Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SOGGESS STORY
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Oil and Grease Water Quality Goals Achieved in DC Area Stream
WatPrbndv Imnrnvpd "'e9a' °'' anc' 9rease dumping has historically plagued Hickey
Run, a tributary of the Anacostia River approximately 1 mile
downstream of the Washington, DC-Maryland border. As a result of extensive outreach
efforts targeting the major sources of oil and grease—including local automotive repair
shops—Hickey Run was removed from the 303(d) impaired waters list for oil and grease.
Problem
Land use in the Mickey Run watershed is
largely composed of industrial and manufactur-
ing uses, including a number of transportation-
related facilities and automotive repair shops.
The stream has been historically plagued by
oil and grease from illegal dumping, and also
during rain storms as oil and grease from sur-
rounding parking lots, roads, and bridges flush
into the storm sewer system, often overflow-
ing directly into the stream. In 1996 Mickey
Run was included on the DC 303(d) list for
oil and grease, PCBs, and chlordane. In 1998
organics and bacteria were added to the list of
pollutants impairing Mickey Run.
Mickey Run Oil and Grease 1990-1992
140-
^f 120-
__£_ 100
I 80
C 60-
fliJL
10 mg/L
Water Quality Standard
for Oil and Grease
•
Project Highlights
In 1998 the DC Department of Health (DOM),
Environmental Health Administration, devel-
oped a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for
oil and grease calling for a reduction in point
source loads by 89 percent and nonpoint
source loads by 30 percent. The TMDL set
the overall reduction goal at 77 percent of
existing oil and grease loads. Because the
automotive repair shops were an easily rec-
ognizable source of oil and grease in Hickey
Run, the DOH reached out to them through the
Environmental Education Compliance of Auto
Repair Shops (EE-CARS) Program. Businesses
were provided educational resources, com-
prehensive surveys, and follow-up visits. The
industry responded by reducing the amount
Jun-90 Aug-90 Sep-90 Nov-90 Apr-91 Jun-91 Aug-91 Oct-91 Feb-92 Mar-92
Sampling Date
Hickey Run Oil and Grease WQS Attainment Data
o
o
10 mg/L Water Quality
Standard for Oil and Grease
Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul-02 Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb-
02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 03 03
Sampling Date
These graphs illustrate an 88 percent reduction in oil and grease
that has led to the removal of Hickey Run from the 303(d) list of
impaired waters.
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of oil and grease entering Mickey Run by an
even larger percentage than what the TMDL
required.
In addition, in January 2004 the DC DOH,
Environmental Health Administration, DC
Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), and USDA
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that
outlined the responsibilities of each organiza-
tion in the cleanup. The MOU calls for the
installation of a debris/floatables and oil/grease
removal system that would be designed and
constructed by the ARS in collaboration with
the DOH and WASA. As effective as outreach
has been, the proposed system will ensure
that oil and grease will not degrade Hickey
Run in the future for storm events of half an
inch or less. Industry around Hickey Run faces
high employee turnover, making technological
control beneficial in protecting the waterbody
from the impacts of poor shop management
practices, intentional dumping incidents, and
infrequent, but significant spills. Construction
is expected to begin in 2006.
The DC government, in partnership with ARS,
is also developing a restoration plan to address
other problems in the Hickey Run watershed.
The stream experiences unnaturally high
flows during storm events—due to large areas
of paved or otherwise impervious surfaces
—resulting in severely eroded stream banks
and channels. The lowest mile of the stream
currently loses 1,100 tons of sediment per year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
finished a comprehensive assessment of Hickey
Run and its tributaries in December 2004 and is
now preparing a plan intended to mitigate the
damage and restore the stream by using natural
channel design. Implementing the plan will pro-
duce 850 feet of natural channel design, result-
ing in reduced sediment loss, improved stream
functioning, and increased wildlife habitat.
Results
Water quality data obtained in 2002 suggest
that implementation efforts reduced overall oil
and grease loading to Hickey Run by 88 per-
cent compared to loading amounts reported in
1998. This result exceeds the 77 percent total
reduction goal established by the TMDL. The
District of Columbia 2002 and 2003 Discharge
Monitoring Reports indicate that Hickey Run is
achieving water quality goals for oil and grease
levels less than 10 mg/L. As a result, Hickey
Run has been removed from the 303(d) list of
impaired waters for oil and grease.
Partners and Funding
The USDA's U.S. National Arboretum, National
Park Service, District of Columbia WASA,
USDA ARS, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Region 3, and Government of the
District of Columbia all contributed to the
success of oil and grease load reductions in
Hickey Run. With the assistance of section 319
funding, almost $2.2 million is allocated for the
design and construction of the debris/floatables
and oil/grease removal system. Of the USFWS
and section 319 funding that DOH has received,
$234,040 was spent on creating the design
plans for the restoration project and $115,370
was spent on assessing the water quality.
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'. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
\ Office of Water
a Washington, DC
EPA841-F-05-004J
July 2005
For additional information contact:
Dr. Karen Zhang
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
301-504-5557 • zhangk@ba.ars.usda.gov
Alexi Boado
Government of The District of Columbia
202-535-1798 • Alexi.boado@dc.gov
Peter Hill
Government of The District of Columbia
202-535-2691 • peter.hill@dc.gov
Fred Suffian
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
215-814-5753 • suffian.fred@epa.gov
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