1. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plans: Why, What, and When Katherine Antos U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office MACo Winter Conference January 7, 2010

2. 2 Why? Chesapeake Bay water quality does not support living resources EPA establishing a total maximum daily load, or pollution budget, for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment President Obama and proposed reauthorization of Clean Water Act call for greater transparency and accountability Chesapeake Bay TMDL and Watershed Implementation Plans

3. 3 Why: Learning from Experience Scale Timing Consequences

4. 4 What: Bay TMDL and WIP Development Major basin jurisdiction loading targets Plan details into draft WLAs & LAs Final TMDL Established Nov. 2009 – August 2010 December 2010 EPA sends Expect- ations letter to PSC EPA sends Conse- quences letter to PSC Nov. - Dec. 2009 2012 – 2025 2-year milestones, reporting, modeling, monitoring Develop Ph. I WIP Ph II WIP with local targets and controls No later than November 2011

5. 5 What: Bay TMDL Watershed Implementation Plan Includes: 1.Nutrient and Sediment Target Loads 2.Current Program Capacity 3.Mechanisms to Account for Growth 4.Gap Analysis 5.Commitment to Fill Gaps: Policies, Rules, Dates for Key Actions 6.Tracking and Reporting Protocols 7.Contingencies for Failed, Delayed or Incomplete Implementation 8.Appendix with: a.Loads divided by 303(d) segment drainage and source sector b.2-year milestone loads by jurisdiction – EPA will use to assess milestones c.No later than November 2011: Update to include loads divided by local area and controls to meet 2017 interim target load Chesapeake Bay Program will assist jurisdictions with Plan development

6. 6 When: Schedule TMDL Development –11/2009 Nutrient targets released –4/2010 Revised nutrient and sediment targets –6-7/2010 EPA Plan Review –8-10/2010 Draft TMDL for Public Comment –10/2010 TMDL Revisions –12/2010 Final TMDL –1/2012 and on: 2-year milestones Watershed Implementation Plan –11/2009 Expectations released –6/2010 Initial Plan –8/2010 Draft Phase I Plan –10/2010 Phase I Plan Revisions –11/2010 Final Phase I Plan … –11/2011 Final Phase II Plan … –By 2017 Phase III Plan

7. 7 Myth Fact EPA expects Watershed Implementation Plan from each county Purpose of local targets is to impose consequences on local partners EPA not supporting development of Watershed Implementation Plans EPA expects Watershed Implementation Plan from each state & D.C. EPA will fist assess progress at state-wide scale EPA providing financial, contractual and technical assistance to state and local partners to develop Watershed Implementation Plans

8. 5 Katherine Antos, Coordinator Water Quality Goal Implementation Team U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office antos.katherine@epa.gov (410) 295-1358 For More Information on the Bay TMDL: http://www.epa.gov/chesapeakebaytmdl/