Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 Marshall, Minn. - A public comment period begins Dec. 31 and continues through Jan. 31, 2008 on a report addressing water pollution in portions of the Rock River in southwestern Minnesota. The report, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study, focuses on pollution caused by fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity. Public information meetings have been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 24 in Edgerton and Luverne. The Edgerton meeting will be at the ambulance garage, 1000 S. Main, starting with an informal open house at 2:30 p.m. followed by a presentation at 3 p.m. The Luverne meeting will be at the Rock County Family Services building, 2 Roundwind Road, with an open house at 6:30 p.m. and presentation at 7 p.m. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has placed two sections of the Rock River and one section of Elk Creek on the state's impaired waters list for exceeding water quality standards. Monitoring data show that these reaches fail to meet the standard for human contact due to excessive amounts of fecal coliform bacteria, and also the water quality standard for turbidity. Fecal coliform bacteria can affect human health and limit recreational use of the water. Sources of bacteria include failing septic systems, unsewered communities, wildlife, stormwater runoff from livestock feedlots and manure applied to cropland. Turbidity is a measure of water clarity and is an indicator of water quality. It is caused by suspended and dissolved matter such as clay, silt, organic matter and algae. Increased turbidity levels limit light penetration and inhibit healthy plant growth. High turbidity can make it difficult for aquatic organisms to find food, affect gill functions and cause spawning habitat to become covered. The Minnesota State University-Mankato Water Resources Center has prepared the TMDL report documenting the impairments. The TMDL report is part of a nationwide effort under the federal Clean Water Act to identify and clean up pollution in streams, rivers and lakes. A TMDL report is a scientific study that calculates the maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive, known as the "loading capacity," without exceeding water quality standards. After receiving comments, the MPCA will revise the draft Rock River TMDL report and submit it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Following EPA approval, a plan will be developed to reduce fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity pollution in the Rock River. Comments can be sent to Kelli Daberkow, MPCA, 1420 E. College Dr., Suite 900, Marshall, MN 56258. For more information on the Rock River fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity TMDL project, contact:
· Kelli Daberkow, MPCA-Marshall, 507-537-6497
· Scott Mattison, MSU-Mankato WRC 507-389-5338
· Rock County Land Management Office, 507-283-8862 ext. 3. The draft TMDL report will be available on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/index.html#drafttmdl. General information on TMDLs can be found on the Web at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/ and www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/. Written comments must include the following:
· A statement of your interest in the draft TMDL report;
· A statement of the action you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to sections of the draft TMDL that you believe should be changed, and
· Specific reasons supporting your position.