Looks like there are more than 150 people in the Eastern High School auditorium tonight for the EPA’s “TMDL” meeting on Floyds Fork.
The waterway drains 284 square miles in six Kentucky counties, and it currently fails to meet standards for recreation and aquatic life.
It didn’t take very long for someone to shout from the back, “What’s a TMDL.” I call it a cleanup-plan — but it’s basically a pollution budget for the watershed: how much pollution can the waterway absorb and still be safe for swimming and for aquatic life.
Of those 150 or so here, many clearly are being paid. I see farm and business lobbyists, representatives of political leaders, including Republicans Rand Paul (the senator) and Bret Guthrie (the U.S. Rep).
There are also representatives of environmental groups like Sierra Club, Floyds Fork Environmental Association and Future Fund. MSD’s Brian Bingham is in the house, too.
A lot is at stake, potentially. The results could lead to a reallocation of waste-load into the creek. But that will likely only happen if the community really presses for a cleanup. But realistically, I wonder how many years we will have to wait for this process to actually clean up the creek, which is now the centerpiece of a string of new parks in eastern Jefferson County.
Tim Wool from the EPA said the study will be done by Nov. 15, 2012. “Implementation, depending upon what would be needed,” will then take longer, he said but it’s “hard to say how long it is going to take. I have worked on some where it could take 200 years. There is no way to tell at this point?”
That’s motivational!
Chris Thomas from the EPA then added: “This will happen over a period of time.” He said permits eventually will be based on the TMDL, and they seek compliance “as soon as possible.”
EPA and state Division of Water can crack down on sewage treatment plants in Floyds Fork — and there’s a good chance that will happen. The momentum has begun to eventually move sewage treatment farther town the watershed, to the Salt River, closer to the Ohio. The bigger the river the better it can absorb pollution. But there’s little evidence that either the EPA or the state is making meaningful progress limiting pollution in storm water runoff.
By the way, I get a kick out of the language of meetings like this. I just found out that pollution isn’t called pollution. It’s called “constituent.” Hey, aren’t we also the constituents of our political leaders? Hmmm.
During question time, someone asked: Will farmers be required to employ best management practices? EPA says state will have to figure that out.
Another question: Will the study take into account the cost of compliance? EPA said no, the study is to determine the science — the actual amount of pollution the stream can take. Economics are factored in later.
EPA officials say they expect to be back in November to discuss the computer modeling that they are going to be doing to develop the TMDL. Also what they are calling the “end-points.” That sounds important.