# Presentation: 751536

## Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load

**Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load**
**Susannah King**
**March 28, 2008**

## Overview

**Background Information**
**TMDL Development**
**TMDL Calculations**
**Implementation**

## Project Team

**Connecticut DEP**
**Maine DEP**
**Massachusetts DEP**
**New Hampshire DES**

**New York State DEC**
**Rhode Island DEM**
**Vermont DEC**
**NEIWPCC**

## Who is NEIWPCC?	

**New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission**
**Compact Member States: New England States and New York**
**Congressionally Authorized Interstate Commission formed in 1947**
**Based in Lowell, Mass.**

## Why is mercury a concern?

**Toxic metal**
**Human exposure from contaminated fish**
**Fish consumption advisories**

## How does mercury get into fish?

- Courtesy of MassDEP

## Fish Consumption Advisories and Impaired Waters

**Statewide fish consumption advisories in six states**
**Over 10,000 impaired lakes, ponds, and reservoirs**
**Over 46,000 impaired river miles**

## What is a TMDL?

- TMDL = Total Maximum Daily Load
**Amount of a specific pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards (WQS)**
**States required to develop TMDLs for all waters listed on their 303(d) list (of impaired waters)**
**TMDLs approved/disapproved by EPA**

## Why a regional TMDL?

**Atmospheric deposition of mercury common problem in region**
**All states impacted by out-of-region sources**
**Less resource-intensive**
**Existing framework for regional collaboration**

## New England Governors – Eastern Canadian Premiers Mercury Task Force

**Formed in 1998**
**Virtual elimination goal**
**Interim goals**
**50% for 2003**
**75% for 2010**

## General Approach

**Based on MN Statewide Mercury TMDL**
**Assumes proportional relationship between reductions in mercury emissions, deposition, and fish tissue concentrations**
**Accounts for deposition due to natural sources**

## Necessary Data

**Fish tissue concentrations**
**Emissions and deposition loads**
**Wastewater concentrations and loads**

## Source: NESCAUM

## Source: NESCAUM

## Contributions of In-Region and Out-of-Region Sources to In-Region Deposition

**Contributions of In-Region and Out-of-Region Sources to In-Region Deposition**

**1998**

**2002**

- Source: NESCAUM

## TMDL Baseline

**Baseline year 1998**
**Baseline fish concentration 1.14 ppm for smallmouth bass**
**Initial target fish concentration 0.3 ppm**

## TMDL Framework

**Target Fish Level**
**0.30 ppm**

**TMDL Framework**

**74% reduction**

## Baseline Mercury Load

**Total Atmospheric Deposition of Mercury**
**6,506 kg/yr**** **

**Total 1998 Source Load**
**6,647 kg/yr**

**Wastewater**
**141 kg/yr**

**Natural Sources**
**1,626 kg/yr**

**Anthropogenic Sources**
**4,879 kg/yr**

**In-Region Sources**
**2,092 kg/yr**

**Out-of-Region Sources**
**2,787 kg/yr**

**Baseline Mercury Load**

- +

## TMDL Allocations

**Total Source Load**
**6,647 kg/yr**

**Loading Goal**
**1,749 kg/yr**

**Wasteload Allocation (Wastewater)**
**37 kg/yr**

**Load Allocation (Atmospheric Deposition)**
**1,712 kg/yr**

**Anthropogenic Atmospheric Deposition Goal**
**86 kg/yr**

**74 % reduction**

**Represents 98 % reduction**

**TMDL Allocations**

**Discount Natural Sources 1,626 kg/yr (cannot be controlled)**

## 50% Reduction

- 1,046 kg

- 2,092 kg

## 50% Reduction

- 1,394 kg

- 2,787 kg

## Adaptive Implementation

**All Northeast states will continue with mercury reduction initiatives in place**
**Re-evaluate fish tissue, emissions, and deposition data in 2010**
**Reconsider end goal and timeline**

## Success!

**Draft TMDL released for public comment on April 11, 2007**
**Final TMDL submitted to EPA on October 24, 2007**
**Approval received from EPA Regions 1 and 2 on December 20, 2007**

## Next Steps

**Implementation!**
**Further investigation of contributions of out-of-region sources**

## Special Thanks to...

**Traci Iott and Paul Stacey, CT DEP**
**Andy Fisk and Barry Mower, ME DEP**
**Rick Dunn, Russ Isaac, and Mark Smith, MA DEP**
**Gregg Comstock and Peg Foss, NH DES**
**Jay Bloomfield, Dick Draper, Ron Entringer, and Scott Quinn, NYS DEC**

**Scott Ribas and Elizabeth Scott, RI DEM**
**Tim Clear and Neil Kamman, VT DEC**
**John Graham, NESCAUM**
**Beth Card, NEIWPCC**
**NEIWPCC Executive Committee**

## Contact Information

**Susannah King**
**Environmental Analyst**
**NEIWPCC**
**sking@neiwpcc.org**
**www.neiwpcc.org/mercury**