Great Bay Municipal Great Bay Municipal CoalitionCoalition

New Hampshire Water Pollution ControlNew Hampshire Water Pollution Control

AssociationAssociation

June 13, 2013June 13, 2013

Dean PeschelDean Peschel

Peschel ConsultingPeschel Consulting

603-781-5931603-781-5931

dean_peschel@yahoo.comdean_peschel@yahoo.com

Dover, Exeter, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Dover, Exeter, Newmarket, Portsmouth, and Rochesterand Rochester

Protect Estuary resourcesProtect Estuary resourcesUnderstand the scienceUnderstand the science

Invest in solutions that address cause of Invest in solutions that address cause of resource degradation to the extent necessaryresource degradation to the extent necessary

Great Bay Municipal CoalitionGreat Bay Municipal Coalition

History of Nitrogen IssueHistory of Nitrogen Issue NH Estuary Program TAC 2005-2008 NH Estuary Program TAC 2005-2008

Concluded N not cause eelgrass lossConcluded N not cause eelgrass loss

2009 NHDES Numeric Nutrient Criteria 2009 NHDES Numeric Nutrient Criteria Concluded N was the cause of eelgrass lossConcluded N was the cause of eelgrass loss

Established a 0.3 mg/l TN water column Established a 0.3 mg/l TN water column transparency based WQ standard to protect transparency based WQ standard to protect eelgrasseelgrass

2009 NHDES declared Great Bay 2009 NHDES declared Great Bay ImpairedImpaired

2011 EPA issues draft NPDES permits 2011 EPA issues draft NPDES permits

Limits of technology (3 mg/l) Limits of technology (3 mg/l)

Conceptual ModelConceptual Model

Excess Nitrogen stimulates phytoplankton Excess Nitrogen stimulates phytoplankton growth (chl-a)growth (chl-a)

Excess phytoplankton in the water reduces Excess phytoplankton in the water reduces light transparencylight transparency

Reduced light transparency impacts Reduced light transparency impacts eelgrasseelgrass

ConclusionsConclusions

Reducing nitrogen levels in the estuary Reducing nitrogen levels in the estuary will not materially improve water column will not materially improve water column transparency transparency

Proposed 0.3 mg/l TN transparency Proposed 0.3 mg/l TN transparency based WQ standard is unjustifiedbased WQ standard is unjustified

Plan that makes sensePlan that makes sense

Best use of available resourcesBest use of available resources

Addresses point and non point sourcesAddresses point and non point sources

Monitors progress and adaptsMonitors progress and adapts

Coalition Adaptive Management proposal (Oct.-Coalition Adaptive Management proposal (Oct.-11)11)

Utilizes recommendations from the Piscataqua River Estuary Utilizes recommendations from the Piscataqua River Estuary Partnership's CCMPPartnership's CCMP

Adaptive Management Proposal

• Coalition WWTP's discharging to the estuary 8 mg/l N permit limits; Operational within 5 yrs

• Invest in WQ and Habitat monitoring & research

• Invest in habitat restoration projects• Stormwater improvements• Septic system contribution reduction

strategy • Fertilizer use controls• Stream and wetland buffers• Support land conservation

Recent Developments

Newmarket and Exeter have final permits3 mg/l TN permit limit

Extended schedule

Required to develop plan to reduce nonpoint Both communities have to build new treatment plantsDover has a draft permit (3mg/l TN)

Rochester and Portsmouth expect draft permits in near future2012 State of Estuaries Report

2012 PREP State of Estuaries Report

2012 SOE Report confirmsAlgae (phytoplankton) blooms have not increased in more than 30 years

Macroalgae is an emerging problem that requires additional research

Effect of nitrogen loads on system not fully determined and requires more research

Eelgrass in Little Bay have rebounded to highest level in decades

Excessive rainfall during 2004-2007 resulted in

a temporary peak in nitrogen levels

Current Coalition Efforts

State law suit NHDESRSA rule making

Federal law suit EPA Appeal of Newmarket NPDES permit NH Legislative effort

Require NHDES to conduct independent peer review of 2009 Nutrient Criteria

Initiate rule making process on appropriate WQ standard

Current Coalition Efforts

Preparing for peer review of 2009 Nutrient Criteria

Communities partnering with PREP to conduct eelgrass mapping 2013

Completing development of a hydrodynamic model of the estuary

Draft NH Stormwater Permit

2003 MS4 permit < 50 pages• Flexibility

2012 draft MS4 permit >200 pages• Prescriptive• Overwhelming

– Cost– Municipal Resources

NH Stormwater Coalition

Opportunity60 MS4 NH Communities

Represent >750,000 NH residents

ChallengesLarge and Small communities

Unfamiliar working together

Concerns over fairness and approaches

Coalition Building

Funding formula has changed• Local responsibility

– Provide funding– Insure resources are spend wisely

Local and Regional Coalitions• Political support

– Federal – State

• Financial cost sharing– Legal expertise– Technical expertise