5003
-EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5 May, 1983
230 South Dearborn Street ,
Chicago, Illinois 60604 \]Q \f \
cop
.I
Environmental
Management
Report
Parts 1&2
905R83121
Valdas V. Adamkus, Regional Administrator
US. Environmental Protection Agency'
2^0 SOL;
Chicago,
ill;..
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION V
DATE: AU8 121983
SUBJECT: Final Environmental Management Reports (EMR's) - All Pj\ions
FROM: William H. Sanders III, Director
Environmental Servicas Division
TO: See Addressees Below
Enclosed are copies of the final Envirormiental Management Reports (EMR'i.)
from each of the Regions along with Region-specific EMR summaries. The
Regional summaries were prepared orig.n^liy to brief the Adnrinis tremor
prior to his visits to each of the Regions.
Region V will continue to use the EMR ,v>alyses as input to the FY'84
Regional planning process. In September, the Office of Policy and
Resource Management will conduct an evaluation of this year's "pilot1'
EMR process including conducting interviews in each Region.
The Environmental Results Branch, OPRM, will seek a wide range of perspec-
tives on this year's process to determine (a) whether or not to prepare
EMR's in the future, (b) if so, how to restructure the process or maximize
their usefulness and reduce the effort required to prepare them,
Please contact Stephen Goranson at 353-2306 if you have questions or comments
on these reports or suggested plans for FY'84.
William H, Sanders III
ADDRESSEES
Bill Constantelos, 5H
David Kee, 5A
Charles Sutfin, 5W
Robert Spri
Lou Tilley,
EPA FORM 132M (REV 3-76)
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ABSTRACT
The Region V Environmental Management Report is in three volumes - Parts 1
and 2, Attachment A and Attachment 8.Each volume is divided into portions
covering air, land and water media and the Great Lakes. Emerging issues
are also discussed in Part 2 and in Attachment B.
Part 1 contains a condensed summary of the status and trends of environmental
problems and management in the Region. Part 2 is a more detailed description
of programmatic and geographic problems facing the Region. The discussion
includes a description of the barriers to problem resolution and the actions
required of the states, the Region and Headquarters. Attachment A contains
the "reference" materials used to develop Parts 1 and 2. This is primarily
detailed support documentation. Attachment 8 contains detailed problem
analyses of selected, problems from each medium.
Air quality problems are concerned with the criteria pollutants - ozone,
total suspended particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and oxides of
nitrogen. Lead, radiation and air toxics are also addressed.
The handling/mishandling of waste materials and toxic substances is the
focus of the land portion of the report. Hazardous waste management,
superfund activities, pesticides and toxics management and spill response
are addressed under the land section.
The water medium includes surface water,quality (rivers and inland lakes),
drinking water and groundwater. Problems described for water range from
the concerns about dioxins in specific geographic areas to overall water
supply compliance' to combined sewer overflows to the disposal of contami-
nated sludges to in situ contaminants to the control of underground injec-
tions.
The Great Lakes are discussed separately. The discussion includes an
overview of the status of the lakes and focuses on two major problems -
nutrient enrichment and toxic contaminants in the Great Lakes. Areas of
concern are also described in some detail.
Acid rain, air deposition in the Great Lakes, aldicarb contamination in
Wisconsin groundwater and multimedia unregulated toxic substances are
discussed under emerging issues.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Parts 1 and 2
Abstract
Figures (Part 1 only)
Tables
Introduction
Air - Part 1
Land - Part 1
Water - Part 1
Great Lakes - Part 1
Air - Part 2
Land - Part 2
Water - Part 2
Great Lakes - Part 2
Emerging Issues - Part 2
i
iii
iv
1
2
14
18
28
32
45
55
76
93
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
Number F1gu res Page
A-l Air Quality Status for Ozone 6
A-2 Air Quality Status for TSP 7
A-3 Air Quality Status for CO 8
A-4 Air Quality Status for SC>2 9
A-5 Air Quality Status for Nitrogen Oxides 10
A-6 Air Quality Status for Lead 11
A-7 Status of Radiation Emergency Response Plans 12
A-8 Hazardous Waste Incinerators . 13
S-l Spill Reports (1978-1981) 17
S-2 Spill Reports by Type 17
W-l WQI-STORET-Bacteria 20
W-2 WOI-STORET-Nutrients 21
W-3 WQI-STORET-Amronia 22
W-4 WOI-STORET-Dissolved Oxygen 23
GL-1 Trophic Status of Great Lakes 30
GL-2 Areas of Concern - Great Lakes 30
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TARLES
Title Page
Class A and Class B Areas of Conern 89
Evaluation of Remedial Measures in Class A 90-92
Areas of Concern
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
INTRODUCTION
The qualities which make Region V great, are also qualities that make it sus-
ceptible to environmental problems. The successes of industry, agriculture
and resource development in Region V have contributed problems to the environ-
mental management of the Region's Air, Land and Water resources.
A capsule view of the Region:
* Centered around the Great Lakes which has allowed
Region V to become the most highly populated inland
area in the world
* Population in excess of 46 million - 22% of United
States total
* 52% of the Region's people live in 12 major metro-
politan areas
* 23% of cities with populations greater than 25,000
* Producer of more than 25% of the nation's manufac-
tured goods
* 23% of agricultural land in the United States is
in Region V accounting for more than 22% of agri-
cultural income in the United States
* Nearly 65 million acres of forests providing a
liveable habitat for plants and animals and re-
creation for people
* 50% of the nation's nuclear power sites (28% of
the world total)
* The 5 Great Lakes constitute 95% of the surface
fresh water in the country (25% of the world's
supply)
The Environmental Management Report (EMR) is organized by air, land and water
media to address the environmental management problems and issues in the on-
going regional effort of protecting the public's health and the environment.
The Great Lakes are discussed separately due to the complex interactions of
air, land and water in this ecosystem.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 1
AIR
Air quality for the criteria pollutants is described in this part of the re-
port. Radiation and air toxics are also highlighted. The current status of
each pollutant is summarized in the following.
OZONE (Q.Q
/
Ozone remains the Region's most significant air quality problem. 138 counties
were officially designated as not meeting the standard in 1979. This repre-
sented over 25 percent of the Region's counties, with an affected population of
approximately 31 million. 25 counties (including the extension cities), with
a population of 15 million people, did not achieve final attainment by the end
of 1982. These areas are shown in Figure A-l.
Ozone levels have been reduced by controls applied to industrial sources and
processes, and the continued implementation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Control
Program (FMVCP). Other vehicle emission control plans will be required in the
Detroit, Chicago/NW Indiana/SE Wisconsin, Milwaukee, E. St. Louis, and Louis-
ville metropolitan areas in order to meet air quality standards. On February 3,
1983, Region V proposed rulemaking on the five required Ozone State Implementa-
tion Plans (SIPs) submitted by Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and
Ohio. All, except Ohio's, are recommended for disapproval because of the
failure to institute a proper Inspection and Maintenance Program, failure to
implement Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT), and inadequate model-
ing demonstrations. Ohio demonstrated attainment by modifying the 1979 SIP
submittal.
TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATE (TSP)
The nonattainment areas for primary (health) TSP violations in Region V have
been reduced. State Implementation Plans (SIPs) identified 50 distinct areas
in 1979 in which primary violations occurred. This number has been reduced to
16 (shown in Figure A-2). This significant reduction has been achieved by
increased use of cleaner fuels and the installation of controls on industrial
point (stack) sources. Of the 4,500 major industrial air pollution sources in
the Region, 87 percent are currently in final compliance with clean-air regula-
tions. Despite the improvement in TSP air quality, nearly 7 million people in
Region V continue to be exposed to excessive amounts of TSP. Compliance at
the remaining noncomplying facilities will be pursued. Further TSP reductions
through controls on fugitive dust emissions from such sources as coal storage
piles, road and parking lot dust, and construction sites will be achieved.
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Region V has approved Part H Plans for all States except Ohio, and Lake County,
Indiana. Partial approval is pending for Wisconsin. The State of Michigan has
several outstanding conditional approvals related to iron and steel which are
described in more detail in Part 2 of this report.
CARRON MONOXIDE (CO)
Compared to the massive contamination of the ambient air by pollutants such as
TSP and ozone, CO constitutes a relatively less significant environmental pro-
blem in Region V. Originally, 19 distinct areas in the Region were designated
as being over the standards; now, only seven are not expected to meet final
attainment of the standards by the statutory deadline. However, these areas
(shown in Figure A-3) have experienced a general trend toward improved air
quality, primarily attributable to the implementation of the FMVCP. Several.
metropolitan areas continue to experience high levels of CO (see Attachment A),
generally in heavily travelled corridors on/near major intersections. Approxi-
mately 1.1 million people are still adversely affected by high CO levels. The
CO SIPs for Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan were not approvable.
SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO?)
problems have been virtually eliminated through generally strict emission
limitations in many urban areas and by conversion to cleaner fuels. Presently,
S02 air quality problems in Region V are confined to limited areas surrounding
coal fired power plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills, and industrial boil-
ers. The number of areas in Region V considered to have S02 air quality worse
than the primary standards has been reduced from 44 in 1978 to 10 in 1982 (see
Figure A -4).
Eight of the nonattainment areas do not have fully approved regulations
design signed to provide timely attainment of the standards. Currently 2.2
million people are exposed to SO? levels in excess of the primary ambient
standard.
NITROGEN OXIDES (NOx)
The standard for nitrogen dioxide is exceeded (as of the end of 1981) only in
the Chicago area (see Figure. A-5). The population exposed in this area is
approximately 500,000 (including the working and residential population).
Controls on mobile sources continue to be the most effective nitrogen oxides
control strategy used in Region V although emissions from the stationary sources
contribute significantly to the air quality problem. The implementation plan
for the Chicago problem area has been approved.
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LEAD (Pb)
Since 1973, there has been an overall improvement in ambient lead concentration
in the Region. Several areas that were in violation of the lead standard are
now showing compliance with the standard. The major reason for the reduced
level of lead is the implementation of FMVCP, and the phase down of the use of
lead in gasoline. Monitors near lead smelters in St. Paul, Minnesota and Granite
City, Illinois continue to show violations of the lead standard (see Figure
A-6). Monitoring sites in Hammond and East Chicago, Indiana have recently
shown increases in lead concentrations, which are of potential concern.
Michigan and Ohio have approved SIPs for lead; Illinois has an approved SIP
for all areas except Granite City; and Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are
currently preparing lead SIPs.
RADIATION
Region V has 21 nuclear power sites with 36 reactors (20 operating and 16
under construction). This represents 28% of the world's nuclear power gener-
ation capacity and 50% of the national total. These 21 sites impact approxi-
mately 590,000 people in the 10 mile emergency planning zone.
A Radioligical Emergency Response Plan (RERP) is required for every county
located in the 10 mile zone. There are 37 counties in the Region that require
RERPs. Four of these plans have been aapproved, to date, by the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency and have been published in the Federal Register.
Seven plans, approved Regionally, require national approval. Twenty-six plans
are currently being reviewed in the Region (Figure A-7). Each State has also
submitted a RERP. The Illinois plan has been approved nationally and the other
five Regional state's RERPs are currently under Regional review.
Industrial radiation sites, abandoned and operating, are of concern to the
Region. Foremost among these is the Kerr-McGee site in West Chicago, Illinois.
The Region is exploring legal action under CERCLA to clean up extensive thorium
contamination throughout the residential community. Other sites involve aban-
doned thorium mantle and radium companies that operated prior to enactment of
the Atomic Energy Act, and unregulated industries that utilize radioactive
materials incidentally as part of their raw materials. These sites are identi-
fied in Attachment A. Site specific discussions are also in Attachment A.
AIR TOXICS
Considerable concern exists in the Region about the potential health effects
of air toxicants. This concern comes from the substantial concentration of
industrial facilities and hazardous waste incinerators (see Figure A-8) in the
Region with the potential for air toxicant emissions and their proximity to
population centers. A well developed system for regulation and compliance is
in NESHAPS. Delegation of NESHAPS is also well advanced.
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There is a significant lack of monitoring data and rules for other pollutants
to guide priorities for data acquisition and control. However, authority does
exist in the States to regulate non-NESHAPS pollutants and additional NESHAPS
regulations are expected, with subsequent delegation. Thus, Regional emphasis
has been on cooperative efforts with the States to assist them in the problem
definition and the subsequent development of air toxicant programs.
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Figure A-l: Region V Air Quality Status for Ozone
Problem Area
Note: Current as of 2/l/%i
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-2: Region V Air Quality Status for Total Suspended Participates
Primary Problem Area
Secondary Prob1en Area
»!ote: Current as of 2/1/83
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-3: Region V Air Quality Status for Carbon Monoxide
Problem Area
Note: Current as of
2/1/83
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-4: Region V Air Quality Status for Sulfur Dioxide
S A£-r'>rs
Prinary Problem Area
Secondary Problem Area
Note: Current as of 2/1/83
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-5: Region V Air Quality Status for Nitrcren Oxides
Problem Area
Note: Current as of
2/1/83
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-6: Region V Air Quality Status for Lead
Problem Area
Note: Current as of 2/1/83
Note: See Attachment A for identification of these areas
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Figure A-7: Region V Status of Radiation
Emergency Response Plans
D
Radiological Emergency
Response Plans not annroved
by the Regional Assistance
Committee as of 2/1/83
• Operating Plants (20*)
* One unit currently shut down
C Plants Under Construction (16)
Note: Half of the nuclear sites have more
than one nuclear plant on site.
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h'gure A-8
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Region V Hazardous Waste Incinerators
)te:
O Existing Incinerate
• New Incinerator
Q Incinerator Status
Unknov
Listing based on
applications received.
Further review may reveal
that some of the listed
Incinerators are not subject
Resource Conservations and
Recovery Act regulations.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 1
LAND
Hazardous waste program activities under RCRA, CERCLA, TSCA and FIFRA as well
as the spill response program are addressed in this part of the report. These
activities deal with the management of hazardous waste generators and transport-
ers, active and inactive hazardous waste sites, hazardous substance spills,
toxic chemicals and pesticides.
HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Region V has been establishing and refining the database associated with the
universe subject to regulation. Notifications filed as of February 28, 1983,
by type of activity, are:
NOTIFICATIONS TYPE TOTAL
RECEIVED GENERATOR TRANSPORTER TSD ACTIVITIES
17,921 11,424 2,942 4,681 19,047
Part A applications received, by process category are:
REGULATED* STORAGE DISPOSAL TREATMENT STOR. STOR. DISP. STOR.
PART As ONLY ONLY ONLY DISP. TRTM. TRTM. DISP.
TRTM.
2,305 1,224 52 133 30 775 19 72
*Approximately 20% of the national total.
Called in Part 8 applications as of February 10, 1983, hy process category are:
STORAGE TREATMENT INCINERATION LAND DISPOSAL TOTAL
ONLY (W orW/out
Storage)
83 108 22 18 231 CALLED
36 54 4 2 96 RECEIVED
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Compliance/enforcement efforts and activities for FY 81 and FY 82 are compared
as follows:
INSPECTIONS WARNING COMPLIANCE PENALTIES DOJ
LETTERS' ORDERS ASSESSED COLLECTED REFERRALS
'81 1,201 110 86 $227.5K $5K 0
'82 1,379* 721 31 $ 57K $28K 5
*Total does not include inspections conducted by Illinois,
Indiana and Wisconsin after they received Phase I Interim
Authorization(IL-5/17/327nT-8/18/82;WI-l/15/82)
REMEDIAL PROGRAM(SIJPERFUNn)
Region V has over 2,700 abandoned hazardous waste sites that are known to exist
or have been reported. Theses sites require a preliminary assessment to confirm
their existence. Some of these sites may not contain hazadous waste or may
pose no threat to people or the environment. Sites that are judged to pose a
threat are investigated, sampled and a numerical score, called the hazardous
ranking score(HRS), is assigned.
Sites with the highest MRS values were aggregated nationally and a National Pri-
ority List (NPL) of the "worst" sites was developed. The initial NPL had 418
sites listed, 99 of them(24% of the NPL) in Region V. Listing on the NPL made
these sites elgible for remedial action under Supprfund. Information on the
Regional sites is detailed in Attachment A of this report. It is summarized as
follows:
** Approximately 7,618,500 people are threatened by hazardous waste at the
Region V NPL sites.
** There are 104 threats to aquifers by hazardous waste at the Regional
sites.
** There are 66 threats to surface waters by hazardous waste at the Region V
sites.
TOXIC SUBSTANCES'
There are 1,506 chemical manufacturers in Region V (about 20% of the national
total). There are 11,262 chemicals manufactured in the Region, 5,892 exclusively
in Region V.
Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) seem to he the most prevalent toxic substance
in the Region. Numerous manufacturing facilities, public utilities, storage
warehouses, airports, refineries, tool and die companies, etc. use or have
used PCBs in one form or another. Transformers and capacitors containing PCBs
are present throughout the urban and rural environment of the Region.
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PCB inspections have revealed a significant number of storage, record keeping
and marking violations, flue to a lack of awareness of the PCS regulations.
PCBs are being stored because of the current high cost of disposal. There
is only one permitted landfill in Region V.
The Region receives a significant number of inquiries about products containing
formaldehyde, such as urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, plywood, particle
hoard and other home furnishings. Only insulation, of the formaldehyde products
on the market, is regulated. Little is known about the extent or severity of
indoor air pollution from these and other toxic substances.
PESTICIDES
Approximately 900 million pounds of pesticides are annually used in the U.S.
About 20 percent of this, or 180 million pounds are used in Region V. There are
2,746 pesticide producing entities in the Region(26% of national producers).
These facilities produce about 280 million pounds of pesticides annually.
All Regional states have significant pesticide regulations. The Region has
cooperative enforcement agreements with all States except Ohio. Applicator
certification programs have been delegated to all States.
Incident data shows that aerial application results in the highest number of
violations when compared to the total incidents/complaints investigated. An
average of 42 percent of the incidents investigated were violations. Agricult-
ural incidents/complaints, other than aerial application, have a violation
rate of 30 percent. Violations occur 25 percent of the time when non-agricult-
ural incidents are investigated.
Aldicarb, a highly toxic, systemic carbamate insecticide, has been used in
Wisconsin and has been detected in the groundwater at concentrations ranging
from less than 10 parts per billion to as high as 111 parts per billion.
Most samples contained from 11 to 30 parts per billion of aldicarb. The thresh-
hold action level is 10 parts per billion. This problem is discussed further
in Part 2 of this report.
The use of pesticides by the consumer in his home environment is of concern.
1980 census data indicated that almost 70 percent of the Region's people
lived in urban or non-farm areas. Data indicates that almost 90 percent of these
residents use pesticides in their homes, gardens and yards. Data supports that a
majority of human poisoning incidents reported occur in these urban settings.
SPILL RESPONSE
The Spill Response Program (Regional and State) has seen a steady increase in
the number of spill reports over the past 5 years. An increase of approximately
60 percent occurred from 1978 to 1981. The general trend shows an increase on
spills at fixed facilities and a decrease in spills related to transportation.
The most frequently spilled products, in addition to oil and petroleum by-
products, are PCBs, ammonia(fertilizer and anhydrous), acids(sulfuric and hydro-
chloric), solvents, sodium hydroxide, chloride and phenol. The accompanying
figures summarize the spill reporting information.
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Figure S-l
Spill Reports - 1978 - 1981
1978
1979
1980
1981
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Nunber of Spill Reports
(Base Year 1978 = 6000 Reports)
Figure S-2
Spills Reports by Type
F
1978
1979
F = Facility Related
T = Transportation
1980 T Related
1981
TO 20 30 TO 50 60 70 80 90
Percent of Total Reports
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 1
WATER
In the early 1960's the Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire. Thick oil slicks
covered the Calumet River in Indiana, the Rouge River in Michigan, and other
rivers of the Region. Little, if any, significant aquatic life existed and
water uses such as swimming, boating, fishing, water supply, etc., were nonexis-
tent or restricted in segments of the Fox (WI), Wabash (IN), Kalamazoo (MI),
Scioto (OH), Black (OH), Ottawa (OH), Grand (MI), Mahoning (OH), and other
rivers. Today, swimming areas have been reopened, water supplies improved and
fish and people have returned to previously degraded waters as a .result of
the measurable water quality improvement from the extensive cleanup efforts by
municipalities and industries.
MATER QUALITY OF RIVERS AND STREAMS
#>
While measurable progress has o'ccurred, considerable water use and quality
impairments justify additional control. Monitoring data based upon chemical
parameters from 58 major rivers were analyzed for calendar year 1981 using a
Water Quality Index (WQI).
Based upon the WQI evaluation, only 24 percent of the rivers analyzed were of
good water quality (WQI 0-20), meeting fishable/swimmable Federal criteria.
Forty-five percent of the major rivers in Region V had a WQI scale between
20-60, meaning they had moderate water quality problems but usually met fish-
able/swimmable Federal criteria. Severe (WQI of more than 60) water quality
problems were found in 31 percent of the rivers. Figures W-l to W-4 illustrate
regional stream water quality for four parameters: bacteria, nutrients,
dissolved oxygen, and ammonia. Detailed state maps and a description of the
WQI are found in Attachment A. Specific status and trends are described by
the following selected water quality indicators:
Bacteria (Coliforms)
Severe bacterial problems were found in 25 percent of the major rivers in
Region V in 1981. Forty-eight percent had moderate problems. Improvements
from previous years, however, were found in the Mississippi River in Minnesota
and the Illinois and Kaskaskia Rivers in Illinois.
Nutrients
Severe nutrient problems were observed in 21 percent of the major rivers in
Region V in 1981. Moderate nutrient problems were found in 46 percent.
Improvements were observed in the Kaskaskia River in Illinois and the Grand
and Kalamazoo Rivers in Michigan.
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Figure W-l, Bacteria
Barer Quality
Very Good W.Q.
Meets Stds.
Satisfactory
W.Q.
Usually meets
Stds.
Poor W.Q.
Often violates
Stds.
SOURCE: STORE! data analyzed by the Water Quality Sub-Index
for Bacteria, 1981
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L2GZND
Figure H-2, Nutrients
Water Quality
Very Good W.Q.
Meets Stds.
Satisfactory
W.Q.
Usually meets
Stds.
FOOT W.Q.
Often violates
Stds.
SOURCE: STORE! data analyzed by the Water Quality Sub-Index
for Nutrients, 1981
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LZGZSD
Figure H-3, Ammonia
Uater Quality
V«ry Good W.Q.
Meet* Stds.
Satisfactory
W.Q.
Usually meets
Std».
Poor V.Q.
Often violates
Stdi.
SOURCE: STORE! data analyzed by the Water Quality Sub-Index
for Ammonia, 1981
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LIGZND
Figure W-4, Dissolved
Oxygen
Utter Quality
Very Good V.Q.
Meets Stds.
Satisfactory
W.Q.
Usually Beets
Stds.
Poor W.Q.
Often violates
Stds.
SOURCE: STORE! data analyzed by the Water Quality Sub-Index
for Dissolved Oxygen, 1981
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Existing information and the source of that information is depicted on maps.
Specific biological information exists for less than 20 percent of the Region's
river miles. Of these approximately 10 percent have significant water quality
problems and approximately 30 percent have moderate water quality problems.
Fish flesh contamination and fish kills continue to be a problem but there
currently are insuffient data to make a meaningful trend analysis. The
latest 305(b) reports do indicate areas within each State where health adviso-
ries are issued in conjunction with suspected fish flesh contamination.
Most of the major documented fish kills can be traced to a toxic spill. There
were over 800,000 fish killed in 1980 and 1981 in Region V. Pesticide leakage
from agricultural operations and chemical spills from industrial operations
account for a majority of the fish kills.
OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS
Two major rivers flow through the Region. The Ohio River Basin drains 203,000
square miles of land, approximately 30 percent of it in Region V. The Upper
Mississippi River Basin drains 189,000 square miles of land, approximately 69
percent of it in Region V.
N.
Ohio River
Water pollution in the Ohio River was most seriously degraded in the upper
one-third (approximately 300 miles) of the river. Significant improvements
in water quality were made throughout the river between 1950 and 1980.
Since 1960 the most dramatic improvements have been made in the upper 100
miles of the river while water quality in the lower two-thirds of the river
where degradation was much less severe has either remained stable or improved
only slightly. In view of the increased population of the basin during these
two decades, such a stabilization is encouraging.
Upper Mississippi River (UMR)
Water quality problems occur in several locations on the UMR. The most
serious problems are between Minneapolis and Lock and Dam 2, downstream of
Lock and Dam 13 and below the metropolitan area of East St. Louis - St. Louis.
These areas have problems with toxic metals, turbidity and low dissolved
oxygen. Unacceptable PCB levels have been found in the UMR from the Twin
Cities to St. Louis. PCB levels in fish in Lake Pepin and Lake Onalaska
(above La Crosse, Wisconsin) have exceeded the FDA standard by more than ten
times. The largest point source dischrges are the wastewater treatment
facilities in the Twin Cities and St. Louis areas, power plants along the
River and large steel, oil and chemical facilities in the East St. Louis -
St. Louis area. However, point sources of discharge are not the dominant
factor influencing the overall water quality in the UMR, although localized
problems do occur. In general, nonpoint pollution is the most serious problem.
Significant water pollution problems attributed to nonpoint pollution in the
UMR are excessive loadings of suspended solids and sediment. Sediment yields
range from 10 to 500 tons/sq mile/yr in the northern portion to yields exceed-
ing 6000 tons/sq mile/yr (0.66 inches/year) in the south.
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FACTORS IMPACTING WATER QUALITY
Two factors which impact water quality, not addressed in the previous paragraphs
are comhirred sewer overflows (CSOs) and NPDES compliance/noncompliance. The CSO
issue is site specific and addressed differently by each state. A 1982 survey
indicated that there were 513 combined sewer systems in the Region. These have
the potential, during storm events, of causing immediate contamination to
receiving streams. CSOs are addressed further in Part 2 and in the Great Lakes
portion of this report.
Non-compliance with NPDES permit limits occurs at approximately 20 percent of
the permitted facilities. Non-compliance events result in the discharge of
oxygen depleting materials, toxic or toxicity causing compounds and solids.
Significant progress has been made in increasing compliance rates, however, we
must continue to strive to reach the statutory goals of the Clean Water Act.
INLAND LAKES AND WETLANDS
Inland lakes provide recreation and drinking water for many Region V communi-
ties. In the northern States, lakes are often the significant factor in the
economic base of small communities. Generally, lakes located in the southern
portions of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin are experiencing cultural eutro-
phication.
The status of wetland resources in Region V is somewhat uncertain. There has
been a systematic effort, over the last century to convert wetlands to drylands.
Both Federal and State programs are underway to inventory remaining wetland
resources. The National Wetland Inventory has, to date, produced wetland maps
for two-thirds of the State of Ohio, three-fourths of the State of Michigan,
and portions of the States of Minnesota and Indiana. The State of Wisconsin
is conducting its own wetland mapping program, and the State of Illinois is
considering a similar effort. Due to a lack of detailed historic data, these
inventories will serve primarily to identify existing resource levels and aid
in determining future trends.
Current estimates indicate that about 90 percent of the original wetland acreage
of southeastern Wisconsin have been converted to agricultural and urban use in
the past century. This figure approaches 100 percent in some counties in
south central Minnesota, and the once vast wetland complexes along the western
shore of Lake Erie in Michigan and Ohio and along the Kankakee River in Indiana
have all but disappeared.
Several States are currently taking steps to protect their remaining wetlands.
The State of Michigan has enacted a comprehensive Wetlands Protection Act that
is designed to prevent the indiscriminate conversion of wetlands to other
uses, and the State of Minnesota has provided tax incentives to encourage the
preservation of wetland resources. In addition, the Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Indiana legislatures are all exploring means to protect and preserve wetland
resources.
GROUNDWATER
Region V has abundant supplies of good quality groundwater. Approximately 40
percent of the population within Region V depends upon groundwater as a source
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of drinking water. In rural areas in particular, 95 percent of the population
depends upon groundwater. Most of the groundwater used is withdrawn from
shallow aquifers. These shallow aquifers are susceptible to the contamination
resulting from activities in manufacturing, agriculture, and energy recovery
practices that are prevalent within Region V.
Although some data are available, it is difficult to assess the specific trends
of groundwater quality because historic information on contamination sites and
ambient groundwater quality is still insufficient to make an analysis. The
States in Region V have monitoring systems for public drinking water wells.
However, a baseline assessment of current groundwater quality conditions is
not possible based on public drinking water well data because information is
geographically disjunct and does not generally include grace quantities of
synthetic chemicals. An example of other types of information available is
the assessment of groundwater problems completed by the State of Michigan.
Sites were identified from complaints made by local citizens and officials.
Of the 50,897 sites inventoried, 441 are considered as known contamination
sites. Only for the known sites is complete water quality data available.
Another example of systematic data collected related to groundwater quality is
the ambient groundwater quality monitoring program of the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency which was initated in 1978. The program currently has data
from 318 wells or springs and includes samples from 56 of Minnesota's 87 coun-
ties. In addition to the various types of information the States have, Region
V has aquifer maps of each State which were recently prepared to assist us in
implementing the underground injection control program.
A concern is the number of sources of groundwater contamination which are
unregulated or poorly regulated and which continue to threaten irreversible
damage to the quality of groundwater.
The magnitude of contamination problems is represented by the following data
extracted from a recent study by the State of Michigan on known and suspected
contamination sources. The State's study, updated in 1982, listed: a) 112
known and 27 suspected incidents related to storage and handling of petroleum
products; b) 59 known and 2 suspected incidents related to unknown sources
appearing to be gasoline contamination; c) 33 known and 86 suspected incidents
related to salt storage/roadsalting; and, d) 8 known and 8 suspected incidents
related to agricultural sources. Aside from the lack of regulatory control of
groundwater problems, there is a lack of systematic documentation of groundwater
quality, groundwater use and groundwater contamination incidents which are
needed if effective groundwater management is to occur.
DRINKING WATER
There are 8,300 community water systems serving a population of approxiamtely
38,000,000 in Region V. There are approximately 64,000 noncommunity water
systems in the Region.
All states have historically conducted strong drinking water surveillance
programs, but these programs involved mobile home parks only marginally and
did not address noncommunity water supplies. Thus, the most significant improve-
ments in terns of compliance with monitoring requirements and drinking water
quality standards have come in those areas.
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In FY 79, 42.1 percent of Region V community water systems had one or more
violations of microbiological monitoring and reporting requirements. This was
reduced to 35.3 percent in FY 80 and 23.1 percent in FY 81. Region V systems
with microbiological MCL violations decreased from 8.9 percent in FY 79 to 6
percent in FY 80 and 81. "
The monitoring for ten inorganic, six organic, and radiochemical parameters has
detected ahout 100 violations of the inorganic drinking water MCLs and about
265 occurrances of high alpha radiation activity. The necessary follow-up
isotope analyses are now being performed (during FY 1983) and the confirmation
rate for natural radium MCLs is expected to be high.
Total trihalomethane (TTHM) concentrations were determined for all Region V
water systems over 75,000 population during 1981 and 1982. These analyses are
now also proceeding on all systems over 10,000 population. Water supplies
relying on naturally colored, inland streams as a raw water source are experi-
encing some difficulty meeting the the 100 micrograms per liter (ug/1) TTHM MCL
under current treatment and disinfection practice. Some of these systems are
changing to combine chlorination or chlorine dioxide to come below the 100 ug/1
TTHM level.
Pilot studies indicate that 2Q% of Regional well waters are contaminated with
synthetic organic chemicals. Volatile solvents and degreasers have been found
throughout the Region, usually in low part per billion (ppb) concentrations,
but sometimes -high enough (e.g., greater than 50 ppb) to cause significant
health hazards. Every State has had to close down major public water wells
because of this problem. The new generations of pesticides and herbicides are
also emerging in Regional drinking waters -- from both ground and surface water
sources. Aldicarb commonly migrates to well waters where it 'is applied on
sandy soils, and atrazine, metalachlor, et-al., are found in drinking water
obtained from agricultural rivers. These chemicals are not currently regulated
in drinking water.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 1
GREAT LAKES
The Great Lakes are a complex ecosystem of interacting components—air, land,
water and living organisms. Because the Lakes act in many respects as a closed
system—less than 1% of the pollutants entering the Great Lakes system leave
the St. Lawrence River in any single year—they are an especially sensitive
indicator of the effectiveness of air, land and water protection programs, as
the accumulated pollutants often show their first effects (particularly chronic
effects) in this vast interconnected lake system. Furthermore, since the Great
Lakes Basin includes more than 40% of the population, land areas and rivers in
Region V, the responses of the Lakes are a significant indicator of the success
of regional remedial.programs.
General Overview
Both human health and ecosystem health problems are well documented in the Great
Lakes. They are reflected in the impairment (non-attainment) of numerous bene-
ficial uses caused mostly by two categories of pollutants: toxics and nutrients.
Fish consumption advisories are in effect in each of the Lakes because of health
risks, and the ecosystem is under stress and degradation due to both toxics and
excessive nutrients.
The rate of decline in trophic conditions of the Lakes appears to have signifi-
cantly Decreased in response to nutrient control programs, and considerable
improvement has been made in the case of most locally acute eutrophication prob-
lems. The status of toxics in the Lakes varies considerably from compound to
compound due to their different behavioral characteristics, whether effective
control programs are in place, and because of our rapidly changing technological
ability to identify and measure these materials. The Great Lakes are signifi-
cantly affected by toxics inputs from the atmosphere, tributaries, municipal
and industrial discharges, and large deposits of in-place pollutants in harbor/
estuary areas. The status of the sources and.sinks of these toxics is not well
known.
Within the lake system there are concentrated areas of pollutant loading and
degradation which have been identified by EPA and the International Joint Commi-
sion (IOC) as key Areas of Concern that require special attention.
Toxic Contaminants
Contamination of the Great Lakes by persistent toxic substances represents the
most serious environmental problem in the Basin. Since the Great Lakes are an
essentially closed system, they accumulate whatever'persistent toxic substances
input tr> them. The problem is basinwide, not only confined to "hot spots," as
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IJC and USEPA inventories of all ecosystem compartments showed ubiquitous
contamination. Declines in the concentration of some toxic chemicals in the
annual sediment deposits and biota have been observed in most lakes, due to
control programs. However, the overall trend of all toxics generally varies
considerably, depending on control programs in place, the behavioral character-
istics of any given compound, and our rapidly changing technological ability to
identify and measure these materials.
The Great Lakes are a multiple use resource for the residents of the Basin, and
the surrounding population may be exposed to toxic substances from the Lakes
through a variety of pathways. Until recently no major human health implica-
tions were directly related to the toxic water quality of the Great Lakes. How-
ever, a direct linear correlation between PCS contamination in Lake Michigan fish
and levels of RGB's in the blood of sport fishing families in the 18 Michigan
State counties bordering Lake Michigan has been indicated.
Sources of these toxic residues are the atmosphere, tributaries, municipal dis-
charges, industrial discharges and erosion. Sinks include tributary outflow,
sedimentation, degradation, water-air exchange, chemical inactivation and media
transfer. The status of the sources is not well known, and trends among the
various sink compartments may differ.
Nutrient Enrichment
Major ion concentrations in Lake Superior and northern Lake Huron have remained
essentially stable, indicating few open lake nutrient enrichment problems in the
upper lakes, but the studies on which these reports were based were necessarily
short term; and there is a need for longer term information. In the most se-
verely poluted lakes - Erie, Ontario and Michigan - major eutrophication ills
still exist, but progress is being made. A significant decline in municipal
and industrial phosphorus loadings has occurred since the mid-1970's. Open
water responses, such as decreased phosphorus concentration, decreased biomass
or algal species shifts are documented in Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and in parts
of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (Saginaw Bay). Improvements have been noted
in water quality problems at several drinking water intakes, and recreational
uses (swimming, boating and fishing) have been restored in numerals areas
throughout the Basin. However, the total commercial catch of fish in each of
the Great Lakes continues to decrease steadily, as it has for the past 30
years, even though State stocking of salmonids has helped sport fishing stage
a comeback.
When municipal point source control programs are completely in place, municipal
inputs will contribute only 20-25% of the phosphorus load to the Lake Erie Basin,
while nonpoint sources, primarily from agricultural land in the western basin of
Lake Erie, will account for more than 60% of the phosphorus input (roughly 7% of
the phosphorus is airborne). Successful demonstration programs at Black Creek,
Indiana, and Honey Creek, Ohio, have been undertaken to develop cost-effective
soil conservation and land runoff control measures. These projects have been
expanded into 31 counties of the Lake Erie Basin in order to reduce the nonpoint
loading nf phosphorus and other pollutants to the lake.
Localized Impaired Areas (Areas of Concern)
Within the lake system there are certain localized areas where environmental
quality is severely degraded. Although these areas constitute only a relatively
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Figure GL-1
IUMV
-30-
Summary of the trophic status of the Laurentian Great Lakes.
(EF*,GLNPO,1981)
Highly 01 igotroohic
Oligolrophic
Mnotraphic
Eutraphc
Special pobtetn area
Figure GL-2
AREAS OF CONCERN
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- 31 -
small portion of the total area of the basin, they contain a large percentage of
the Basin's population and industry and are concentrated loading points for many
pollutants.
The IJC has identified 39 of these areas throughout the Great Lakes Basin.
Fourteen of these Areas of Concern in the U.S. are classified as Class A (areas
exhibiting significant environmental degradation and where impairment of bene-
ficial uses is severe), and an additional ten U.S. Areas of Concern are desig-
nated Class B (areas exhibiting environmental degradation and where uses may he
impaired). Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities presently
in operation or coming on line in the next five years should effectively con-
trol conventional pollutants, metals and substances causing toxicity (i.e. ammo-
nia). Sources of these substances, in addition to municipal and industrial
discharges, are unsecured waste disposal sites, combined sewer overflows and
urban land runoff, agricultural land runoff, and in-place pollutants.
In the areas of concern, unlike most other portions of the Lakes, swimming and
aesthetic uses are often impaired. These impairments affect millions of people
and are the result of bacteria, virus and anoxic conditions caused, for the most
part, by overflows from combined sewer systems, which are not addressed by exis-
ting programs. Resolution of all identified problems and restoration of all
uses will not be accomplished in any of the U.S. Class A Areas of Concern in
the near term. Continued long term operation of existing programs is expected
to result in attainment of uses is four areas. Loading reductions and eventual
partial attainment is expected in all areas. But, in eleven areas, continua-
tion of existing programs will not be adequate to ensure full use attainment.
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REGION ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 2
AIR
Air quality problems are clustered into three priority categories (1, 2 and 3)
using population exposed and air quality levels and trends as ranking criteria.
A detailed identification of the counties involved are contained in Attachment
A. The following are the most significant air quality problems in Region V:
Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3
°03 nonattainment "03 nonattainment Counties (106) "TSP I S02 Secondary
target areas (8) "TSP nonattainment Counties (51) nonattainment areas
"TSP nonattainment °CO nonattainment Counties (12) "RERP's needing Fed-
target areas (7) "S02 nonattainment Counties (18) era! Approval (7)
"CO maintenance areas (7) "Industrial Radiation Sites (9)
"S02 primary nonattainment
areas (8)
°NOX nonattainment
areas (1)
"Lead nonattainment
areas (2)
"Industrial Radiation Site
(1), RERP's needing Re-
gional Approval (2fi)
"Acid Rain - emerging
'°Air Toxics - emerging
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riers towards improving air quality were identified and appropriate remedial
actions developed for these six areas. Environmental management results plan-
ning packages will be developed at a later date for the remaining criteria
pollutant problem areas.
Six priority 1 target were selected as focal points for environmental management
results efforts. Specific barriers towards improving air quality were identi-
fied and appropriate remedial actions developed for these areas:
Ozone: Chicago/NW Indiana/SE Wisconsin
Detroit
Milwaukee
TSP: Chicago/NW Indiana
Detroit
Cleveland
Specific barriers and actions are also described for Air Toxics.
OZONE
Overview of Environmental Problem
The most significant Regional ozone problems occur in the Chicago/NW Indiana/
.SE Wisconsin, Detroit and Milwaukee areas. Extensions of the attainment dates
for the ozone standard to 1987 have been requested for these areas.
Exceedances of the ambient Ozone standard are attributable to Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX). The major VOC emitters are in-
dustrial processes and motor vehicles. The major NOX sources are combustion
processes and motor vehicles.
A number of VOC emission control programs have been implemented, including con-
trols on evaporate sources and mobile source emissions. The two most effective
control programs have been the implementation of RACT and the FMVCP. The FMVCP
is expected to reduce total VOC emissions by approximately 20 percent in Region
V. The application of RACT for industrial sources will produce decreases in
total VOC emissions of approximately 25 percent.
The transport of ozone and its precursors (VOC and NOX) is a major Regional con-
cern. The impact of transported ozone is particularly significant in the South-
ern Lake Michigan area where the urbanized areas of Chicago/NW Indiana and Mil-
waukee are in close proximity. Available data indicate that precursor emissions
in the Chicago area may lead to high ozone concentrations in excess of the
Ozone standard in Kenosha and Racine Counties, Wisconsin.
Principal Barriers and Actions
The primary difficulty in dealing with the ozone nonattainment problem in Region
V is the disaggregated nature of the VOC emission inventory. While there are
numerous large sources of VOC, a significant portion of the inventory is com-
posed of small sources. There are thousands of these relatively small VOC
sources that individually are not significant, but which in the aggregate con-
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tribute significantly to the ozone problem. The very nature of the ozone pro-
blem makes management efforts to attain air quality standards and enforce
emission controls very complex.
Other barriers to reducing the ozone problem involve inadequate and/or unapprov-
ed attainment strategies (SIPs); uncertainity about the status of the statutory
requirement for Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) in the areas with extensions;
and, delay in development of final RACT III Control Technique Guidelines (CTGs)
by USEPA.
Barriers:
1. Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan submitted final and draft.1982
Ozone SIPS for the NE Illinois, NW Indiana, SE Wisconsin, Detroit and
Milwaukee areas. Due to several major noted deficiencies, including
adequate modeling demonstrations deviations in the areas of stationary
source emission control commitments; gasoline dispensing facilities through
put exemption; transportation control measures and emission inventories,
EPA is proposing disapproval of these SIPs. It is anticipated that the
States will protect these disapprovals resulting in significant delay in
adoption by the States of needed modifications to the SIPs.
2. The EPA approved the 1979 Ozone SIP for Northeastern Illinois, Northwestern
Indiana, Detroit and'Milwaukee on the grounds that they meet certain I/M
implementation schedule dates. The States have failed to meet these key
dates. This delay in the implementation of the I/M program has hindered
progress toward further ozone reductions.
3. Delay in development of final RACT III control techniques guidelines by
EPA is resulting in a delay by Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan
to develop control regulations for these sources and, therefore, in a
delay in implementation of the control by industry.
4. Reluctance of Illinois and Indiana to accept responsibility for significant
ozone exceedances in Southeastern Wisconsin (Kenosha and Racine Counties)
is delaying development of control strategies sufficient to correct this
problem. Ozone exceedances observed in Southeastern Wisconsin during 1979
through 1981 were as high or higher than those observed in Northeastern
Illinois. Analysis of Wisconsin ozone data and available meteorological
data indicate that these high exceedances are due primarily to VOC and NOx
emissions in the Chicago/NW Indiana urban area. Illinois and Indiana are
not committed to control VOC emissions to a level sufficient to attain the
ozone standard in Racine and Kenosha Counties. Illinois' position is that
SE Wisconsin is outside its air quality control region. Indiana claims
that EPA's position is based on limited meteorological data. Similarly,
the Wisconsin monitoring data used in the 1982 SIP have raised some
questions over the magnitude and extent of the ozone problem caused by the
precursor emissions from the Milwaukee area. Due to quality assurance-
questions, Wisconsin chose to ignore high ozone concentrations observed in
Sheboygan County which is typically downwind from Milwaukee on high ozone
days. Although EPA-approves this action based on the quality assurance
questions, it is not known whether or not high concentrations did actually
occur here. In addition, Wisconsin's monitoring system suffers from a
critical coverage gap, between fifteen and forty kilometers, downwind from
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the Milwaukee urban area where high ozone concentrations may be expected
based on observation in other urban areas. It is possible that ozone
problems will persist in the Sheboygan County area due to a failure to
consider potentially high ozone standard exceedances.
5. Rulemaking in Illinois is the responsiblity of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board (IPCB). The IPCB is an independent body subject to statu-
tory procedures established by legislation. There is no effective mecha-
nism for requiring the IPCB to complete its rulemaking procedures in a
timely manner. As a result of IPCB's lengthy procedures, Illinois was
unable to submit RACT II regulations or a sufficient commitment to adopt
RACT III measures on schedule. Therefore, EPA proposed to disapprove the
1982 Ozone SIP. Additionally, EPA is concerned that the IPCB will not be
able to adopt regulations governing other major sources of VOC emissions
within the required time periods. All efforts to date have failed to
convince the IPCR to adopt required regulations on time.
6. Michigan has generally failed to submit detailed compliance schedules for
sources subject to VOC rules. This lack of compliance schedules will
interfere with enforcement activities.
7. Wisconsin has fully approved RACT I and II and has indicated that it will
adopt RACT III and -IV. Wisconsin needs to enforce interim RACT emission
levels or a slippage of final compliance dates may result and would inter-
fere with "reasonable further progress.
8. Inadequate source compliance data from Wisconsin does not provide informa-
tion which documents or supports the compliance statements made by the
State or Federal compliance reporting mechanism. For example, recent
lists prepared by a WDNR of all major (greater than 100 tons per year)
VOC emitters subject to the RACT regulations do not indicate when the
final compliance plan was received, what compliance approach the source
chose, whether the state accepted or rejected those plans, nor does it
indicate the subject progress lines within the sources. Also, further
improvements are delayed because the largest emitters of VOC are covered
by extensions or their final compliance data which have not arrived.
9. Wisconsin does not have a clear understanding of what EPA will approve for
variances from RACT requirements, especially in the area of high solids
and water based coatings, an area in which technology improvements have
not progressed as rapidly as expected. This has resulted in a level of
uncertainty and delay in the development of an overall control strategy in
the State.
10. Fiscal conditions are limiting both the ability and willingness of indus-
tries in the area to install needed VOC emission controls. In addition,
reduced staffing and funding at the States of Wisconsin and Michigan has
limited their ability to inspect emission sources and to enforce State
and local regulations.
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State Actions:
1. Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan should submit final 1982 SIPs
that adequately address IISEPA's comments.
2. Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan should submit approvable vehicle
I/M components of'their SIPs.
3. Illinois and Indiana should accept responsibility for significant ozone
exceedances in Southeastern (Kenosha and Racine Counties) Wisconsin and
commit to the VOC control level needed to attain the ozone standard in
Southeasten Wisconsin. It is likely that Illinois and Indiana will need
to implement stage II vapor recovery in order to achieve the necessary VOC
control.
4. Michigan, Illinois and Indiana should adopt and submit draft RACT III and
major non CTG VOC control regulations for preliminary EPA review.
5. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin should develop a joint enforce-
ment effort with local pollution control agencies, and EPA to address the
large number of sources of VOC in the problem area. Enforcement agencies
should meet to allocate enforcement responsibility categories contributing
to the ozone problem.
6. Michigan should implement a voluntary self-auditing program for industries
in Detroit, or accept increased EPA inspections of industrial sources to
supplement their inspection programs.
Federal Actions:
1. Review final 1982 SIP submittals, and public comments on the notices of
proposed rulemaking and prepare as expeditiously as practicable the final
technical support documents and final rulemaking. As deficiencies are
noted, work with the States to correct these deficiencies.
2. Review ozone monitoring system for the Milwaukee area to determine if
modifications are necessary to eliminate the previously noted barrier
concerning the monitoring gap between Milwaukee and Sheboygan. Develop a
mutually acceptable schedule for modification to the monitoring system.
3. If the vehicle I/M component of the Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and
Michigan SIPs are disapproved and determined to be a major SIP deficiency,
• work with the States to expedite implementation of the I/M program.
4. Negotiate with Michigan to obtain an acceptable schedule for submission of
the detailed RACT I Compliance schedule containing increments of progress.
5. Development of final RACT III CTGs by USEPA: See Part C, "Headquarters
Actions."
6. If Illinois and Indiana fail to commit to the VOC control level needed to
attain the ozone standard in Southeastern Wisconsin (Kenosha and Racine
Counties) and this is determined to be a major SIP deficiency, work with
the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to resolve interstate ozone
transport issues.
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7. Track Illinois anH Indiana's progress in adopting and submitting RACT II,
III, and major non-CTG VOC source regulations. Encourage States to submit
draft regulations for preliminary review. Itemize and not deficiencies
while regulations are" in draft stage and bring them to the State's atten-
tion.
8. Encourage a joint enforcement effort by the States, local pollution control
agencies, and EPA to address the large number of sources of VOC in the
problem area. Enforcement agencies should meet to allocate enforcement
responsibility and prioritize resources to cover the entire range of VOC
source categories contributing to the ozone problem.
9. Encourage implementation of voluntary self-auditing programs for industries
in Northwest Indiana and Detroit. Alternatively, increase EPA inspections
of industrial sources with the cooperation of the States to supplement the
States inspection program.
10. Encourage Wisconsin to enforce interim RACT emission levels and if neces-
sary work with the State to develop a priority enforcement list by facil-
ity or source category.
11. EPA should send Section 114 letters seeking specific information on the
compliance status of those sources identified in the Wisconsin SIP as
needing to reduce emissions. In addition the State should assist EPA
identifing all major VOC sources violating RACT requirements. After major
violating VOC sources have been identified, the State and EPA should
explore procedures to expedite enforcement activity at these sources.
12. EPA and Wisconsin need to agree to joint compliance activities for the
major coating operations. *\n interagency workgroup should he formed to
evaluate the final compliance plans and to establish processing and track-
ing procedures for variance requests. This workgroup should be provided
with all appropriate Headquarters guidance on variance approval require-
ments.
Headquarters Actions Requested
1. Headquarters should develop more useful criteria for a State to use to
demonstrate that emissions from sources in another State adversely affect
it.
2. Headquarters should encourage continuous compliance by stationary sources
through research into establishing source-specific operating standards
and guidance.
3. Headquarters should work closely with the Congress to get a clear resolu-
tion of the pending Clean Air Act Amendments concerning the status of I/M.
4. Headquarters should develop an equitable approach on the part of EPA in
dealing with each State which does not have an inspection and maintenance
program included in the SIP. This should include consideration of States
which have made good faith efforts to implement I/M.
5. Headquarters should expedite final publication of the remaining RACT III
CTGs. Headquarters should also develop guidelines on available controls
for major non-CTG sources.
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6. Headquarters should develop recommendations for Stage II Vapor Control
Recovery Programs.
TOTAL SUSPENDED RETICULATE
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Persistent TSP violations are concentrated in the most highly industrialized
portions of the populated urban areas in Region V. The most severe and urgent.
TSP problems occur in steel making areas of Chicago/NW Indiana, Detroit, and
Cleveland. The major causes of the persistent TSP problems are industrial
process and fugitive emissions. Other factors are elevated background levels
as well as emissions resulting from urban activities, including blowing (non-
traditional) dust from roadways, parking lots, and construction sites.
An important issue is the projected institution of a new inhalable particulate
standard. While this issue is pending, both the regulatory agencies and
industry are uncertain as to what control strategies will be necessary. In
addition, while enforcement of existing and pending reasonably available
control technology is likely to result in some further reductions in particulate
pmissions, the application and enforcement of more stringent controls may be
required in certain areas.
Principal Barriers and Actions:
Barriers to reducing the extent of the Regional particulate problem involve un-
certanties resulting from the proposed change to the inhalable particulate
standard; lack of accurate up-to-date emission data for major sources which
hinders the regulatory agencies' knowledge of compliance status of sources;
lack of emission data for fugitive emission sources which hinders the ability
nf regulatory agencies to develop air pollution control strategies and take en-
forcement actions; and, delays in final approval of consent degrees which impede
implementation of a source's control program. These barriers along with fiscal
conditions have limited both the ability and willingness of industries to in-
stall needed controls. Also, reduced staffing levels at State and local air
pollution control agencies has limited the regulatory agencies' ability to
inspect and enforce the standards/regulations.
Barriers:
1. Several conditionally approved SIP items in Michigan and in Ohio, related
to the overall control strategies for the iron and steel industry, were to
he satisfied by December 31, 1982. Both State's current schedules for
obtaining adoption of the revised rules for several of these conditions
will not meet EPA's deadline. In addition, Michigan's one remaining
disapproval item needs to be resolved concerning the mass limit rule for
sinter plants. This is the only point sources limit on which EPA and the
State of Michigan have not reached agreement. These delays in the resolu-
tion of the conditional approval items and final point source limit rule
• will hinder progress toward further TSP emission reduction.
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2. The Lake County Indiana TSP (including fugitive dust) SIP is currently not
approved. Indiana has not submitted a complete modeling demonstration as
requested by EPA. Until the Lake County TSP Plan is approved, as an acctable
Part D Plan, the Region will enforce the existing federally-approved SIP,
and Lake County will continue to have growth sanction's in place.
3. Northern Porter County (Indiana) has been redesignated primary TSP non-
attainment. Legal challenge by the State and industry to the Porter County
redesignation may delay the State's development of an attainment plan for
that area.
4. Illinois' regulation for blast furnace casthouses and operating permits
for coke oven pushing; Indiana's opacity and coke oven pushing regulation;
and Ohio's new rule for coke quenching do not represent RACT. If these
rules are disapproved, the TSP SIPs may be deficient (less than RACT) in
some respects.
5. Indiana has committed to perform studies of non-traditional fugitive dust
sources and their control. Drafts of these studies have been submitted to
EPA, but have been finalized. Similarly, Ohio has recently submitted to
EPA a letter and documentation addressing the State's non-traditional
fugitive dust sources and their control. This data does not satisfactorily
fulfill Ohio's commitment to study these sources. EPA's final rulemaking
action on Michigan's Fugitive Dust Regulations did not contain a date by
which the specific sources' fugitive dust control program would be submit-
ted to EPA. Although Michigan is working to develop these programs a
final deadline needs to be set. Delay in the submittal to EPA of the
Fugitive Oust Regulations will result in a delay in implementation of
these controls by industry.
6. The Cleveland local air pollution control agency is presently backlogged
evaluating compliance plans for fugitive dust source permits. This backlog
results in less-than-adequate identification of fugitive dust sources.
7. The Gary and East Chicago pollution control agencies have been delegated
formerly State held enforcement responsibilities at steel plants effective
January 1, 1983, but lack experience in these functions. A lapse in
enforcement may therefore be inevitable.
State Actions:
1. Fugitive Dust Actions:
- Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio should develop emission inventories
for potentially significant fugitive sources in order to determine
which sources need control programs.
- Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio should develop fugitive dust
program elements for each major source requiring a program.
_ Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio should determine compliance status
of all sources with fugitive dust programs.
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- 40 -
- Indiana should submit final non-traditional dust studies and indicate
their potential for adequate emission reductions.
2. Compliance Activities
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana should identify current list of
violating sources and prepare detailed compliance schedules for all
major source violators.
- Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana should assure that all major
sources in their target areas are inspected annually and indicate
whether compliance has been maintained since the last inspection.
3. Air Monitoring and Data Analysis Activities:
- Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana should implement new monitoring
locations including PM-10 monitors, in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and
NW Indiana areas.
4. Regulatory Actions:
- Michigan should submitt additional SIP submittals for iron and steel.
- Michigan should submit fugitive dust permits.
- Illinois should submit blast furnace casthouse rules and operating
permits for coke oven pushing.
- Indiana should submit opacity and coke pushing regulations.
- Ohio should submit new rule for coke quenching.
Federal Actions:
1. EPA must take final action on Ohio's Part D TSP SIP. Several disapprovals
may make Ohio's TSP SIP deficient. If EPA disapproves the TSP SIP, EPA
will provide specific guidance to this State on how to resolve the
deficiencies in the plan.
2. Fugitive Dust Actions:
- netermine what sources in the Chicago, NW Indiana, Detroit and Cleveland
areas are subject to the fugitive dust regulations and which ones have
submitted control plans.
- Review the status of non-traditional studies and indicate their poten-
tial for adequate emission reduction for sources in Chicago, NW Indiana
and Cleveland areas.
3. Compliance Activities:
- Review current* list of violating sources, in the Chicago, Wayne County,
NW Indiana, and Cleveland areas; prepare detailed compliance schedules
for all major violators; and, indicate which sources are behind schedule.
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- Continue to work with Indiana and Lake County industry to obtain an
acceptable attainment demonstration for the Lake County non-attainment
area.
- Take final action on Indiana's opacity and coke oven rules.
- Resolve all legal challenges to the development of an attainment plan
for Porter County.
- Review air monitoring/emission tracking activities for the Chicago and
Wayne County areas.
- Develop rules for blast furnace casthouses requiring technology repre-
sentative of RACT. Develop federal rulemaking as soon as the casthouse
rules are submitted by Illinois.
- Encourage voluntary Environmental Auditing Program in the Chicago and
Detroit areas that will be directed at improving overall compliance.
Headquarters Actions Requested:
Headquarters needs to expedite its decision-making on a proposed inhalable
particulate standard and promulgate any new standards as expeditiously as
possible.
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- 43 -
AIR TOXICANTS
Overview of Environmental Problem
Numerous facilities exist in Region V with actual and potential emissions of
air toxicants. Many of these facilities are in proximity to large population
centers. In the case of NESHAPs sources, lead sources, and to some extent
for Benzo (a) pyrene from coke ovens, there is a modest grasp of the magnitude
of the impacts on human health and the environment. For other situations,
such-as large chemical manufacturing facilities, neither source nor ambient
data as yet exists to describe the problem in more than general terms.
The Region inspected and followed-up NESHAPs sources and identified 308 sources.
271 are in compliance or have been put on schedules, 1 is out of compliance, and
36 are of uncertain status and are scheduled for inspection this year.
Principal Barriers and Actions
Barriers:
The principal barriers to reducing air toxics emissions in Region V are as
follows:
1. Only a limited number of toxicants are regulated (4) or listed (7) under
Section 112 (NESHAPs). Only sulfuric acid mist has been regulated under
Section 111. The status of the listing process reflects the limits in the
technical data base for other chemicals, although that deficiency is gradu-
ally being remedied. In the absence of such regulation, potential air
toxicant emissions may be uncontrolled.
2. State and Region V staff members frequently have insufficient background
to define air toxicant problems or to devise control approaches. Except
for NESHAPs pollutants, specific manuals to assist staff in questions re-
garding air toxicant control, emission inventories, monitoring, modeling
and health effects are not yet available.
3. Waste oils containing hazardous wastes are presently allowed under certain
circumstances to be burned in boilers without violating RCRA rules. State
permits may apply, but the necessary technical evaluation frequently is a
difficult one. No guidance manual exists.
4. State agencies, with the Region's help, are developing air toxicant control
programs of their own. Given the substantial expense in toxicant monitor-
ing, risk assessment, etc., both State and Region programs are resource
limited.
5. There is a lack of ambient and source data for air toxicants. There is also
a shortage of appropriate monitoring equipment and a lack of experience with
using such existing equipment.
6. A dilemma is imposed by unregulated toxicants. Although we know that con-
trols for TSP and VOC will control associated toxicants to some degree, we
can not properly make use of such information. For example, in considering
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a bubble involving two sources with equal amounts of TSP but different
amounts of a non-NESHAPs toxicant, we are unable to legally separate one
from the other, even if potential health impacts may be involved.
7. The Region has not yet established a comprehensive facility listing of po-
tential air toxicant sources for dialogue and resource planning with the
States.
State/Federal Actions:
The Region has developed a regional air toxics strategy which is dedicated to
realizing the following items noted below:
1. The Region will increase attention to air toxics issues that cross program
boundaries by continuation of the Region's Toxics Air Emission Workgroup.
2. A State/Federal workshop will be held in the summer of 1983, which will
bring EPA experts and others to train State and regional personnel in air
toxicant monitoring, assessment, and control.
3. The Region and the State will jointly develop a short list of target facil-
ities for air toxicant problem definition.
4. The Region will support efforts by the States to define problems and to de-
vise controls with such resources at our disposal. "Limited inspection and
monitoring has been done by the Region at facilities with potential toxic
emissions. Request for additional effort is expected by State agencies.
Section 105 funds or enforcement resources will he recommended for use as
appropriate.
5. Staff assistance will be provided for dealing with air toxic issues in other
media; for example, seeking the sources of mercury found in northern Minne-
sota atmospheric deposition. Also staff will provide advice on atmospheric
impact from hazardous waste sites.
Headquarters Action Requested:
1. Headquarters needs to accelerate the program to list and regulate additional
pollutants under Section 112.
2. Headquarters needs to develop a manual on control technology for air toxi-
cants for use by State and regional personnel and for presentation at the
workshop. Funding sources for the Region's initial proposal on this item
should be sought.
3. Headquarters needs to develop a manual for use in evaluating permits involv-
ing use of waste oils in boilers. A regional proposal has been developed
for this purpose using Ohio as a pilot.
4. A national focus is needed for air toxics, especially as related to those
polutants which are not yet regulated under NESHAPs.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
PART 2
LAND
No attempt was made to rank or cluster these problems across the medium.
The Superfund NPL is a prioritization system in itself and the pesticides
program has a ranking of the most significant problems by State.
The environmental problems for the medium center around the handling and/or
mishandling of waste materials. The most significant problem for the hazardous
waste management program is gaining control of hazardous waste handling
processes. The Superfund program has the ranked National Priority List (NPL)
and the toxics program must address the handling and disposal of PCBs and
substances such ^s asbestos. The pesticides program problems range from handl-
ing an application to grounrlwater contamination.
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. - 46 -
HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Overview of Environmental Problem:
The most significant problem for the hazardous waste management program is
the uncontrolled management of hazardous wastes by waste handlers.
The problem results from the growth of the chemicals and synthetics industries.
It was compounded by a burgeoning, low-material-cost, discard oriented economy ,
and the lack of any specific, environmentally-based Federal hazardous waste laws
or regulatory programs to enforce good and consistent practices by industry.
The RCRA programs are still being developed at the Federal and State levels;
they are setting standards, staffing up, training, developing policy, develop-
ing data bases, and most importantly, obtaining public acceptance and industry
compliance. These factors act in combination on the regulatory system, and
because of its newness, cause it to be in a fragile condition.
The Public has demanded instant, incisive action to mitigate or eliminate all
hazardous waste problems—at no personal cost or discomfort and with no risk
whatsoever to the individual or community.
Barriers:
1. Time to develop an operating history for permit issuance, compliance
monitoring, or enforcement. The decisions to be made and actions to
be taken are precedential, rather than routine. Outcomes of permits
or enforcement actions have not been many, and have not had sufficient
time-in-place to demonstrate their viability as solutions.
2. The States have experienced austerity budget cutbacks, and personnel
freezes, each of which limits their ability to provide matching funds. Fewer
State program staff are available to assist the Region in permitting
work; this also could delay a State in seeking and obtaining authorization
for its hazardous waste programs.
3. Time for issuance of permits. It may take as long as 6 months for filing
and 6 months for processing. Control of portions of this time is out of
the Region's control.
4. Maintaining and developing sufficient, permittable treatment, storage
and disposal capacity, based upon the combination of existing facilities
and new facility proposals.
5. Siting of facilities to satisfy criteria and public demand. The public has
been supportive of efforts under RCRA, as long as wastes are not handled,
treated, stored or disposed near their homes.
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- 47 -
State/Federal Actions:
1. Continue close coordination in processing permit applications, as well as
in other aspects of the program. Impact time frames where possible.
2. Be cognizant of public concerns, but do not compromise where regulatory
intent would be compromised or circumvented.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Provide timely assistance to facilitate decion-making and the permitting
process. Recognize that it will take several years to accumulate and
interpret data into ambient terms.
2. Issue regulations and guidance in a timely fashion.
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- 48 -
REMEDIAL PROGRAM (SUPERFUND)
Overview of Environmental Problem:
There are 99 NPL sites in the Region. Ninety-five (95) of these sites pose
threats to groundwater and 51 pose threats to the Region's surface waters.
Nine (9) sites pose potential threats to the air.
Barriers:
1. 10% match by States required.
2. Technical needs are evolving and disposal options are often limited. A
great amount of time is required to assess the extent of contamination to
develop optimal mitigative steps.
State/Federal Actions:
• ^
1. Complete cooperative agreement or State/EPA contract as required.
2. Provide necessary fundings.
3. Oversee implementation and operation and maintenance,
4. Negotiate settlements/pursue litigation.
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TOXICS
Overview of Environmental Problem:
PCBs
Almost half of the facilities inspected under the PCB inspection program have
been found to be in violation of the regulations. The most common violations
are improper storage and disposal of used PCB oils and allowing PCBs to enter
the environment. There are approximately 8,000 facilities in the Region subject
to the PCB regulations.
There is only one landfill in the Region permitted to accept PCBs for disposal.
No incinerators for destroying PCBs are located in the Region, although Sun
Ohio is operating a mobile PCB detoxification unit. The shortage of disposal
means has resulted in prolonged storage and improper disposal.
PCB contamination of the environment has occurred in Waukegan Harbor, in the
sediments and in a nearby drainage ditch. Samples from the area have been
measured to be as high as 25 percent PCRs. Other areas where PCB contamination
has been identified are Green Bay and Ashtabula Harbor. Cleaning up these sites
will be both technically difficult and expensive because of the large amounts
of contaminated sediments that must be either disposed of or detoxified.
Asbestos
Approximately 62 percent, or 1,476 of the schools found with asbestos have not
performed any abatement work to control the friable asbestos material. The
biggest factor affecting whether schools voluntarily correct asbestos problems
is funding. Since nearly every school has financial problems, available funds
are used for normal, routine maintenance, rather than correcting asbestos
problems.
Non-regulated Toxics
Identifying and resolving toxic substances-related problems for which specific
regulations do not exist is a problem. Complaints about health problems
associated with products which contain formaldehyde such as ureaformaldehyrie
foam insulation, plywood, particle board and other home furnishings are fre-
quently received.- Although it has been documented that these items' can have
an adverse effect on people's health because these items release formaldehyde,
only the insulation product is regulated.
At the present time no Federal agency has been granted jurisdiction over indoor
air pollution where people are exposed to elevated levels of formaldehyde, as
well as other pollutants. Since most Americans spend the majority of their
time indoors, indoor air pollution can have a significant effect on their health.
Additional work needs to be done to assess the effect of indoor pollution on
health. ' '
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- 50 -
Barriers;
1. Confusion concerning the PCB regulations and shortage of disposal facilities
Better laboratory capability and reliability. Duplicative analytical proce-
dures to test for PCBs are also needed.
2. Lack of regulations to cover the toxicants such as formaldehyde.
3. Local funding to implement asbestos resolution programs.
State/Federal Actions
1. Continue to integrate toxic programs to maximise resources.
2. Provide technical assistance to local agencies.
Headquarters Actions
1. Ensure clarity in regulations and guidelines.
2. Provide RflO for methods of dpstroying toxic chemicals.
3. Provide for QA/OC for laboratories doing toxic substances analysis.
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- 51 -
PESTICIDES
Overview of Environmental Problem:
All region V States, except Ohio, have Cooperative Enforcement Agreements
with the Region. The States as part of the grant process, rank pesticide
problems in establishing enforcement priorities. This ranking is:
Problem Areas Region-wide:
Priorities based on State Ranking
1. Pesticide drift and overspray
2. Improper handling storage, and runoff
3. Structural application/residential
4. Aerial application
"5. Pesticide container disposal
6. Groundwater protection
7. Unlicensed applicators
8. Farmworker exposure
9. Right-of-way application
10. Licensed Dealers
11. Pesticide odor complaints
State Ranking
II
1
3
2
IN
3
1-
2
4
MI
1
4
2
3
5
MN
1
2
4
4
3
WI
2
1
3
4
OH
2
6
1
4
3
5
Barri ers:
1. Lack of State legislation and rules providing a wide range of adequate
enforcement options.
2. Lack of sufficient funding and personnel.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Continue to provide training for personnel, field and case preparation
staff. Continue training programs for State pesticide laboratory
personnel.
2. Continue funding for cooperative enforcement and applicator certification
agreements.
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- 52 -
Headquarters Actions:
1. A recommitment to conduct Label Improvement Programs, especially in
areas of pesticide disposal and storage, aerial and ground application
technology in areas of drift, and structural pest control.
2. Reinstatement of an active classification of pesticides program.
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- 53 -
SPILL RESPONSE PROGRAM
Overview of Environmental Problem;
The most frequently spilled products, reaching land and/or wate, in addition
to oil and petroleum products are:
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)
Ammonia (fertilizer and anhydrous)
Acid (sulfric and hydrochloric)
Solvents
Sodium hydroxide
Chlorine
Phenol
These products can cause great damages to the environment and can pose threats
to human health.
Barriers:
1. The major obstacle facing spill response is the unpredictability of spills.
Secondary to the unpredictability of spills is the difficulty in the develop-
ment and implementation of procedures to effectively respond to oil/chemical
spills.
2. Awareness and attitudes toward spill prevention programs.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Develop a workable response plan which incorporates:
- effective communication network
- well-trained response personnel
- well-maintained equipment and vehicles
- Regional/State cooperation
2. Provide for training nf personnel.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Develop a reasonable list of reportable quantities of spilled hazardous
materials under CERCLA. For example, if anyone spills over 1 pound of
asbestos (listed in Section 112 of the Clean Air Act), it is required to
be reported to the National Response Center (NRC).
2. Develop SPCC regulations which address hazardous materials.
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- 54 -
3. Develop a cost effectve spill prevention program. Effective spill preven-
tion is as important as efficient spill response.
4. Ensure that funding -mechanisms for State programs are maintained.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
Regional water quality problems result in impaired water uses and impacts on
public health. The Region has identified priority problems which require
Agency and State actions to achieve the goals of the Clean Water Act. The States
are developing priority water body lists during FY'83 to aid them in planning
future efforts. This section of the EMR will discuss Regional water quality
problems clustered into three priority groups, keeping in mind the development
of the priority water body lists. These priority groups reflect geographic and
programmatic issues.
Priority 1
0 Dioxin and toxic materials related problem areas (focus on Midland, MI
and Sauget, IL)
Implementation of the pretreatment program and second round permit issuance
0 Control of volatile synthetic organic contamination in drinking waters
In situ organic pollutants (Waukegan harbor, IL; Fields Brook and Ashtabula
River, OH; Sheboygan River, WI; Chicago River-North Branch, IL)
0 Water supply compliance
Control of oxygen depleting discharges (i.e. maintain high rates of munici-
pal compliance through construction grants, permits and enforcement)
0 Development and implementation of the permits program for underground
injection control systems
Priority 2
0 PCBs in Lake Michigan fish and sediments
0 Toxics in the Fox River, WI
0 Nonpoint discharges to Lake Erie in NW Ohio
0 Disposal of contaminated sludges (Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, IN;
Detroit, MI)
0 Ground water degradation - Michigan; Central Sands area, WI)
0 Combined sewer overflows (513 systems)
0 In situ inorganic pollutants (Ashtabula River, OH; Indiana Harbor and
Grand Calumet River, IN; Menominee and Fox Rivers, WI; St. Louis River, MN)
Priority 3
o
o
o
0 Nutrients and bacteria
0 Nonpoint discharges - SE Minnesota
Cultural eutrophication and loss of wetlands (S. Michigan; SE Wisconsin;
Twin Cities, MN)
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DISCHARGE OF TOXIC MATERIALS
Overview of Environmental Problem:
The evaluation and control of toxicant's has received attention because of the
organic chemical contamination of fish and other aquatic life and resulting
mammal contamination. Sport and commercial fishing bans or advisories result-
ed from DDT and PCB in Lake Michigan; from mercury in Lake St. Clair and
lakes in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin; and from PCB in the Fox, Wabash,
Sheboygan, Mississippi and other rivers. Significant levels of chlorinated
dioxins, PCB, dibenzofurans, etc., have been identified in fish eating birds
in Green Bay and Saginaw Bay.
Barriers:
1. A principal barrier to implementing an effective water use impairment
toxicant control program is the lack of available data and the shortage
of adequately qualified staff. Also, there is a reluctance by States,
Region, and Headquarters to address the localized toxicant issues because
of the difficulty and the complexity of the work required. There continues
to be the tendency to work on conventional pollutants since they are
easier to define and analyze.
2. While national effluent guidelines are or will be available for a limited
number of national priority pollutants, they do not cover many toxicants
that are causing or may cause significant local water or sludge use
impairments. Also the previous national ambient monitoring program has
not addressed and is not now addressing significant local or Regional
toxicants other than a limited number of previously banned pesticides,
and little data have been or are being developed on residues of toxicants
in fish tissue, sediment, or water. In addition, ORD and Effluent
Guidelines have been very reluctant to make their existing local indus-
trial sampling data available to the States.
3. The cost and complexity of analyses and the need for methods and protocols
for sample analyses in the sub parts per trillion range limits the number
of samples that can be analyzed, Regionally and nationally.
State/Federal Actions:
1. EPA place an increased emphasis on addressing toxicants that are causing
or may cause significant human health or environmental damage through the
impositions of permit limits with technology based effluent limits.
2. Develop specific monitoring schedule to ensure compliance with permit
limitations.
3. An acceptance by management that by focusing on high potential toxicant
industries/municipalities, other parts of EPA/State programs will be
downplayed and that this may be questioned by the public.
4. Strong National/Regional/State direction to require more adequate coor-
dination and cooperative effort between the several media to address
joint problems, to prevent transfer of problems between media, and to
share development of information.
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- 57 -
5. Implement priority water bodies so that permit and standards activities
focus on industrial dischargers.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Place an increased emphasis on addressing toxicants that are causing
or may cause significant human health or environmental damage by providing
technical and administrative assistance to permit writers.
2. Transmit to States/Regions site specific technical information from
within the national EPA programs (ORO, Effluent Guidelines, etc.)
3. Ensure that remaining Effluent Guidelines for direct and indirect dischar-
gers are published on schedule and do not contain language prohibiting or
interferring with the development of site specific limitations to address
local water use - water quality issues.
4. Emphasize priority water bodies approach to water quality management and
pollution control.
5. Continue providing support to national dioxin initiative providing intra-
Agency dialogue and with Congress.
6. Continue supporting development of sampling and analytical protocols for
toxicants.
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- 58 -
CHEMICAL AND/OR BIOLOGICALLY CAUSED IMPAIRMENTS
Overview of Environmental Problem;
Approximately 65 percent of the major rivers in the Region experienced moder-
ate to severe water quality problems associated with nutrient or bacterial
levels. Less than 15 percent of the major Regional rivers experienced prob-
lems associated with elevated ammonia levels.
Information on biological indicators of water quality conditions is much less
extensive than for more traditional chemical indicators.
Specific biological information exists for less than 20 percent of the
Region's river miles. Of those river miles for which information is avail-
able, approximately 30 percent have moderate water quality problems.
Fish flesh contamination and fish kills continue to be a problem in Region V
States, but there currently are insufficient data to make a meaningful trend
analysis. The latest 305(b) reports do indicate areas within each State
where health advisories are issued in conjunction with suspected fish flesh
contamination.
Barriers:
1. Ability to assess river stretches for use impairment by utilization or
biological indicators is highly resource limited.
2. Federal and State resources are not sufficient to abate all water quality
problems at once. Limited resources as compared to the magnitude of
problems to be solved, require establishment of priorities for resource
utilization. Consequently decisions to abate a given problem here and
now, is also a decision to defer solution of another problem to some
later date. Such decisions can be, and often are, highly controversial
and subject to multiple review.
State/Federal Actions:
1. States define water quality goals by setting appropriate standards for
thei r waters.
2. Negotiate resource priorities to accomodate the increased need to assess
biological factors and to collect and utilize biological information to
determine attainable uses.
3. Develop and implement, as appropriate, mechanisms of correlating in-stream
water quality improvement to specific point/non-point compliance actions.
4. Negotiate monitoring resource priorities sufficient to track water quality
improvements related to significant compliance actions of selected, key
points in each State.
5. Expand analytical capabilities to include a full range of bio-monitoring
and toxic pollutants in standards revisions.
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- 59 -
fi. Region review and approve state water quality standards revisions and
assist the states in analyzing use attainability.
7. Continue development of local pretreatment programs and incorporate them
into permits.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Continue to stress the need for adequate biological components in attain-
ability analysis.
2. Develop example programs demonstrating potential mechanisms for correlat-
ing in-stream water quality improvements to specific point/non-point
compliance actions.
3. Assign high priority in national program guidance materials to the need
for ambient monitoring activities tracking water quality improvements
related to significant compliance actions at selected key points on each
State.
4. Finalize revision of selected water quality criteria documents and include
guidance on how to interpret and implement criteria.
5. Adapt and test less resource intensive protocols, such as the chemical
fate model and possibly toxicity factor models for use in developing sit*3
specifics criteria.
6. Provide technical assistance to the Region V and States on the use of the
organism testing protocol and biological loading model,, validated in
FY'82 and '83.
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-60-
NON-POINT SOURCE DISCHARGES
Overview of Environmental Problems:
Agricultural activities increase the background amounts of runoff, sediment,
nutrients, organic matter, pathogens, and toxic materials being delivered to
both surface water and groundwater systems. High nutrient loadings, acceler-
ated sedimentation, and the delivery of residual pesticides to the Region's
waters are most frequently mentioned as the primary agricultural related
water quality problems.
High sediment loads in the Region's surface waters, derived from agricultural
lands adversely impact aquatic life. A significant amount of reservoir
storage capacity is lost each year due to sedimentation. For example, in
Illinois over 8,000 acre-feet of storage capacity is lost each year due to
sedimentation.
Related to direct sediment load impacts, agricultural non-point sources
contribute to high nutrient loadings which could offset the loading reductions
achieved through point source controls. As an example, phosphorus, which is
frequently the limiting nutrient in terms of eutrophication, is strongly
adsorbed to easily eroded clay soil particles. In most cases, more than
90 percent of the total phosphorus reaching a stream from agricultural
land will be adsorbed-to soil particles.
In addition to high nutrient loadings, residual pesticides also adhere to
eroded soil particles. High levels of persistent organochlorine insecticides
have been documented in lakes in Region V which have watersheds comprised
predominantly of agricultural land uses. Replacement compounds for the
chlorinated hydrocarbons are less persistent but potentially more toxic to
fish; as a result, the incidence of related fish kills has increased.
Barriers:
1. Lack of recognition of non-point sources as a major cause of water
pollution problems.
2. Verification of non-point source problems is very resource intensive and
long term.
3. Responsibility for abatement and control is not well defined at any level.
4. The nature of non-point source discharges - air and water carried pollut-
ants - makes control that much more difficult.
5. Identification of critical watersheds impeded by geo-political or resource
considerations.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Complete and implement non-point source control strategies (this is State
specific depending on extent of state involvement).
2. Ensure that the priority water body lists include areas where non-point
source controls are necessary to achieve the designated uses.
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-61-
3. Update Water Quality Management Plans and use them as management tools to
analyze and store data, consider alternatives and promote effective decision
maki ng.
4. Provide for implementation of State strategies by designated management
agencies.
5. Provide for inter-agency cooperation to maximize resources.
6. Provide inventory and status of non-point source activities.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Provide recognition to significance of non-point source problems and
provide leadership in establishing Agency's role.
2. Coordinate at national level with other involved agencies to effect
unified approach.
3. Issue technical guidance on statistical methods for determining the proba-
bility of non-point source impacts.
4. Issue final technical guidance on screening, identifying and updating pro-
gress on water quality-limited segments.
5. Provide aasistance on the use of the River Reach file and aquatic life
survey tp help organize information on water bodies.
6. Develop guidance on approaches for defining cause and effect relationships.
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OXYGEN DEPLETING DISCHARGE
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Only two percent of the Region's rivers experienced severe dissolved oxygen
problems in 1981. However, 48 percent experienced moderate problems. Incre-
ased compliance with permit limits and improvements at treatment facilities
have effected dramatic improvements on the Cuyahoga, Black and Maumee Rivers
in Ohio and on Michigan's Grand River.
Barriers:
1. Many rivers are affected by both point and non-point sources of pollution
that deplete oxygen. It is a costly process to complete the major detailed
studies to analyze problems and determine appropriate action steps,
2. Coordination among State, Local and Federal agencies (EPA, DNR, AG, etc.,)
is cumbersome,
3. Lack of local funds to address problems,
4. Lack of use attainability analyses to show effects of streams not mppting
standards.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Hevelop priority water body list and use it to address prioritized areas.
2. Integrate program priorities across agency jurisdictions to provide for
corrdinated and effective inter-agency priority setting and funding.
3. Provide training to facilitate more timely State actions to increase
compliance rates.
4. Issue permits to cities and industries, including general permits, to
reduce the backlog of expired permits.
5. Revise current permit priority lists to reflect the priorities in the
policy for second round issuance of NPOES permits and the National Muni-
cipal Policy.
Headquarters Actions;
1. Provide leadership in recognizing the non-point source problem.
2. Provide inter-agency coordination at Headquarters level.
3. Develop and promulgate effluent guidelines for major industries.
4. Provide technical assistance to permit writers and develop prototype
general permit for specific categories of discharges.
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COMRINED SEUER OVERFLOWS
Overview of Environmental Problem;
A problem for many of the older municipalities is controlling and treating
combined sewer overflows (CSO). The 1982 needs survey indicates that there
are 513 combined sewer systems in Region V. Larger storm events cause by-
passes in the combined sewers to prevent damage to or upsets of treatment
plants. There are two problems associated with these overflows: 1) the
immediate contamination of surface waters from untreated sewage and 2) the
long-term pollution in the receiving water because solids settle to the
bottom and form sludge deposits. The CSO problem is complicated by the site
specific nature of the problem and each state treating the problem differently.
One indirect or surrogate measure of environmental impacts of CSO's is the
amount of dollar expenditures for projects to correct or abate CSO discharges,
such as the Agency's bi-annual Needs Survey. The 198? survey indicates a
potential estimated need of $11.8 billion for construction of CSO abatement
needs in the Region. This represents 33 percent of the total national CSO
needs. A breakdown of these needs, by State and by levels of control associ-
ated with meeting designated stream use classifications, is shown in Attach-
ment A.
Barriers:
1. There currently exists no definition of flow regime under which water
quality standards are applicable to wet weather flows. Low flow relief
is defined for flows less than the 7 Day/10 year flows. While this
recognizes that WQS cannot be expected to operate under unusually low
flow conditions, it is equally logical to establish high flow conditions
that are unusual, (e.g., during a 100 ypar storm where major river suspend-
ed solids include houses, cars, trees, etc., a typical suspended solids
standard is obviously inappropriate).
2. Due, in part, to the above, there has been no comprehensive policy
for issuance of NPOES permits Healing with CSO discharges. Those permits
that have been issued are generally done on a case-by-case basis frequent-
ly emanating from controversial situations. However, most CSO discharges
are not permitted with limits. Therefore, enforcement against the local
community is often lacking. Motivation for CSO projects are frequently
emanating from pressures other than pollution abatement (e.g., basement
flooding).
3. PG-61, the only guidance document by EPA which is utilized as the basis
for funding CSO projects, was not established on WOS or law but primarily
on an economic basis. The knee-of-the-curve maximizes removal of BOD and
similar pollutant indicators per dollar spent without making a direct
analysis on whether that level of treatment is more or less than necessary
for attainment of WO or benefits.
A. Definition of "significant water quality" problems tend to be indirect
with regard to many major CSO events, causing benthic loadings and
downstream impacts to impoundments which may be difficult to assess.
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Additional ly, CSO impacts are often masked by non-point source impacts.
5. Since the basis of many CSO activities include other objectives, they
result frequently in multi-purpose projects. The complexity of the multi-
purpose funding policy used by EPA opens many pitfalls for implementa-
tion, particularly since eligibility cannot be determined until the end
of the planning process.
6. Finally, since established EPA guidance in this area is minimal, many
decisions concerning C.SO projects are made on a case-by-case basis, and
in five States in this Region these decisions are made at the State level
through delegation. Therefore, it is anticipated that the project solu-
tions, impacts, and cost will tend to vary considerably from State to
State.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Complete water quality standards reviews/revisions and identify priority
water bodies. The priority water bodies in turn must be compared against
CSO discharge points to determine the magnitude of the problem in a given
area.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Provide National policy direction in contrast to the barriers cited above.
2. develop national policy for CSO dischargers for use in preparation of
NPDES permits.
3. Assist Regions on case-by-case basis in preparing options for CSO manage-
ment.
4. Prepare a national policy for CSO that assesses the impact of benthic
loading and downstream impacts to impoundments.
5. Provide assistance in development of modelling capability that will assess
CSO impacts and assist in preparing better management options for CSO
relief.
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CULTURAL EIITROPHICATION AND LOSS OF WETLANDS
Overview of Environmental Problems:
Three State's inlake classification survey results point to some general
conclusions:
% of
TSI* Trophic State Lakes
Michigan 39 Oligotrophic
(653 lakes sampled) 39-52 Mesotrophic 62%
52 Eutrophic 26%
Minnesota 41 Oligotrophic 4%
(543 lakes sampled) 41-50 Mesotrophic 26%
50 Eutrophic 69%
Wisconsin 47 „ Oligotrophic 14%** 21%***
(2925 lakes sampled) 47-49 * 01 igo-Mesotrophic 16% 26%
50-53 Mesotrophic 30% 25%
53 Eutrophic 39% 27%
* Average of Carlson's Trophic State Index for chlorophyll _a_, total
phosphorus, and Secchi disc for Michigan and Minnesota only.
** Carlson's TSI for chlorophyll _a only.
*** Carlson's TSI for Secchi disc only.
It is clear that Oligotrophic lakes, those that are nutrient-poor and,
therefore, have quite good clarity, are relatively few.
Lakes naturally become richer in nutrients as time goes on, speeded up by
agriculture, industry, and other intensive use. The conclusion is that a
shift toward eutrophy is taking place, that overall lake water quality is
deteriorating.
Additionally, agricultural, urban and transportation developments have result-
ed in the loss of well over half of the known wetland resources in the Region.
This loss continues at an accelerating rate and threatens to eliminate the
benefits that the development was intended to produce.
Problems associated with the loss of wetland resources are:
1. Urban and agricultural flood damages resulting from the loss of floodwater
storage capabilities.
2. Decreased commercial and recreational opportunities resulting from the
loss of fish and wildlife habitat.
3. Depletion of groundwater resources resulting from the loss of groundwater
recharge capabilities.
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4. Degradation of surface water quality resulting from the loss of sediment
and nutrient filtering capabilities, and from the depletion of ground-
water discharges that supplement low flows.
Barriers:
1. Ideological perceptions that wetland issues are solely matters of land
use and property ownership. This continued inability to think in "ecolog-
ical" terms is probably the single greater harrier to effective manage-
ment of our remaining wetland resources.
2. Legal and economic policies at the Federal, State and Local levels con-
tinue to encourage wetland losses. Agricultural price support systems,
flood insurance programs, and inequitable taxation policies make the
development of cheap, "worthless" wetlands a profitable enterprise.
3. Inconsistent and uncertain administration of regulatory programs have
hampered efforts to control wetland losses and encourage responsible
wetland use.
4. Resource intensive studies required in establishing inter-relationships
between watersheds and lakes to determine eutrophication causes.
5. Geo-political boundaries may inhibit, solving eutrophication problems.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Watershed plans for protecting existing uses that are compatible with
lake quality and improving lake quality where non-point sources have
adverse impacts need to be prepared by State and local entities with
Federal agencies providing advice as requested.
2. Coordination at the State and local level is necessary to carry out
watershed plans.
3. Education programs regarding factors that have impacts on lake quality
need to he established for lake property owners and watershed communities.
4. The level of Federal/State coordination of wetlands issues must be
intensified. Cooperative efforts to identify especially sensitive or
threatened areas must be initiated. Special efforts must be made to
encourage potential developers to consider wetland impacts during project
planning.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Management of regulatory programs must emphasize increasing public aware
ness of the need to preserve valuahle wetland resources. Programs design-
ed to encourage and facilitate the consideration of wetlands protection
in project planning must be developed and implemented.
2. Efforts to decrease the level of Federal protection given to wetland
resources must he resisted until State and Local capabilities to take the
responsiblity are developed.
3. Issue final guidelines in accord with Section 404(b)(l) for development
of permits for discharge of dredged or fill material.
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IN SITU POLLUTANTS
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Inorganic contaminants
All of the rivers and streams in industrial areas are known to have sediments
with some level of inorganic contaminants. Contaminant levels vary from
insignificant to heavily polluted, and almost all of the waterways sampled
have shown localized areas with significant contaminant levels. Waterways
that have been shown to be severely contaminated include:
1. Ashtabula River, Ohio
2. Indiana Harbor, Indiana
3. Grand Calumet River, Illinois and Indiana
4. Mpnominee River, Michigan and Wisconsin
5. Fox River, Wisconsin
6. .St. Louis River, Minnesota
Organic chemical contaminants
The list of waterways known to have sediments containing levels of organic
chemical contaminants is continually growing. Most of the existing data are
on levels of PCB and pesticide contamination. However, more recent data
include information on the levels of some of the lesser know organic
chemicals. Waterways that are known to contain significant levels of
organic chemical contaminants include:
1. Waukegan Harbor, Illinois
2. Fields Brook and Ashtabula River, Ohio
3. Sheboygan River, Wisconsin
4. North Branch of the Chicago River, Illinois
Barriers:
1. Lack of comprehensive data that will show the full extent of the problem.
The data which are now available are scattered, and are usually the result
of an investigation conducted in response to a specific construction
proposal. As a result, it is difficult to formulate strategies that will
address the problem on a watershed, area-wide or Regional basis.
2. Lack of funding to conduct comprehensive sediment sampling and the high
cos-t of adequately disposing of contaminated sediments has hampered both
public and private efforts to responsibly address the problem. Disposal
options are further limited by the piecemeal approach to the problem that
has so far been the rule.
3. Technological limitations in both analytical and disposal techniques
have resulted in long delays in finding solutions to problems in specific
instances where sediments with suspected or known high levels of contami-
nation were proposed to be disturbed by construction activities.
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State/Federal Actions:
1. Existing sediment data must he compiled in a centralized location so that
they are readily available for use in developing control stratpgies.
Waterways with known or suspected toxic or hazardous pollutant dischargers
will have to he sampled to determined areas of significant sediment
contamination and to fill in data gaps.
2. Innovative dredging and disposal options for highly contaminated sediments
must he identified on an area-wide basis for both environmental and
economic reasons.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Regulatory requirements must reflect an understanding that contaminated
sediments present problems unique from those encountered in other situ-
ations. Opportunities for* Regional and State flexibility in addressing
these problems must be provided.
2. Increased emphasis must be placed upon the coordination of sediment
sampling efforts. Exisiting data must be made available for use in
project planning, and work efforts must be directed toward completing
data collection and interpretation.
3. Assess impacts of chemically contaminated sediment on aquatic life to
determine the need for sediment criteria development.
4. Issue final guidelines in accord with Section 404(b)(l) for development
of permits for discharge of dredged or fill materials.
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CONTAMINATED SLUDGE FROM WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES
Overview of Environmental Problem;
Municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities produce large
quantities of sludge. Ironically, as clean-up of the discharge continues,
larger amounts of contaminated sludge are produced. Improper disposal of
these residuals, if they are contaminated with toxic or other hazardous
materials, can have adverse impacts on surface and groundwaters. -Addition-
ally, incineration practices are frequently a significant contribution to
atmospheric deposition of pollutants.
Sludge lagoons in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago are rapidly becoming filled
and the sludge is contaminated with heavy metals and PCBs. Detroit is inca-
pable of properly incinerating municipal sludge. They have stored sludge
on-site at the treatment plant for long periods of time while looking for
solutions. Sludge has been discharged'to the Detroit River. Milwaukee had
marketed sludge internationally as a fertilizer/soil amendment, but has
curtailed that activity due to high cadmium concentrations, creating a major
disposal dilemma. Cleveland sludges contain heavy metals. Sludge in Indian-
apolis contained high concentrations of PCBs. Dayton's sludge is contaminated
with heavy metals and the capacity to properly store sludge is becoming
severely 1 i mi ted.
Barriers:
1. Process changes at industrial facilities cause extreme variations of
sludge content.
2. Pretreatment systems create extremely toxic sludges at industrial sites.
3. There is no national policy or regulations under Section 3001 of RCRA and
Section 405 of CWA to effectively control sludge.
4. There are enormous stock piles of sludge that have not been disposed.
5. There is public opposition to locating landfills in proximity to residen-
tial areas.
fi. Costs for hauling and incineration are extremely high.
7. Incineration technology is still developing and may not destroy all
toxicants in the process.
8. Land application of sludge may be satisfactory in many cases, hut depends
on local implementation to ensure environmentally satisfactory implemen-
tation of safe limits on acceptable sites.
State/Regional Actions:
1. The States need to control sludge and septage disposal via a permit that
is enforceable.
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2. The States need to develop and implement a residual waste strategy that
establishes guidelines to protect human health and the environment.
3. Assure that delegation agreements reflect proper procedures for State
level actions.
4. States should develop State level regulations for sludge and septage,
with Region providing technical assistance.
5. States should develop and update a sludge handling amd management inven-
tory and factor into the priority water bodies concept.
6. Critical problem areas should be defined.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Produce final regulations under Section 3001 of RCRA and Section 405 of
CWA.
2. Provide guidelines on levels of significance for toxic contaminants in
municipal sludge for land application.
3. Develop a management strategy for coordinated use of sludge guidance in
various programs.
4. Provide assistance to the States and the Region in making necessary
adjustments to construction grants, pretreatment and permitting.
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DRINKING WATER - SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Surveys in Region V indicate 25 percent of the groundwater systems in the
Region may be expected to have at least trace levels of synthetic chemicals
present. Random sampling of 466 groundwater systems across the country in
1981 found 16.5 percent of those servicing a population under 10,000 to have
measurable contamination from volatile organic chemicals, and 28.7 percent of
the systems serving over 10,000 persons were found to be contaminated. Recent
tests completed on 208 community water system wells by the State of Wisconsin
confirms that 25 percent have detectable amounts of synthetic chemical com-
pounds.
The chemicals being found most frequently in the Region are trichlorethylene,
cis and/or trans-l,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloro-
ethane and tetrachlorethylene. These chemicals have all been designated by
EPA as being a danger to public health at low parts per billion concentrations,
due to toxic and/or carcinogenic effects.
The VOCs being found in drinking water wells are all due to contamination of
the aquifer by human activities. Many of the chemicals being found are
industrial solvents that have been accidentally or intentionally dumped on
the ground from spills, dumps or leaks, and have filtered down to the lower
groundwater levels. Herbicides and pesticides (atrazine, aldicarb et. al.)
are also found in drinking waters at concentrations of 10 to 30 micrograms
per liter. Attachment R contains a discussion of the aldicarb being found in
more than 60 drinking waters in the Central Sands area of Wisconsin.
Barriers:
1. There- has not been enough testing for synthetic chemicals to draw conclu-
sions on locations, conditions or types of systems which are most likely
to he contaminated. Also, in- spite of accelerated research, there is
presently no inexpensive surrogate test for the presence of contamination.
2. Financial resources do not allow for adequate sampling. Only a snail
number of public water supply systems are sampled which results in only a
small percentage of the population being protected.
3. Lack of health risk information on many organics, may result in inadequate
recommendations when total impact is unknown.
4. Lack of consistency of data bptween laboratories causes confusion and
reduces public confidence.
5. Potential impact on major aquifers implies an extraordinary expense to
change sources of drinking water or clean up the aquifer.
6. Inadequate public education, resulting in decisions being made on emotion-
al and political pressure rather than on sound technical judgements.
7. Lack of control of point-of-use water treatment devices. This equipment
has plagued the market with inaccurate claims which result in a false
sense of security by an uninformed public. Also, some devices may cause
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a chronic problem to become acute if the unit releases large quantities
of organics accumulated over time.
8. Laboratory staff and equipment overload results in time delays for
generating data; resulting in pressure from data users which promotes a
tendency to take shortcuts in QA-QC.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Expand laboratory and sampling capabilities to identify problem systems
and to verify the results. The health significance of the levels found
will be reviewed using drinking water health advisories.
2. Investigate and respond to discovered instances of synthetic chemical
contamination in drinking water to define the extent of the problem, its
significance and degree of public health risk, and how to mitigate any
danger.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Provide research to improve laboratory testing techniques, further defin-
ing the health dangers of the various substances and provide guidance to
the Regions, States and water systems on contaminant removal techniques.
2. - Promote continued and enhanced monitoring to define the extent of organic
chemical contamination in drinking water. Scientific support to clearly
define the significance of these compounds and how to control their
occurrences and health risks is vitally important.
3. Define safe levels of contamination in drinking water and define how
dangerous levels of contamination can be-mitigated. Maximum contaminant
levels should be promulgated for synthetic chemicals, without a monitoring
requirement mandated, as States can best define how to determine where the
contamination exists.
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RROUNDWATER - DEGRADATION
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Federal laws (i.e., RCRA, CERCLA and the Safe Drinking Water Act) affect only
a snail amount of the total number of existing and potential groundwater
contamination sources. A serious problem is the potential for groundwater
degradation from non-federally regulated activities. Of particular concern
are the activities which are either uncontrolled or ineffectively controlled
by States and local agencies. Examples are: agricultural activities (pesti-
cide and fertilizer application and storage), underground petroleum fuel
storage (gasoline stations), and roadsalting.
Pesticide contamination incidents have been identified, but also require
further study. The Central Sands area in Wisconsin is an example. Monitor-
ing at wells for aldicarb showed that levels of the pesticide were higher
than health advisories allowed. Additional monitoring for other pesticides
commonly used in the area showed that the levels in many wells was above the
level considered safe for drinking water. This issue is addressed further
in the emerging issues section.
Although it is known that corroded, damaged and improperly abandoned under-
ground gasoline storage tanks are a significant cause of groundwater contami-
nation in Region V States, it has been virtually impossible to obtain accurate
statistics on the actual number of leaks from these tanks. State problems
with underground petroleum fuel storage leaks ranged from 65 to 200 in
1980. State fire marshals and State emergency response personnel state that
leaks probably go undetected or are not reported to State officials.
Our States are in varying stages of developing groundwater strategies to
control the wide variety of groundwater contamination sources. An important
part of these strategies is the identification of types of problems affecting
groundwater and consideration of how to prioritize the problems so that man-
agement solutions can be effected.
Barriers:
1. Complexity of the issue and lack of data on the extent of the problem.
2. Lack of groundwater management strategies at State, Regional and National
levels.
3. Regulatory control diverse and spread between several agencies and does
not necessarily address groundwater degradation issues.
State/Federal Actions:
^^^T ~ ~ " "~ —"^^^^^^^^^-^^^"•
1. Develop State groundwater management strategies.
2. Cooperate, within resource limitations, in defining nature and extent of
the problem.
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3. Continue information transfer activities to assist States.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Effect a national groundwater policy to support actions of Regions and
States within current resource limitations.
2. Improve national transfer of information to support Regional and State
efforts. Disseminate, in a timely fashion, the results of groundwater
research and studies. Conduct state-of-the-art groundwater workshops.
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fiROIINHWATER - UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL
Overview of Environmental Problem:
The UIC program will be directly implemented in Indiana, Michigan and Minne-
sota. Illinois', Ohio's and Wisconsin's primary applications are in final
review.
Barriers:
1. Helegation of UIC programs lagged behind schedule because of administra-
tive delays e.g., slow review of draft application and resolution of
issues by the Headquarters Review team and legislative changes required
by the States to insure consistency with Federal Regulations.
9.. Direct implementation has been delayed by the repeated postponement of
final regulations and major shifts in Headquarters implementation policy.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Assure responsive and timely response to the state primacy applications.
2. In anticipation of direct implementation established base activities
necessary to expedite implementaton.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Provide national guidance for implementation and oversight of delegated
and directly' run MIC programs.
2. Provide for a central authority to control the UIC application review
process and assure adequate resources are provided to allow for timely
and responsive reviews.
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REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
Part 2
GREAT LAKES
The long retention time of the lake waters is a unique characteristic of the
Great Lakes ecosystem. The Great Lakes constitute a closed system, unlike river
systems which discharge water and pollutants in relatively short times. This
closed-system nature exacerbates the three most significant problems in the
Great Lakes: (1) toxic contamination, (2) nutrient enrichment, and (3) local-
ized areas of impaired use (Areas of Concern). These three problems impact
human health and impair water uses such as recreation, water supply and aquatic
life.
TOXIC CONTAMINATION
There is widespread concern about the contamination of the Great Lakes by per-
sistent toxic substances and the serious environmental problems which can result
from this contamination. A history of fish consumption advisories based on the
presence of toxic substances exists on the Great Lakes. Reyond this clear threat
to human health, the effects of toxic substances are less well established else-
where in the ecosystem. Laboratory experiments indicate that DDT and PCRs are
adversely impacting lake trout reproduction in Lake Michigan.
Toxaphene and toxaphene-like substances have been detected in fish caught in
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan between 1977 and 1980 in concentrations which
ranged from 0.4 to 10.9 mg/kg. (The FDA action level is 5.0 mg/kg.)
Metals of concern in the Great Lakes are primarily those which can bioaccumulate
and therefore potentially represent, a threat to human health and the general
ecological community. Mercury, tin, cadmium, copper, zinc and lead are the pri-
marily concerns for whole lake problems.
Lake Superior
A contaminant problem unique to Lake Superior is that of asbestos-like fibers
in the vicinity of Silver Ray. Since tailings cover more than 1000 square miles
of lake bottom, resuspension may produce measurable levels of amphibole fibers
in the Duluth area for many years to come. High levels of toxaphene found in
lake .trout taken from Lake Siskiwit (Isle Royale) indicate that contaminant
problems in Lake Superior remain a serious environmental problem. This concern
is also reflected in the contaminant levels in herring gull eggs, where levels
of PCR and dieldrin have shown little change between 1974 and 1980, as compared
to the Lower Lakes.
Fish consumption advisories for lake trout (Michigan waters) and all fish
(St, Louis River) are in effect.
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Lake Huron
Analysis of Saginaw Bay gull eggs shows elevated levels of TCOD, approximately
six times higher than the "baseline" levels in other colonies in Lake Michigan,
Lake Superior and other parts of Lake Huron. Results from a study by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service on levels of PCDD's in the Great Lakes support the
findings of the herring gull study, in that residues of TCDO were highest in
fish from the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw Bay. Fish from both of these
water bodies contained TCDO in excess of 20 ng/kg, while a composite of lake
trout sample from Lake Michigan, contained 5 ng/kg. Fish from Lake Superior
and Lake Siskiwit did not contain TCDD or other PCDD's in measurable concen-
trations. Fish and herring gull samples from Saginaw Ray and fish samples from
Lake Huron were found to have more complex mixtures of PCDD congeners than the
usual 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
The fishery of the Saginaw River System and Saginaw Bay is impacted by PCB,
PBB, and dioxin contamination. Fish consumption bans are in effect for por-
tions of the area .rivers, and a fish consumption advisory is in effect for
Saginaw Bay. Sediments in the Pine River are contaminated with PBB, and sedi-
ments in the Saginaw River are contaminated with PCB.
Additional fishing advisories for carp, muskel lunge (southern half only) and
trout (southern half only) exist on Lake Huron.
Lake Michigan
Persistent organic contaminants remain a major environmental concern in the
Lake Michigan Basin, in spite of substantial progress in reducing inputs to the
Lake.
Levels of DDT in bloater chubs, coh-o salmon, lake trout and in herring gull
eggs have declined by as much as 90% between the late 1960's and 1980, demon-
strating the rapid response of the biological system to the 1970 ban on the use
of DDT. However, lake trout levels still exceed the FDA action level (5 mg/kg),
and only bloaters were reported with analytical concentrations below the U.S./
Canada Water Quality Agreement objective of 1.0 ug/g.
Total PCB's in lake trout and coho salmon also exceed the FDA action level
(5 mg/kg), although total levels in bloaters is below the FDA action level. No
category of fish was reported at levels below the Water Quality objective of
1.0 ug/g.
In spite of the ban on the use of dieldrin, levels in fish populations (coho
salmon and lake trout) and herring gull eggs ahve not decreased, and concentra-
tions have increased in bloater chub, exceeding the FDA action levels and the
objectives of the Water Quality Agreement.
Fishing advisories for carp, catfish, salmon, all trouts and whitefish (southern
half only) are in effect on Lake Michi'gan.
A major concern of the fisheries in Lake Michigan is that very few naturally
produced lake trout have been found for over a decade. It has been suggested
that toxic substances such as DDT and PCB adversely affect the lake trout
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reproduction. Recent studies found that cumulative mortality of lake trout fry
exposed to simulated Lake Michigan levels of PCS and DDT for six months was
twice that of unexposed fry. Although several factors probably contributed to
the lack of natural reproduction, levels of PCB and DDT in the mid-1970's were
sufficient to reduce survival of any fry produced in the lake. The added expo-
sure of the fry to other toxic substances known to be present in the lake could
have further reduced survival, illustrating the interactive nature of water
quality and resource management throughout the ecosystem.
Lake Erie
Great improvement is evident for Lake Erie. However, problems still exist.
Levels of pesticides, included DDT and dieldrin, which showed substantial de-
clines prior to 1974, have not declined since, suggesting continuing contaminate
input. The appearance of mi rex in Lake Erie sediments in 1979 suggests a new
source of pesticde contamination. PCB's and DDT are major contaminants of
sediments in the western basin, along with industrial metals such as chromium,
zinc and lead.
While levels of PCB's in walleye appear to meet Water Quality Agreement objec-
tives (0.1 ug/g), PCB levels are nearly twice the Agreement Objective levels in
perch and approximately seven times that level in coho salmon. A fish consump-
tion advisory for carp, catfish and muskel lunge is in effect in the Michigan
waters of Lake Erie.
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario has a long history of contaminant problems. Unique concerns about
the lake have developed because of local industrial inputs of nirex, endosulfan,
and dioxin. In all three circumstances, inputs into the Niagara River have re-
sulted in lakewide problems because of the geophysical processes which influence
the eventual fate of these compounds.
The level of dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCOD) found in herring gull eggs collected from
four colonies in Lake Ontario in 1980 was approximately 60 ng/kg. This is about
five times higher than the "baseline" levels in eggs from colonies in Lake Mich-
igan, Superior, Huron (except Saginaw Bay), and Erie. The even distribution of
residue levels among the four colonies suggests that lakewide contamination has
occurred in the fish species (mainly alewives and smelt) which comprise the main
aquatic portion of the herring gull's diet in the Great Lakes. The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service has reported that 2,3,7,8-TCDO is present in brown trout
collected near Roosevelt Beach, New York.
Fishing advisories are in effect on Lake Ontario for salmon, trout, catfish and
smalImouth bass.
Barriers
1. Lack of coordinated Great Lakes management strategy for directing the toxic
substances activities being carried out by the Federal, State and local gov-
ernments under diverse pieces of legislation, which has led to fragmenta-
tion of purpose, direction and resources for addressing these problems.
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2. Lack of a priority ranking of substances found in the Great Lakes ecosystem
which have the greatest potential to adversely affect human and environmen-
tal health.
a. Risk of cancer development that is associated with toxic substances is
unknown in the Great Lakes Basin.
b. Lack of understanding of risk assessment and acceptable risk as they
relate to control of toxic substances in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
3. Lack of coordinated assessment processes among Great Lakes jurisdictions
with which to design plans of action or control measures.
a. Poor implementation or lack of a well-coordinated strategy for report-
ing, documenting and assessing waterborne disease outbreaks which might
be associated with toxic substances.
b. Lack of understanding of the chemistry of many toxic pollutants.
4. Inadequate knowledge of sources, transport and fate of toxic substances.
a. Lack of understanding of the mechanisms of atmospheric deposition (wet
and dry) into the Great Lakes.
b. Lack of understanding of the flow of contaminants from the lake sur-
faces to all compartments of the Great Lakes ecosystem.
c. Lack of understanding of Great Lakes tributary loading and resuspension
of toxic substances.
State/Federal Actions
1. Develop a consistent approach in the development of chemical inventories,
including what chemicals need to be inventoried, the data required, and the
frequency of updating lists.
a. Prepare a single priority list of toxic substances in the Great Lakes
Basin for which inventory data must be developed, rank these substances
according to their potential environmental and human health effects,
and periodically update the list and the ranking.
b. Establish a centralized mechanism to identify all inventory-related
activities within the Great Lakes Basin.
2. Establish a centralized mechanism to identify major compilations of charac-
teristics-related data within the Great Lakes Basin.
3. Improve the capability to develop toxicological data.
a. Develop a priority list of toxic substances of significance for the
Great Lakes Basin for which characteristics data should be gathered.
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b. Continue efforts to develop and use structure-activity correlations and
the new screening tests for toxic substances occurring in the Great
Lakes Rasin.
4. Reduce duplication of effort and utilize resources more effectively in toxic
substances monitoring programs.
a. Coordinate the monitoring and surveillance programs among the States,
local jurisdictions and Canada, in order to support the Great Lakes
International Surveillance Plan (GLISP) and to respond to the require-
ments of Annex 12 of the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
b. Develop a joint priority list for toxic substances that require immedi-
ate environmental measurements.
5. Improve hazard and risk assessment capability.
a. Activities in the areas of monitoring, inventory preparation, short-term
toxicity testing and epidemiology should be intensified.
b. Share all available scientific data and their scientific rationale for
each assessment of hazard and of risk.
Headquarters Action
1. Support research programs directed toward the quantitative measurement of
the effects of exposure to ambient levels of toxic substances. Coordinate
research activities in order to acquire the information needed for priority
setting and hazard assessment (including development of screening systems,
such as structure-activity relationships).
2. Support long-term research on the impacts of ambient levels of toxic sub-
stances on human health in order to establish management and control alter-
natives for these substances.
a. Need to develop ecosystem studies of the transport, fate, and effects
of ambient levels of toxic substances in the Great Lakes.
b. Need to develop ecosystem tests to determine the propensity of new
chemicals to bioconcentrate, and predict ultimate levels in humans be-
fore each chemical licensing.
3. Support research on the atmospheric deposition of toxic substances in ordpr
to better assess hazard and develop effective control strategies.
a. Conduct joint field and research programs with the States and Canada
into the atmospheric deposition of toxic substances, in order to con-
duct scientific assessments and refine control strategies.
b. Develop mnrp degradable chemicals to do similar industrial jobs.
4. Accelerate development and implementation of programs to control the manu-
facture and use of toxic substances in the Great Lakes Basin.
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-81-
a. Accelerate development of ways to manage the disposal of toxic sub-
stances.
b. Accelerate development of management techniques which will prevent dis-
posal of toxic substances directly into the Great Lakes or other waters.
c. Develop a coordinated control strategy for the atmospheric deposition
of toxic pollutants, and evaluate whether legislative changes are re-
quired to address the problem of atmospheric deposition to the Great
Lakes, including both the States and Canada in strategy development.
d. With Canada and the States develop a common definition of hazardous
waste, and develop compatible programs to ensure the safe transport and
disposal of hazardous wastes among the jurisdictions.
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-82-
NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT
Overview of Environmental Problem
Accelerated cultural eutrophication of the Great Lakes caused by increased nu-
trient loadings has had detrimental effects on recreation, water supply, fresh-
water biota and wildlife. An increase in the supply of nutrients changes the
population structure of the aquatic biota, the functioning of an aquatic food
chain that supports lake fisheries., or causes extensive algal growth with the
consequent deep water depletion of oxygen which supports game fish production.
The character of populations of shore birds and animals in turn is greatly de-
pendent upon the population characteristics of the lake fisheries.
Lake Michigan
The open waters of Lake Michigan have suffered considerable degradation in
trophic condition hut are still of high quality with some evidence of improve-
ment in the last 10 years. Acute problems are localized in nearshore areas of
the lake. Increases in chlorides, sulfates, blue-gre-en algae and phytoflagel-
lates in the southern basin of Lake Michigan indicate that the system there
suffers from cultural nutrient enrichment.
Lake Erie
Accelerated eutrophication of Lake Erie has been a critical water quality con-
concern since the early 1960's. An analysis of Lake Erie water quality for the
past decade indicates a general improvement, due in part to high water levels.
There have also been major reductions in phosphorus' loads to the lake - from
23,000 metric tons in 1970 (all sources) to 13,000 tons in 1979.
Concentrations of total phosphorus in the western, central and eastern basins
have shown significant declines since 1970. However, the decline has not been
entirely proportional to reductions in phosphorus loading from point sources.
This can partially be explained by phosphorus release from the sediment through
wave resuspension and anoxic regeneration. (It has been demonstrated that
approximately 80% of the phosphorus loading to Lake Erie becomes incorporated
in the bottom sediments.)
Canada has achieved the municipal phosphorus loading goal specified in the 1972
Water Quality Agreement. The U.S. has only three Ohio plants on Lake Erie, lar-
ger than 20 MGO, which have not yet achieved the 1.0 mg/1 limit objective of
the Agreement. There are approximately 50 smaller noncompliant facilities. The
1978 Water Quality Agreement calls for further phosphorus reductions, and the
U.S. and Canada are currently negotiating new target loads to meet these load-
ing objectives. While definitive loading allocations have not been agreed upon
yet, the outcome of negotiations will require further reductions on the part of
both countries. Numerous no-till and associated soil conservation and CSO dem-
onstration programs are in place in this basin, but existing programs for long-
term control of agricultural erosion and combined sewer overflow pollution
are not adequate to effect the load reductions proposed.
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-83-
Lake Huron
Eutrophication is not considered to be a severe environmental problem in Lake
Huron except in localized nearshore areas and in Saginaw Bay, which now is
classified as moderately eutrophic.
Runoff from agricultural land in the Saginaw River Basin contributes suspended
solids, nutrients, organic matter, and pathogenic organisms to Saginaw Bay.
Siltation and associated turbidity degrades fish habitat, fills surface drain-
age ways, and fills the main navigation channel from the Bay into the Saginaw
River. The nutrient and organic matter contributed by agricultural activities
adversely affects the dissolved oxygen level in the Saginaw River.
To meet the phosphorus load reductions specified in the 1972 Water Quality Ag-
reement, an additional 130-150 tons of phosphorus must be reduced primarily
from nonpoint source loads to the Bay. While a major agricultural nonpoint
source demonstration project is in operation in the area, there are no firm
requirements in place or planned for long-term control of excessive nonpoint
phosphorus loadings from the Saginaw River tributaries.
Lake Ontario
Eutrophication of Lake Ontario was a major concern identified in the 1980's by
the United States and Canada. As a result of phosphorus control programs, some
localized areas, such as the Bay of Quinte and the Toronto waterfront, have re-
sponded immediately with improved water quality. The open waters of the lake
have responded with small reductions in the total phosphorus concentration and
a reduction in total hiomass in the western portion of the lake which has been
maintained since 1975. Phosphorus levels in the nearshore zones of Lake Ontario
appear to have stabilized, having declined from elevated levels observed in
1967. Further reductions in phosphorus loading are necessary to reach the level
of algal biomass agreed to by the U.S. and Canada.
Only two U.S. plants (larger than 20 MGD) have not yet achieved the 1.0 rng/1
objective in the Lake Ontario Basin. There are about 25 smaller noncompliant
facilities in the basin. The 1978 Water Quality Agreement calls for further
phosphorus reductions, and the U.S. and Canada are currently negotiating new
target loads to meet these loading objectives. While definitive loading allo-
cations have not been agreed upon as yet, the outcome of negotiations will
require further reductions on the part of both countries. No-till and associat-
ed soil conservation and CSO demonstration programs are in place in this
basin, but programs for long-term control of agricultural erosion and combined
sewer overflow pollution are not adequate to effect the load recutions proposed.
Barriers
1. Phosphorus load reduction plans are needed to manage control programs in
Lakes Erie and Ontario and Saginaw Bay and Green Bay.
2. Nonpoint sources are the major remaining obstacle to adequate control of
accelerated eutrophication in the major problem areas.
-------
-84-
a. Agricultural runoff is by far the largest of the nonpoint sources, and
are the dominant sources in Lake Erie and Saginaw Ray.
b. Although practices and programs for control of agricultural runoff have
been successfully demonstrated by USEPA, U.S. ACOE and USDA, existing
support for agricultural nonpoint source control practices is not ade-
quate to protect the Lakes.
c. An accelerated control program is needed throughout the Great Lakes
Basin.
3. Municipal treatment plant compliance with the 1 mg/1 phosphorus requirement
by presently noncompliant plants is needed to provide important further re-
ductions in municipal loading.
4. Municipal wastes escaping treatment through system overflows, plant bypass-
es and plant upsets pose a serious problem, often exceeding the loading
from treated effluent. They result in excessive loads to the Lakes and in
non-attainment of many local areas.
a. Low priority given to combined sewer overflow projects prevents control
of many of these sources.
b. Lack of detergent phosphate bans in Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania
allows high levels of phosphate to reach the Lakes from these uncon-
trolled sources. Absence of detergent phosphate controls also allows
heavier phosphate loading from treatment plants of less than 1 MGD,
which are not uniformly regulated for control of phosphorus.
5. Alternative technology is needed for cost-effective control of urban runoff
and combined sewer overflows. This requires demonstration of the technol-
ogy at project scale.
State/Federal Actions
1. Load reduction plans should be jointly developed for Lakes Erie and Ontario.
Implementation of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario phosphorus control plans
through appropriate Federal and State agencies.
2. Continue expanded demonstration of agricultural nonpoint source controls in
31 counties of Lake Erie Basin, identifying critical areas for controls
throughout the Rasin along with requirements for necessary levels of imple-
mentation. Encourage funding development by appropriate State and Federal
agencies to assure expansion and continuation of control project when demon-
stration is complete in 1985.
3. Continue Saginaw Ray Monitoring and Evalution Project to identify necessary
agricultural pollution controls for entire Saginaw Rasin on a cost-effective
basis. Based on experience gained from M & E project, develop and implement
this balanced plan for phosphorus and sediment pollution abatement for point
-------
-85-
and nonpoint sources.
4. Continue Green Bay Monitoring and Model Development Project to identify
phosphorus control needs and restore fishery throughout the Bay.
5. Complete setup of Lake Michigan model at RTP for purposes of management
runs» so as to identify supplemental phosphorus and other control needs in
the southern basin of Lake Michigan.
6. States should maintain schedules for bringing major noncompliant sewage
treatment plants into compliance by 1983. States should advance schedules
for all noncompliant facilities so phosphorus controls guaranteed in 1978
Water Quality Agreement are met. USEPA matching funds should be made
available for these construction projects on a priority basis.
7. States should give priority attention to combined sewer overflows in the
Great Lakes receiving waters, so as to gain funding from available sources.
8. Where detergent phosphate limitations are not in place, States should re-
consider implementation of such a ban on a voluntary basis.
9. Develop additional remedial programs to address combined sewer overflows
and urban land runoff (including appropriate assessments of degradation
and benefits).
Headquarters Action
1. Support continuation and completion of agricultural nonpoint sources demon-
stration projects for Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay.
?.. Support combined sewer overflow abatement projects and development of new
technologies to abate impairments at less cost.
-------
-86-
AREAS OF CONCERN
There are localized areas in the Great Lakes Basin where environmental quality
is severely degraded. Although these areas constitute only a relatively small
portion of the total area of the Basin, they contain a large percentage of the
Basin's population and industry and are concentrated loading points for many
pollutants.
There are 14 Class A Areas of Concern in the U.S. (areas exhibiting significant
environmental degradation, where impairment of beneficial uses is severe), and
10 Class B Areas of Concern (areas exhibiting environmental degradation, where
uses may be impaired). Criteria uses for this evaluation were: Agreement ob-
jectives or jurisdictional values violated; the magnitude, persistence, and
geographic extent of the violation; age of the data; uses impacted; relationship
of violation to current discharges and transboundary implications of the pollu-
tion.
Table 1 lists the Class A and Class B Areas of Concern, while Table 2 summarizes
for each Class A Area of Concern the sources of pollution, the environmental
problems and consequences and the remedial measures planned or implemented for
the area. A summary of Class B Areas of Concern, together with their environ-
mental problems, is included in Attachment A.
In the majority of the Areas of Concern, the programs currently in place are
not adequate to solve the environmental problems identified. Where further
measures are in the process of implementation for those few Areas of Concern
that may resolve the problems, restoration of water uses will not occur for a
long period of time, up to a decade.
In the Class A Areas of Concern, inadequate measures exist for some or all of
the following remedial programs: municipal and industrial dischargers, waste
disposal sites, combined sewer overflows and urban land runoff, agricultural
land runoff, and in-place pollutants.
Specifically municipal and industrial dischargers are not adequately controlled
in the Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor Canal; while pretreatment programs
are inadequate at the Black River, Ohio; Buffalo River, New York; Niagara
River, New York; and Massena, New York. Toxic substances fron unsecured waste
disposal sites are inadequate at the Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor Canal
area; the Black River and Cuyahoga River, Ohio; Ashtabula River, Niagara River
and the St. Lawrence River at Massena, New York.
In 17 of 18 Areas of Concern, in-place pollutants are contributing to the He-
graded state of these locations. While natural processes will eventually re-
store the ecosystem in the Great Lakes connecting channels, it is doubtful
whether the Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor Canal; the Rouge River and the
Raisin River, Michigan; the Maumee River, the Cuyahoga River, and the Ashtabula
River, Ohio; the Buffalo River, New York will be fully restored to the quality
levels called for in the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In these
areas, even with implementation of all practical remedial measures to control
discharges, sediments will remain degraded because of past pollution.
-------
-87-
Areas which need construction to effect load reductions and water quality im-
provements for a wide variety of pollutants originating from combined sewer
overflows and urban land runoff are the Rouge River Basin, Cityof Detroit,
and the Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor Canal area. Continued funding for
demonstrations of the cost-effective reduction of pollution from agricultural
land runoff is not assured for the Saginaw Ray/Saginaw River Basin, the Maumee
or Sandusky River Basins, where assessments have shown agricultural pollution
is an important factor in impairment of water uses. No long-term programs are
in place in these areas to control this agricultural pollution in the future.
Barriers
1. No remedial measures are planned by some States to effect cleanup of some
Areas of Concern.
2. Necessary facilities will not be operational within five years in some
Areas of Concern.
3. Release of toxic substances is not controlled in a cost-effective manner.
a. Remedial action is presently conducted on facility-by-facility or sub-
stance-by-substance basis.
b. All jurisdictions lack a comprehensive management strategy for toxi-
cant control.
4. CSO and urban land runoff contribute nutrients, bacteria and untreated
waste directly into receiving waters of the Great Lakes.
a. Impairments and/or extent of impairment are not fully identified.
b. Where impairments are identified, they are only partly corrected in
some areas.
c. Construction programs which are under way, planned, or being studied
are very expensive, will entail a long time-lag for completion, and
are dependent on availability of funding.
5. Agricultural runoff impairs uses in two Class A Areas of Concern (Saginaw
Bay, Michigan; and Maumee River, Ohio).
a. Demonstration programs have no assurance of funding to completion of
project.
b. There are now no long-term follow-up programs planned or on-line by the
States to control agricultural pollution in these areas.
6. Even with implementation of all practical remedial measures, in-place pol-
lutants from past discharges will contaminate the sediments in all U.S.
Class A Areas of Concern.
a. Dredging of some Areas of Concern will have limited beneficial effects.
-------
-88-
b. Technology for restoration has not been sufficiently researched or
demonstrated.
c. Local and lake-wide impact of in-place pollutants needs to be quantfied
and feasibility of remedial methods determined.
7. Development of estuarine models to direct remedial activities is inadequate
and unsupported in most of the areas of concern.
State/Federal Actions
1. Priority for cleanup: all identified Areas of Concern should be a matter of
priority attention for USEPA, the States and local governments.
2. The States and USEPA will develop Area of Concern Pollution Abatement Action
Plans that will be directed toward control of municipal and industrial faci-
lities, pretreatment implementation, controlling the negative impacts of in-
place pollutants, and abatement of agricultural and combined sewer overflows
causing water quality impairments.
Headquarters Actions
1. Implement recommendations for Headquarters Action in previous Toxic Contami-
nation and Nutrient Enrichment sections.
2. Provide support for research and demonstration of Best Management Practices
for control of toxicants from in-place pollutants.
3. Provide research and development support for modelling estuarine regimes
sufficiently to direct remedial efforts in Great Lakes harbor-estuary Areas
of Concern.
4. Provide through R fit D adequate quality assurance support cheaper and less
time-consuming organics analytical methodology, and an improvided toxicolo-
gical data base, so as to direct remedial efforts in Areas of Concern effi-
ciently and cost-effectively.
-------
-89-
CLASS "A" AND CLASS "B" AREAS OF CONCERN
CLASS "A" CLASS HB'
LAKE SUPERIOR BASIN
None St. Louis River, Minnesota
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Nipigon Bay, Ontario
Jackfish Bay, Ontario
Peninsula Harbour, Ontario
LAKE MICHIGAN BASIN
Fox River/Southern Green Bay, Wisconsin Manistique- River, Michigan
Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin Menominee River, Michigan-Wisconsin
Waukegan Harbor, Illinois vSheboygan, Wisconsin
Grand Calumet River and Muskegon, Michigan
Indiana Harbor Canal, Indiana White Lake, Montague, Michigan
/ LAKE HURON BASIN
St. Marys River, Michigan and Ontario Spanish River Mouth, Ontario
Saginaw River System and Penetang Bay to Sturgeon Bay, Ontario
Saginaw Bay, Michigan Collingwood, Ontario
LAKE ERIE BASIN
St. Clair River, Ontario and Michigan Clinton River, Michigan
Detroit River, Michigan and Ontario Wheatley Harbour, Ontario
Rouge River, Michigan
Raisin River, Michigan
Maumee River, Ohio
Black River, Ohio
Cuyahoga River (Cleveland), Ohio
Ashtabula River, Ohio
LAKE ONTARIO BASIN
Buffalo River, New York Eighteen Mile Creek, New York
Niagara River, New York and Ontario Rochester Embayment, New York
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario Oswego River, New York
Toronto Waterfront, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Bay of Quinte, Ontario
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
Cornwall, Ontario-Massena, New York None
-------
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-93-
REGION V ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REPORT
Part 2
EMERGING ISSUES
ACID RAIN
Overview of Environmental Problem:
The Region is an alleged source and a concerned recipient of acid deposition.
Numerous studies and lawsuits have alleged that midwestern coal-fired power
plants with tall-stacks and high SOg emissions are responsible for a signifi-
cant amount of the acid rain falling in the Northeast U.S. and Canada.
On the other hand, Upper Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, and Northern Minnesota
also contain lakes that are susceptible to acidification. This has generated
considerable concern by these States, leading to intensive research programs
in Wisconsin and Minnesota with actual acid rain legislation being promulgated
in Minnesota.
Barriers:
1. No direct mandate under the Clean Air Act to control sources on the basis
of acid rain impacts. The Act directs EPA to ensure attainment and main-
tenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Since
there is no NAAOS for acid rain, EPA has no statutory authority to base
controls solely on acid rain impacts. Furthermore, even though acid rain
is alleged to be a long-range transport problem, the interstate impact
provisions of the Act (i.e., sections 110 and 126) apply only to criteria
pollutants.
2. Considerable uncertainty in the existing monitoring data, inadequate
quality assurance, inconsistent measurement techniques, and the lack of
valid historical records at the same sites are particular problems with
the existing data bases. Because the data are so questionable and frag-
mentary, considerable controversy has surrounded several recent studies
which have suggested that there has been a significant increase in both
precipitation acidity in the Northeast and in the size of the area receiv-
ing acid rain over the past few decades.
3. Lack of complete scientific understanding of the transport, transforma-
tion, and removal processes exist. As such, there is no widely accepted
theory on which to base modeling techniques. For this reason, many of
the existing models are very simplified, involving a few reasonable
assumptions with the limited knowledge to date. Furthermore, since the
existing data bases are so imcomplete, there are not actual field data to
evaluate the performance of the current models. Therefore, the accuracy
of these models is unknown.
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- 94-
The consequences of having no reliable models are two-fold for regulatory
purposes. First, the effect of SO? emission reductions on acid rain im-
pacts cannot he accurately quantified. Most current models have had to
assume a linear transformaton; thus, implying a one-to-one relationship.
Since the transformation process is generally accepted to be nonlinear,
the true effect of a given reduction in S02 emissions cannot be estimated
with any certainty.
Second, source culpability cannot be accurately quantified. Not only is
there uncertainty in estimating the relative local and long-range impacts,
but individual source impacts are also questionable. Thus, the develop-
ment of detailed control strategies based on the currently available
models is highly suspect.
4. Uncertainty in local vs. long-range culpability exists. Although acid
rain has been alleged to he a long-range transport problem several recent
studies cast doubt upon this theory. One study conducted at the Univer-
sity of Rhode Island attributed Northeast acidity levels primarily to
local sources. A study of St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia traced over
half of the acidity in precipitation there to Halifax, located fifteen
miles to the east. A New York study found relatively similar levels of
acidity in precipitation regardless of wind direction.
5. Problems with measuring dry deposition exist. Much of the data collected
to date have' focused on measuring the wet deposition of acid materials.
Several studies have pointed out that dry deposition can be equally
important. No widely acceptable technique exists, however, to measure
since measurements of total deposition are not available.
6. Lack of statistically significant relationships between acid deposition
and actual effects on crop and forest productivity exists. Acid rain
mobilizes toxic metals which can then be taken up by plant roots; strips
soil of valuable nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and
potassium; kills various micro-organisms, thus depriving the soil of an
important source of nitrogenous nutrients; as well as causes direct damage
to plant leaf, stem, and/or root systems. On the other hand, the sulfates
and nitrates in acid rain can provide fertilizing benefits. These short-
term benefits are masking the harmful long-term effects which are not
known.
7. Enormous costs of controlling S02 (and NOX) emissions to the degree
required by various congressional bills exist, in view of the uncertainty
of the true effect on reducing acid rain. Not only is there doubt about
whether these bills will be cost effective, but whether these measures
will produce any environmental results.
8. Uncertainty over the background acidity levels in precipitation exists.
"Pure" rain is defined as having a pH of approximately 5.6. Rainfall in
remote regions of the world, however, is often well below this value,
with average values in the range of 4.5-5.5.
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- 95-
State/Federal Actions:
1. Continue to develop scientific data bases. This includes the Region's
Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD) network and our participation in the
National Atmospheric Deposition Program. Better data are necessary not
only to improve our understanding of the physical and chemical processes
involved, but also to establish more accurate trends in acidity.
2. Reconsider the need for separate State actions. Although individual
State research projects may prove to be beneficial, individual State acid
rain standards and control plans could lead to confusion and inconsisten-
cies. Interstate pollution problems are better handled on a national
level.
3. Establish a regional program on acid rain. At first, this program would
try to develop regional goals (i.e., data collection, such as the GLAD
network) and ascertain the effects of current congressional bills on
Region V. The attempt of this first phase would be to put Region V in a
-contributing mode, to provide information on specific economic, environ-
mental issues to Congress (e.g., the effects of specific control options
such as coal washing on Region V SO^ emissions and on Region V utility
bills). We would coordinate our efforts with Headquarters and welcomp
the active participation of each State. Although this initial phase
would not be designed for regulatory actions, it would put us in a posi-
tion to act accordingly if the congressional bills are incorporated into
the CAA.
The second and any following phases would be based on the information and
legislation considered in the first phase, and directed according to
these two items.
This program would put the Region in a middle-ground between the two
current polarized sides on the acid rain debate: more research and
mandated large S02 reductions. By remaining unbiased, Region V can con-
tribute scientific and economic information necessary for Congress and
the Agency to act wisely in solving the acid rain problem.
Furthermore, most environmental action has been taken in the face of
uncertainty. The very nature of science dictates that we will never be
able to establish an absolutely certain cause and effect relationship
between man-made emissions of SC>2 and NOX and acid deposition. Thus, a
regional acid rain program would be a step forward in dealing with this
problem.
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- 96 -
AIR DEPOSITION OTHER THAN ACID RAIN - GREAT LAKES AND OTHER INLAND LAKES
Overview of Environmental Problem:
The International Joint Commission's Pollution from Land Use Activities Refer-
ence Group (PLUARG) - in a preliminary effort to model the transport and
deposition of airborne materials - found that the amounts of material deposi-
ted from the atmosphere into the individual Great Lakes were generally
proportional to the lake surface area.
PLUARG, for example, calculated that the atmosphere contributed about'1600
metric tons of phosphorus in 1976 to both Lakes Superior and Michigan. The
1976 phosphorus input to Lake Huron was about 1100 metric tons. Even the
relatively small surface areas of Lakes Erie and Ontario received about 800
and 500 metric tons of phosphorus, respectively, during this period. It is
clear that the nutrient budgets of the Upper Lakes must consider atmospheric
loading.
Studies undertaken by the Upper Lakes Reference Group, as well as PLUARG,
indicate that a variety of other contaminants are also contributed in part by
atmospheric sources, including nitrogen, lead, copper, sulfates, PCBs and
other synthetic contaminants. The deposition of metals, most significantly
lead, contributes a large portion of the loading to all of the lakes. PLUARG
(1978) reported that the non-point sources of lead dominate the loading, the
atmosphere being the chief pathway (Table 4). Mercury, tin, cadmium, copper,
zinc and lead are the primary heavy metal concerns for whole lake problems
because of elevated levels and/or the ability to bioaccumulate. The deposi-
tion of synthetic contaminants such as PCBs has been shown to be sufficient
to account for the levels contained in the lakes (Strachan et al, 1978;
Hollod, 1979). While urban areas are major sources of PCRs, the widespread
dispersal of this contaminant throughout the entire sediments of the Great
Lakes, including areas remote from industrial centers, indicates the impor-
tance of atmospheric transport of PCRs throughout the entire Basin.
Soil particles reach the Great Lakes via atmospheric deposition from construc-
tion sites, plowed agricultural lands or other cleared land surfaces. These
soil particles serve as input to any water area through atmospheric deposi-
tion. At this time no baseline data exist documenting this source of pollu-
tion to the lakes.
Barriers:
1. Lack of information on atmospheric sources and loadings of major metal
and toxic contaminants.
2. Lack of reliable monitoring data.
a. Accuracy and precision of devices to measure atmospheric deposition
are uncertain.
b. There is no consensus as to what an adequate monitoring network should
be to monitor total atmospheric deposition.
c. Baseline data for ambient levels are weak.
d. Limited resources prevent implementation of intensive sampling required
for an adequate monitoring network.
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-97-
3. Fate of transported materials is not well understood.
a. Movement of materials across air/water interface is poorly understood.
b. Movement of materials between surface films and other aquatic compart-
ments is poorly understood.
c. Resuspension via aerosols and other mechanisms is poorly understood.
d. Net loading budgest are virtually unknown.
4. Lack of information on health effects of substances inputs to the Great
Lakes by means of atmospheric deposition. Although many of these com-
pounds are known to have detrimental health effects, such potential may or
may not be realized under the exposure conditions experienced in the
Great Lakes Basin.
5. Control programs are inactive or nonexistent.
a. There is no direct madate under the Clean Air Act to control sources
of atmospheric deposition on the basis of their water quality impair-
ment.
b. Use of State issued NPDES permits (as authorized under the Federal
Clean Water Act) to control stack emissions which impact water quality
has not yet been tried or tested.
c. Cost effectiveness data for control strategies are not available.
d. Control strategies based upon water impacts do not exist.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Continue support for GLAD and NADP network (with support of all States
that wish to participate in this monitoring effort), with the view to
provide historic baseline data for wet and dry sample collections, to
evaluate the past bulk sample collections, and to obtain a specific Great
Lakes Rasin data base.
2. Continue cooperation with Canada to monitor and analyze atmospheric
deposition by providing comments and recommendations relative to Canadian
data and reports and sharing U.S. data, reports and analyses.
3. Request all State Governors to examine closely (and to apply their author-
ity to deal with) atmospheric deposition problems originating within each
State's boundaries, carefully considering the innovative use of NPOES
permits to control toxic and metal air pollution of the waters of their
State.
Headquarters Action:
1. The Office of Research and Development must initiate research focused
upon airborn toxicants including sources of contaminants, air deposition,
transport, monitoring and modeling.
a. Support additional research to better quantify current land and water
based ambient concentration and loading data for air contaminants.
b. Support additonal research for improving atmospheric deposition models
and measurements of atmospheric participate concentrations, as well
as to improve the accuracy and precision of atmospheric deposition
samplers.
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-98-
c. Support additional research to identify sources and loadings of
important atmospheric contaminants, so they can be controlled.
d. Support research on control strategies and costs relative to water
quality impairment by atmospheric deposition.
e. Support research to improve our understanding of the health effects
of substances input to the Great Lakes by atmospheric deposition.
2. Review Sec. 112 of the U.S. Federal Clean Air Act with the view to revis-
ing secondary standards to apply to all environmental problems, thus
providing an additional approach to prevention of water pollution from
atmospheric sources. Aspects of environmental quality to be considered
in establishment of air pollution control requirements could include:
impacts on vegetation, animals and agriculture; airborne transport char-
acteristics; air pollution control technology; and economic and social
and other effects of any proposed standards.
Other Federal Agency Actions:
1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should be encouraged to monitor fish
habitat changes on Great Lakes softwater tributaries in Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin and Michigan with the view to determining the impact of sulfage/nit-
rate deposition on Great Lakes fisheries.
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-99-
ALDICAR8 CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER - WISCONSIN
Overview of Environmental Problem:
In the fall of 1979, the University of Wisconsin at Steven's Point began
finding residues of TEMIK 15G in water samples taken from drinking water
wells in the potato growing areas of Portage County. The monitoring project
was conducted because of similarities of pesticide use and soil types with
areas of Long Island, N.Y. TEMIK contamination on Long Island caused the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the manufacturer of TEMIK (Union
Carbide) to initiate a sampling program to assess the scope and risk of
shallow groundwater contamination in potato growing areas similar to Long
Island.
Since the fall of 1979, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection (WDATCP), the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social
Services (WDHSS), and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)
have begun a joint nonitoring program for drinking water wells in the Central
Sands area. Trends of the analyses, to date, have shown periodic TEMIK
residue levels above the in ppb limit as prescribed in U.S. EPA drinking
water guidelines. Through these joint ventures, the WDATCP has 1) placed a
one year moratorium on TEMIK 15G use in sections of 7 counties, 2) proposed
an Emergency Rule on TEMIK to restrict usage, change application timing, and
to decrease dosage rates. Public hearings on the proposed rule were held in
Stevens Point on November 1st and 2nd and in Madison on November 4, 1982.
The final rule has been sent to the legislature for promulgation by March 31,
1983. With recent analyses completed for other pesticides in groundwater in
the Portage County vicinity, potential for environmental hazards exist. Up
to 13 other pesticides have been found at residue levels near or at exisiting
water quality guidelines or standards for drinking water.
Barriers:
1. Defining extent of the problem and monitoring.
2. Provision of alternative drinking water source for those affected.
3. Suitable alternatives to Aldicarb (TEMIK 15G) to minimize economic impacts
and improve political acceptance of a permanent Aldicarb ban.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Multimedia cooperation - i.e., drinking water, groundwater, and pesticides
programs must continue interaction.
2. Ensure that adequate and unimpeachable analytical capabilities are avail-
able. The WDNR has used the USEPA Beltsville, Maryland laboratory facil-
ities and the results have been challenged by the University of Wisconsin.
Headquarters Actions:
1. Development of significant levels advisories.
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-100-
UNREGULATED TOXIC SUBSTANCES - MULTIMEDIA
Overview of Environmental Problem:
There is a growing awareness that toxic substances in the air, water, and
land media present a far more complicated set of pollution concerns that any
confronted to date. Complicating this is that the more scientists learn
about toxic substances, the more regulatory agencies realize that control
mechanisms applied at present are inadequate with respect to comprehensive
environmental protection.
The'emerging issue of unregulated toxic substances is multi-dimensional. The
information base necessary to develop an understanding of the nature and
extent of toxic substances problems is incomplete. Another dimension of the
emerging toxic substances problem is the complex area of hazard and risk
assessment.
A final dimension is the.regulatory and control programs designed to manage
toxic substances. There are programs in all media, under a variety of
environmental legislation, designed, at least in part, to address toxic
substances from the time of their proposed introduction into commerce, through
their use, to the time of their disposal or discharge. Federal laws addressing
toxic substances in the environment include the TSCA, FIFRA, CAA, CWA,
SOWA, RCRA, and CERCLA.
Barriers:
1. The various listing processes for designating toxic substances in all
media are delayed because of limits in the technical data base. Invento-
ries of the types and volumes of substances are either outdated or incom-
plete. Monitoring and surveillance of the sources and environmental
occurrence of substances is expensive and time-consuming and therefore,
incomplete. There is also a lack of standardized analytical procedures
to support effecting listing and deli sting decisions.
?. The capacity to perform the necessary number of formal risk assessments
in a timely manner limits the Agency's ability to properly regulate many
toxic substances. At both the State and Federal levels there are severe
resource limitations to accomplishing the necessary number of risk
assessments in a scientifically sound manner.
3. Legislative deficiencies contribute to the unregulated toxic substances
problem. For examples, the RCRA contains several loopholes, mentioned
above, which reduce the universe of regulated hazardous wastes. In the
TSCA, the creation of an essentially Federal program reduces our capacity
to establish cooperative programs with the States which could expand the
scope and depth of regulatory control over toxic substances.
4. Staff at the Regional and State levels are frequently lacking in suffi-
cient expertise to scientifically define toxic substance problems. This
limitation in turn adversely affects our ability to devise defensible
control strategies and limits.
-------
-101-
5. An integrated management strategy -- for intra-agency, inter-agency, and
Federal/State coordination — does not exist. Further, the practical
linkages of various elements in any toxic substances management system
have not yet been fully defined or operationalized. The present system --
actually a set of systems under the various envirnnmental laws — lacks a
unifying superstructure necessary to upgrade multi-media toxic management.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Define and document data base and data base managment shortcomings and
needs.
2. Define and document to the maximum extent possible the nature and extent
of the "unregulated" toxic substances problems in all media.
3. Evaluate capacity to define, document, assess and control toxic substances
in the environment, and accordingly adjust management structures and pro-
cedures consistent with individual program requirements.
4. States should define any assistance or support needed from the Region on
toxic substances regulation and control.
5. Region V, within the context of Federal legal requirements and a national
strategy for addressing unregulated toxic substances,, needs to develop a
Regional implementation strategy which considers Items 1.- 4. above.
6. ? Any other suggestions?
Headquarters Actions:
1. Identify any gaps or weaknesses in legislation and propose appropriate
legislative remedies.
2. Develop and disseminate as rapidly as resources permit cross-Agency
information on chemical regulatory activities. This includes as a minimum
the followi ng:
- EPA Chemical Activities Status Report (EPACASR)
- Chemical/Industry File
- Exposure Assessment Library
- Risk Assessments Underway
- Chemical Information Resources Handbook
0 Chemical Regulation and Guidelines System (CRGS)
0 Chemical Substances Information Network
(Special Briefing Possible)
- Integrated Priority Pollutants (IPP's)
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- Contracts Coordination
0 Extramural Activities Report (EAR)
0 Contract Coordination
(Existing/Past Studies)
3. Develop integrated toxic substances strategy for the Agency, including
enunciation of policy and policy guidance.
4. Continue support to the State Integrated Toxic Substances Program.
5. Provide technical assistance on subjects such as the following:
- information sharing
- intermedia transfers
- toxic substances substitutes analyses
fi. Provide coordination with other Federal.agencies.
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MIJNICIPAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEAN HATER ACT
Overview of Environmental Problem:
Assumptions were made that the 1983 goals of the Clean Water Act would be
met and that the activities under the Act would wind down. It was assumed that
funding could' be curtailed because munipalities were becoming self sufficient.
This did not occur and municipalities are confronted with financial difficult-
ies for environmental and other issues.
Barriers:
1. The necessary municipal infrastructures did not get established. Funding
is being curtailed, while the demand still exists.
2. Municipalities have not taken the necessary steps, such as short and long
term financing, to bolster the infrastructure.
3. Lack of short term financing has resulted in insufficient Operations and
Maintenance funding and practices at a large number of facilities.
4. Lack of long term financing has resulted in no capital for replacement/
repai r/growth.
State/Federal Actions:
1. Continue increased attention on municipalities through technical assistance
and enforcement activities to address the immediate problems.
2. Continue to develop and implement a municipal compliance strategy to ident-
ify case specific needs, short and long tern.
Hpadquarters Actions:
1. Continue development and implementation of the municipal compliance strategy.
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U.S. Environment?.! Protection AgencjJ
Region V, ; '
-,. " 13*
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