Government Eco-Action Mon.: Fairfax Meeting to Address “ABC’s” of Bay TMDL

TMDL. No, it’s not some newfangled programming code, but an acronym you’re likely to be hearing quite often nonetheless in the days–and years–to come. Tonight, you’ll have a chance to learn what one local jurisdiction, Fairfax County, is doing to help establish its part of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay. 

The County will hold a public meeting to address its role in development of the complex EPA initiative, which would set restrictions on nutrient and sediment pollution throughout a 64,000-square-mile watershed that includes six states and the District. A regulatory tool of the federal Clean Water Act, the Chesapeake Bay TMDL will be backed by a series of accountability measures to ensure compliance.

In a letter to the Water Protection Division, EPA Region III, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Sharon Bulova, offers the board’s input for development of the TMDL. Stating that Fairfax County is the most populated local jurisdiction in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with “…a long history of progressive environmental management,” she notes, “…we are following with great interest recent developments at the federal level to increase the pace of efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay.”

As cited in Bulova’s letter, the Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order (signed by President Obama in May 2009) is helping create a new era of federal leadership in restoring the Bay. Both Senate and House legislation being considered could help set standards for stormwater management to facilitate consistency across state and local lines. 

Noting how “Improvements can and should be made in how urban and suburban stormwater is managed,” Bulova includes a caveat that “Goals should be realistic and attainable, focusing on parameters reasonably within the control of local governments and organizations to influence.” 

To learn more about the “ABC’s” of the TMDL, read the full letter and/or attend the public meeting tonight, Monday, Dec. 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Falls Church High School’s Little Theater, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church, Virginia.