Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Nancy Miller, (507) 280-3590 Technical contact: Lee Ganske, (507) 281-7765 Toll-free: (800) 657-3864 Rochester, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requests public comments on the draft Revised Regional Total Maximum Daily Load Evaluation of Fecal Coliform Impairments in the Lower Mississippi River Basin in Minnesota. The report, known as a TMDL, is on public notice until Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005. Thirty-nine stream segments in the Lower Mississippi and Cedar River basins are impaired for swimming because fecal coliform levels violate Minnesota water quality standards. Due to the violations, these segments appear on Minnesota's list of impaired waters. The list and report are part of a nationwide effort under the TMDL provision of the federal Clean Water Act to identify and clean up pollution in streams, rivers and lakes. Every two years, states are required to submit a list of impaired waters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). States and local organizations must determine the maximum daily load of pollutants that a water body can carry and still meet water quality standards. Currently, Minnesota has listed 1,123 water bodies with pollution impairments. In 2002, the MPCA submitted a report titled, "Regional Total Maximum Daily Load Study of Fecal Coliform Bacteria Impairments in the Lower Mississippi River Basin in Minnesota," to the EPA. The EPA approved the report later that year. The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy subsequently challenged the approval. In a June 2005 ruling on MCEA's legal challenge, the U.S. District Court for Minnesota remanded the TMDL report to the EPA for revisions. A copy of the court ruling is on the MPCA Web site at/water/tmdl/index.html#finaltmdl Prior to the court ruling, the MPCA had begun revisions in two other areas of the report. First, 19 river segments have been added to the impaired waters list since the original TMDL was submitted for approval. As such, the revised TMDL includes 39 segments instead of the 20 contained in the original report. In addition, based on new EPA guidance, municipal storm sewer systems and confined animal feeding operations are now included in the wasteload allocation for permitted sources, rather than the allocation for nonpermitted sources. Despite the legal challenge, MPCA developed an implementation plan shortly after approval of the original TMDL report. Since 2002, efforts to reduce fecal coliform bacteria levels have been underway throughout the basin. Upon approval of the revised TMDL report, a public process for reviewing and updating the existing implementation plan will begin. The revised TMDL is currently on public notice and available on the MPCA Web site at/water/tmdl/index.html#drafttmdl. Comments on it must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005. Send comments and requests for additional information to:
Lee Ganske
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
18 Wood Lake Drive SE
Rochester, MN 55904
Phone: (507) 281-7765 (direct)
Toll Free: (800) 657-3864
Fax: (507) 280-5513
E-mail: lee.ganske@pca.state.mn.us
TTY users may call the MPCA at (651) 282-5332 or (800) 657-3864