Chesapeake BayTMDL Outreach Update

Water Quality Goal Implementation Team Conference Call

August 10, 2009

Attachment B

Specific Outreach Opportunities

  • LGAC Webinar, Aug. 4, Annapolis
  • Chesapeake Bay Commission-sponsored meeting with Maryland legislators, Aug. 11.
  • Maryland Association of Counties, Wed., Aug. 12, OceanCity
  • Virginia House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake Bay and Natural Resources, Wed., Aug. 26, Richmond, Va.
  • Chesapeake Watershed Forum, Oct. 9-11, Shepherdstown, WV.
  • Other scheduled or to be scheduled.
  • Seeking other opportunities to engage stakeholder groups in the summer and fall.

Public Meetings

  • First round to be held in November and the first weeks of December after the October 23 PSC meeting when information on basin-jurisdiction loading targets is available.
  • Some states interested in a general information session in the September/early October time frame.
  • Virginia scheduled for Oct. 2 in Richmond. Will be videocast to satellite offices and offered to others via GoToWebinar.
  • Maryland interested in hosting similar session.
  • Region-hosted Webinar.

Web Site

  • Region 3 is launching a Web site dedicated to Bay TMDL news and information.
  • Web site to include news and information, fact sheets, multi-media presentations (video, podcast), PowerPoint presentations, maps, Q&A and other features.

Potential News Items

  • Federal Register Noticeand Web site availability (early August).
  • Implementation plan guidance and consequences lettersissued to the states (September)
  • Meetings and tours (throughout summer)
  • Feature story on the Phase 5 model and how far our capabilities have come.
  • Public meeting announcements.
  • Watershed-wide and major basin-jurisdiction loading targets (late October, after the Principals’ Staff Committee meeting)

Article Submissions

  • Bay Journal
  • Weekly and daily newspapers
  • Trade publications
  • Partner Web sites

Initial Messages

  • Excess nutrient and sediment pollution harming the Bay and local waters.
  • TMDL will restrict overall loadings and apportion them among states.
  • Jurisdictions will prepare implementation plans supported by a series of two-year milestones.
  • Bay TMDL will include accountability measures to ensure planned progress is achieved.
  • Actions will benefit Bay and local waters.
  • New scientific information about pollution sources, river flows and cleanup practices indicates it will take considerably more effort than previously thought to restore water quality.
  • Collectively, the tributary strategies will not go far enough to meet the state’s Chesapeake Bay water quality standards.