management Scenarios Using
                                 LIS 3.0. Prepared for the Management Committee of the Long Island
                                 Sound Study and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control
                                 Commission. Job #NENG0035.

                              7. Long Island Sound Study. 1990. Status Report and Interim Actions for
                                 Hypoxia Management. 40 pp. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

                              8. Long Island Sound Study. 1994. Comprehensive Conservation and Man-
                                 agement Plan. 168 pp. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, LIS Office,
                                 Stamford Connecticut.

                              9. Long Island Sound Study. 1997. Framework for Developing the Proposed
                                 Phase IE Nitrogen Reduction Targets. 19 pp. U.S. Environmental Protec-
                                 tion Agency, LIS Office, Stamford Connecticut.

                             10. Miller, D.C., S.L. Poucher, L. Coiro, S. Rego, W. Munns. 1995. Effects of
                                 hypoxia on Growth and Aurvival of Crustaceans and Fishes of Long Island
                                  Sound. In: Proceedings of the Long Island Sound Research Conference: Is
                                  the Sound Getting Better or Worse? New York Sea Grant Institute. NYSGI-
                                 W-94-001

                             11.  Parker, C.A., and J.E. Reilly. 1991. Oxygen Depletion in Long Island
                                  Sound: A Historical Perspective. Estuaries. Volume 14, No. 3.

                             12.  U.S. EPA. 1996. Draft Framework for Watershed-Based Trading. U.S.
                                  Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water. Washington, DC.

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  LONG ISLAND  SOUND STUDY PROPOSAL  FOR  PHASE  III  ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
PROPOSAL FOR PHASE III ACTIONS FOR HYPOXIA MANAGEMENT
RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BY THE LISS POLICY COMMITTEE
February 7,1997

PHASEJiyMW^iMEJ^	    _
Based upon currently available estimates of treatment performance and costs of nitrogen
reduction technologies, a "knee-of-the-curve" analysis was performed to determine
appropriate levels of nitrogen reduction to alleviate hypoxia in the Sound. As a result of
this analysis, USEPA, NYSDEC, and CTDEP recommend:
    A 58.5  percent1 reduction in the total enriched load2 of nitrogen to Long Island
    Sound from point and nonpoint sources within the New York and Connecticut por-
    tion of the watershed within 15 years3.
    Each of the 11 watershed-based management zones established by the LISS be allo-
    cated a  58.5 percent reduction.
 1.
 2.
 3.
   To administer and enforce the nitrogen reduction targets consistent with the Clean
   Water Act, the LISS wiU develop a Total Maximum Daily Load/Wasteload Alloca-
   tion/Load Allocation (TMDL/WLA/LA) necessary to meet standards for dissolved
   oxygen in Long Island Sound.

       A. CTDEP and NYSDEC will work with EPA to develop, by July  1997, a
          TMDL necessary to meet the dissolved oxygen standards. It has been deter-
          mined that nitrogen reduction actions necessary to meet current dissolved
          oxygen standards will be in excess of 58.5 percent and may require treat-
          ment beyond the current limits of technology. NYSDEC, CTDEP and EPA
          will propose the TMDL in July 1997 and promulgate the TMDL, as appro-
          priate, by August 1997.

          •  The TMDL will include point and nonpoint source controls in the New
             York and  Connecticut portion of the watershed to meet the 58.5 percent
             reduction  target.
          •  The TMDL will also include future actions and schedules beyond the 15-
             year Phase JH plan for achieving water quality standards, such as the con-
             trol of carbon  and nitrogen from outside of the LISS management area,
            including  point and nonpoint sources north of Connecticut in New Eng-
            land, atmospheric  deposition,  point  and nonpoint sources  affecting
            import from New York Harbor and The Race, and other alternatives, such
            as aeration and load relocation.

      B.  CTDEP and  NYSDEC will develop zone-by-zone  plans  (WLA/LA) by
          August 1998 to achieve the nitrogen reduction target, highlighting the mix
          of point and  nonpoint source controls to be implemented in each manage-
          ment zone,
1. From pre-nitrogen management conditions, defined as the 1990 baseline plus centrate from the cessation of ocean
  dumping.
2. As defined in the LISS's Framework for Developing the Proposed Phase III Nitrogen Reduction Targets.
3. From August 1999, the date by which the states will propose permit modifications and commit to necessary nonpoint
  source actions.
                                                                                                £•____

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LONG  ISLAND SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR PHASE III  ACTIONS FOR HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
                                   C. CTDEP and NYSDEC will propose modifications to NPDES permits
                                      for point source discharges by August 1999;
                                      • equiring that plans be developed and implemented to achieve the point
                                        source component of the nitrogen reduction targets within 15 years,
                                        and
                                      • incorporating nitrogen loading limits to achieve the point source com-
                                        ponent of the five year load reduction target.
                                   D. By August 1999, CTDEP and NYSDEC will commit to the actions nec-
                                      essary to achieve the nonpoint source reduction component of the five
                                      year load reduction target.
                                   E. Any permits issued within this interim period must specifically address
                                      A-C,above.
                            4.  A15 year, phased, enforceable schedule, commencing after completion of zone
                                by zone plans, be established to assure steady progress hi achieving the nitrogen
                                reduction targets
                                • 40 percent progress toward the 58.5 percent target reduction within five years
                                • 75 percent progress toward the 58.5 percent target reduction within ten years
                                •  100 percent progress toward the 58.5 percent target reduction within 15 years
                            5.  Five years after adoption of the nitrogen reduction targets and every five years
                                thereafter, the LISS will formally evaluate the nitrogen reduction targets con-
                                sidering the progress and cost of implementation, improvements in technology,
                                the regional dissolved oxygen criteria to be published for comment by summer
                                1997, water quality standards, refined information on the ecosystem response to
                                nitrogen reductions, and research on the impacts of hypoxia to living resources.
                                    A.  Based on these evaluations, the states will confirm point source loading
                                       limits for ten and 15 years in future permit revisions and commit to the
                                       actions necessary  to achieve the necessary  ten and 15 year nonpoint
                                       source nitrogen reductions.
                            6.  The following schedule is proposed for the Long Island Sound Study Manage-
                                ment Conference to formally adopt the nitrogen reduction strategy:
                                    A. February 1997 - LISS Management Committee to submit the Phase HI,
                                       nitrogen reduction strategy to the Policy Committee for approval to
                                       move to public comment
                                    B. May-June 1997 -  LISS to hold public meetings to gather public com-
                                       ments.
                                    C. My 1997 - Policy Committee to adopt the Phase HI nitrogen reduction
                                        strategy
                             7.  By June  1998, the LISS will investigate the feasibility, cost, benefits, and draw-
                                backs of establishing a program to allow nitrogen  trading within and among
                                zones hi administering the Phase HI reductions, beyond the current bubble con-
                                cept already in use in New York. However, under no circumstances can trading
                                occur if the 1990 aggregate cap has not been met within a management zone.

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   LONG ISLAND  SOUND  STUDY  PROPOSAL FOR  PHASE  III ACTIONS  FOR  HYPOXIA  MANAGEMENT
^TIMELINE
 f February 7,1997
 | May-June 19974
 ..July 19974
 o August 19974
  June 1998
 <> August 1998
 • August 1999
"August 2002
< > August 2004
 August 2007

 August 2009
 August 2014
 Policy Committee to authorize release of Proposed Nitrogen Reduc-
 tion Targets.
 LISS to hold public meetings to gather public comments.
 Policy Committee to adopt the Phase m Nitrogen Reduction Targets.
 States and EPA develop TMDL necessary to meet Nitrogen Reduction
 Targets and EPA proposes TMDL.
 States and EPA promulgate the TMDL as appropriate.
 LISS to report on the feasibility, cost, benefits, and drawbacks of
 establishing a program to allow nitrogen trading within and among
 zones in administering the Phase IE reductions, beyond the current
 bubble concept already in use in New York.
 CTDEP and NYSDEC will develop zone-by-zone plans (WLA/LA)
 to achieve the nitrogen reduction target, highlighting the mix of point
 and nonpoint source controls to be implemented in each management
 zone.
 CTDEP and NYSDEC will propose modifications to NPDES permits
 for point  source discharges, requiring that plans be  developed and
 implemented to achieve the point source component of the nitrogen
 reduction targets within 15 years and incorporating nitrogen loading
 limits to achieve the point source component of the 5 year load reduc-
 tion target.
 CTDEP and NYSDEC will commit to the actions necessary to achieve
 the nonpoint source reduction component of the 5 year load reduction
 target.
 LISS formally evaluates the nitrogen reduction targets considering
 the progress and cost of implementation,  improvements in technol-
 ogy, the regional dissolved oxygen criteria, water quality standards,
 refined information on the ecosystem response to nitrogen reduc-
 tions, and research on the impacts of hypoxia to living resources.
 CTDEP and NYSDEC wiU propose modifications to NPDES permits
 for point source discharges incorporating  nitrogen loading limits to
 achieve the point  source component of the ten year load reduction
 target.
 LISS formally evaluates the nitrogen reduction targets considering
 the progress and cost of implementation, improvements in technol-
 ogy, the regional dissolved oxygen criteria, water quality standards,
 refined  information on the ecosystem response to nitrogen reduc-
 tions, and research on the impacts of hypoxia to living resources.
 CTDEP and NYSDEC will propose modifications to NPDES permits
 for point source discharges  incorporating nitrogen loading limits to
 achieve the point  source component of the 15 year load reduction
 target.
Nitrogen Reduction Targets achieved.
 4.  Adopted by Policy Committee, but schedule has slipped.

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