208 bullet
Number 10
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
June 14, 1976
Agri culture
and the
Control of
Water Pollution
The role of the agricultural sector in
controlling water pollution was the topic of
a speech given in Hawaii by Eckardt C. Beck.
Mr. Beck, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator
for Water Planning and Standards, spoke to the
National Association of Conservation Districts
(NACD).
Praising the extensive work done by local
conservation districts, Beck noted the
successful cooperative efforts of 40 State
sediment control institutes. He added that
NACD is developing a plan for manpower develop-
ment and training to aid the Water Quality
Management Program. "This study is well under-
way ..." said Beck.
Beck outlined other instances of cooperation.
He said that several of the 208 areawide planning
agencies have entered into a variety of con-
tractual relationships with soil conservation
districts or with a regional organization of
conservation districts. "The Dane County Soil
and Water Conservation District has a working
program with the Dane County Council of Govern-
ments within the 208 program," he said. "Other
areawide agencies such as Suffolk County, New York;
Lake County, Illinois; and Yellowstone Valley,
Montana, have all initiated or completed planning
agreements with soil and water districts or
regional associations of districts."
Several States have begun to develop formal
relationships involving soil and water commissions,
within the State water quality planning and
management process for both'designated and non-
designated areas,he added. Florida, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Maine, Colorado, South Dakota,
Mississippi, and Oklahoma are among these
States .
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Format!on
an Urban
Planning
Task Force
of
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"In the future, we see the districts
being involved in the 208 process in a
variety of activities, for example, in the
delineation of future sewer -service areas,"
he said.
"We will need your assistance in deter-
mining where there are nonpoint source
problems, what their estimated magnitude
is, and how to develop priorities for program
solutions."
Beck also said that the districts could
expand their important role of Federal and
State interagency coordination. He felt
there would be an acce'l era ti on in the districts'
concern and role in sediment control from
roadsides, as well as from land being held
for development and land being developed.
"We see the districts, together with
the Soil Conservation Service, expanding or
reviewing their management practice systems
to encompass best management practices for
water quality needs."
EPA's Office of Research and Development
has formed an Urban Planning Task Force to
provide a focal point to coordinate activities
and provide assistance and technological
support to the agency's 208 program.
Located at the Municipal Research Labo-
ratory in Cincinnati and directed by John M.
Smith, this 6-member task force will act as
liaison between EPA's Office of Air, Land and
Water Use (OALWU) research program and the
operating programs responsible for implementing
Section 208 of PL 92-500. The task force will
first summarize and accelerate the delivery of
pertinent research results to the designated
208 agencies and related user communities. The
task force recently completed a two-month survey
of 208 planning needs which included agency
visits, telephone interviews, ar)d discussions
and meetings with Regional 208 coordinators,
208 contractors, and other agency personnel.
As a result of this survey, along with
a complete review of the OALWU related
research programs, the task force will
prepare an "Areawide Assessment Procedures
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-3-
Manual" (AAPM) to provide a critically needed
technological guidance for areawide planners
in a readily useable form. The AAPM will
contain data base inventory and problem identi-
fication, procedures for urban and non-urban
pollutant source and load assessment, analysis
of stream impacts, and evaluation and selection
of control alternatives. In addition to this
information, the AAPM will also contain twelve
separate appendices including a model applica-
bility summary, land use data bases and methods,
monitoring requirements, best management
practices and a major appendix summarizing
structural cost information and methods. The
AAPM will be published in three separate volumes
Portions of the first two volumes will be
available after July 15 and the third volume
will be ready by September 15, 1976.
208 Official Mark Pisano, director of EPA's Water
Encourages Planning Division, discussed implementation
Implementation of 208-generated plans recently at a conference
for local officials.
Speaking to local officials and 208
members, he charged that the program is failing
to develop a commitment to implementation.
He said that most agencies are working at
full speed developing detailed work plans,
projecting population figures and land use,
and developing alternatives. Agencies are
doing what they have done for years Pisano
pointed out; they are developing plans which
may or may not be implemented.
Pisano emphasized that the process of
developing commitment must start the day
someone begins to think about being designated.
Once the funding grant is obtained, he said,
implementation must become the number one
priority. "Obviously the plan must be tech-
nically sound," the EPA official commented.
"But, as we all know, there are thousands of
technically sound plans that have gone nowhere."
Pisano listed a series of questions
which must be addressed as a program for
implementation is developed:
1) Who are the community, local and
State leaders who will play a significant
role in the success of the program?
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2) Are their major interest environ-
mental?. ..economic?...re-election?
3) Are their interests being met?
4) Are leaders and nonleaders partici-
pating in plan development? Or are they
being used as rubber stamps by the planning
staff?
5) Have the program's supporters been
identified? How about potential supporters?
Is the support being strengthened?
•
6) Does the developing plan allow for
compromise and bargaining, especially with
those who could block it?
7) Have Regional Planning Agencies and
Councils of Government made concerted efforts
to strengthen relationships with localities?
8) Are State Administrators and legislators
being brought into the process now?
Pisano pointed out that the answers to
these questions are the deciding factors of
a plan's implementation. "Developing a com-
mitment to implementation is the most difficult
task facing us," he said. "Unless we devote
substantial resources to it and unless we begin
working on it now, it will elude us... I firmly
believe that it has to be our number one
p r i o r i ty ."
Urban Storm- The EPA Office of Research and Development
water Impact through the Municipal Environmental Research
Studies Laboratory in Cincinnati is attempting to
locate potential sites for projects to determine
the pollution effect in receiving waters from
separate and combined sewer loadings. Priority
will be given to sites within 208 planning areas
and additional funding will be provided to
support the collection of receiving water
impact data.
To qualify for consideration as a study
site, the project location should have:
* Receiving water conditions that will
allow correlation between impact and
pollution loads
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* Sources and receiving waters accessible
for moni tori ng
* Some evidence of pollution impact due
to separate or combined discharges
Other desirable characteristics of a site
i nclude:
* The potential for a dissolved oxygen
sag to occur as a result of the inter-
mi 11ant load
* Cooperating organization that has need
for the impact data
* Receiving water conditions that will
enable field verification of water
quality prediction models
The project is primarily a field study
to collect real time urban stormw.ater and
receiving water data over a one to two-year
period. This will require storm related
sampling to determine hydrographs and polluto-
graphs for major discharges and the receiving
water response to such loads. For additional
information, call John English, NERL,
Cincinnati (513) 684-7613.
Innovative Innovative 208 meetings recently held
Meetings in in Palm Beach and Dade County, Florida provided
Florida an opportunity for local elected officials to
meet with their Congressmen and discuss 208
planning objectives.
EPA Region IV representatives on hand
to field questions during the sessions were
Frank Reed, Regional Congressional and Inter-
governmental Affairs Officer and Scott P.
Berdine, 208 Project Officer.
The local 208 agencies coordinated with
Congressional representatives in mailing
invitations and acquiring meeting space.
This cooperation helped generate attendance
of local officials; more than half of the
governmental units in each planning area
were present and involved in the sessions.
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Wastewater
Faci1i ties/
Construct!on
Grants
Workshops Set
Se
Constru
They wi
Knoxvi1
July 21
August
The wor
being s
a t i o n o
and The
-6-
veral sess
ction Gran
11 be held
le, July 1
-22; Washi
26-27; and
kshops , de
ponsored j
f Counties
Internati
ions on Wastewater Facilities/
ts are scheduled this summer.
in Chicago, June 17-18;
6-17; Dallas/Ft. Worth,
ngton, August 12-13; Atlanta,
San Francisco, September 1-2.
signed for local leaders, are
ointly by the National Associ-
, The National League of Cities,
onal City Management Association
The opening day sessions wil
Washington perspective and the In
perspective, and include a city-c
and a feedback session. Planning
Federal regulations, and EPA regi
trative procedures are to be disc
second day. For more information
tration materials contact the Con
Grants Project Manager at the nat
quarters of any of the sponsoring
1 be on the
tergovernmenta1
ounty dialogue
, financing,
onal adminis-
ussed on the
and rsgis-
s truction
ional head-
associations .
The relationship between the areawide plan
and plans for individual facilities is funda-
mental to the Water Quality Management Program.
The 208 staff is responsible for working
closely with local officials to see that
the ongoing facility planning is consistent
with the areawide program. Close coordi-
nation developed early in the planning process
is essential for implementation of sound
programs.
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stories, information exchange, requests for
advice or information, public participation
suggestions, items relating 208 to other
programs, etc. Send your material or inquiries
to the 208 Bulletin.
Are you receiving your 208 Bulletin at the
correct address? If not, please let us know
so that corrections can be made. Send
changes to: 208 Bulletin, Water Planning
Division (WH-554), US EPA, Washington, D.C.
20460.
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Wciter Planning Division iWH 5541
U S Environmental Protection Agencv
Washington 0 C 20460
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