Workshop D

Water Quality Standards, Permitting & Compliance

Challenges in Kentucky, Indiana & Ohio in an Era of U.S. EPA’s

Cooperative Federalism Initiative

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 9:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Biographical Information

David A. Owen, Member, Dickinson Wright PLLC 300 West Vine Street, Suite 1700, Lexington, KY 40507

859-899-8707 Fax: 859-899-8759 dowen@dickinsonwright.com

David Owen is a member in the law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC and has over 25 years of experience counseling businesses on a wide range of environmental issues, including water, waste and air permitting, defending enforcement actions by state and federal authorities and litigating environmental disputes. In those capacities he represents manufacturing facilities, agri businesses, petroleum companies and energy companies, among others. David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University and graduated cum laude from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University, with a Juris Doctor degree. In addition to practicing law, David serves as a Director and the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee of Omega Protein, Inc., a public company that produces a variety of human and animal nutrition products.

Tiffani Kavalec, Chief, Division of Surface Water Ohio EPA, PO Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049

614-644-3538 Fax: 614-644-2745 tiffani.kavalec@epa.ohio.gov

Tiffani Kavalec assumed the position of Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water (DSW) Chief in August, 2015. She has been with Ohio EPA since 1995 where she started as an Environmental Specialist in the Division of Environmental Response & Revitalization’s (DERR) enforcement program negotiating state and federal superfund actions. In early 2002, Tiffani became the manager of the Site Assessment and Brownfield Revitalization (SABR) Program which included working with the Ohio Department of Development to set environmental policy and outreach to local governments for Clean Ohio Funding of brownfield cleanups in Ohio. In 2009, she became the manager of DERR’s Assessment, Cleanup and Reuse (ACRE) section, where her duties included oversight of Ohio’s Voluntary Action, Federal Facilities, Remedial Response, Site Assessment, and Natural Resource Damages’ Programs. In February of 2014, Tiffani was asked to become the Assistant Chief of DERR. However, a mere five months later in August 2014, it was determined that Ohio EPA could use her skills as an Assistant Chief in DSW to directly oversee NPDES, PTI, Storm Water, 401, Isolated Wetlands, Enforcement & Compliance, and 319 grants. Tiffani received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Indiana University and completed more than three years of post-graduate work through the University of Findlay’s Environmental Management Program.

Biographical Information

Martha Clark Mettler Assistant Commissioner, Office of Water Quality

Indiana Department of Environmental Management 100 North Senate Avenue, IGCN 1255

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251 317-232-8402 mclark@idem.in.gov

Martha Clark Mettler is the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Water Quality (OWQ) at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). In the position since 2015, Ms. Mettler co-leads and oversees the approximately 200 staff who implements the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act programs in Indiana. Prior to her promotion to AC, she served for a decade as Deputy Assistant Commissioner of OWQ after working as Watershed Planning Branch chief and Ground Water Section chief among other positions since she hired into the agency in 1995. Martha has a Master of Planning in Environmental Planning from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University.

Jory M. Becker, P.E. Environmental Engineering Branch Manager

Water Infrastructure Branch – Kentucky Division of Water 300 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 782-6887 jory.becker@ky.gov Mr. Becker attended college at Florida State University, receiving a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. His career includes over 22 years of experience in both the public and private sectors of the environmental engineering field. Mr. Becker’s primary experience at this point is in the water and wastewater regulatory fields. After being a consultant early in his career, he joined the Kentucky Division of Water as a Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) permit writer. Mr. Becker went on to manage the KPDES program for more than 10 years. In 2015, he transitioned to managing the Water Infrastructure Branch for DOW. In that capacity, he manages a team of people who perform a variety of functions to implement portions of the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Water Resources Reform & Development Act. This includes a wide variety of infrastructure management programs including wastewater planning, asset management, public financing, engineering, and drinking water capacity development.

OHIO

Tiffani Kavalec, ChiefDivision of Surface Water

27th Annual Sustainability&

EHS Symposium

Rules: Process Overview

PESO• PRE – External Stakeholder Outreach 

ESO• External Stakeholder Outreach

IPR• Interested Party Review

‐ Ohio EPA Rule Drafting ‐

‐ CSI Office Review ‐

Rules: Process Overview

Original File

• Propose rules (first filing w/JCARR)• Public hearing required.

Final File

• Adopt rules into Ohio Administrative Code (second filing w/JCARR)

‐ Attend JCARR Hearing ‐

*Rules List-serve

DSW ‐ Rules PESO

• Chlorophyll and BOD as indicators

• April Outreach

Large River Nutrient RulesFriday April 6 • District 3 ODOT • Ashland

Wednesday April 4tt

• Business Solutions Center in Dayton • Montgomery County Business Solutions Center• 1435 Cincinnati Street, Dayton 45417

Wednesday, April 11• ODOT, Office of Aviation• 2829 West Dublin‐Granville Road• Columbus

DSW ‐ Rules

Rules in Early Development:

• Pretreatment and IDP Rules (OAC Ch 3745‐3 and ‐36)

• Reorganization/separation• Will be stand alone rules

ESO

DSW ‐ RulesRules in Early Development:

• PTI: Onsite Rule (OAC 3745‐42‐13)

• Considering design standards for onsite NON‐RESIDENTIAL sewage treatment systems

• Make consistent with ODH 2015 residential standards

• TMDL Rule (OAC 3745‐2‐12)

• Incorporation of requirements from HB 49

ESO

Existing TMDLs

Approved by U.S. EPA beforeMarch 24, 2015

• Valid and remain in full force and effect

• 56 TMDL projects approved by U.S. EPA from 2000 through 2014

New TMDLsApproved by U.S. EPA afterMarch 24, 2015

• Stakeholder involvement opportunities throughout process

– Study plan– Biological and water quality report– Loading analysis plan ‐ modeling approach, WQ targets

– Preliminary modeling results ‐ load allocations, wasteload allocations, permit limits, etc

• Notify – dischargers, indirect dischargers, SWCDs & other stakeholders

TMDLs Already in the Works

• Provide at least two opportunities for stakeholder input

• 49 projects in various stages of development

Triennial Review Wave 1 3745‐1‐01: Purpose and applicability

• Added criteria covering harbor or navigation maintenance activities in support of law banning open lake disposal by 2020

3745‐1‐04: Criteria applicable to all waters

• Revised threshold bacteria counts • 576 per hundred milliliters to 1030 per hundred milliliters

Adopted rules. Effective 1/2/18

IPRDSW ‐ Rules

Rules in Development:Triennial Review Wave 2

• Definitions of terms and use designations

• Address U.S. EPA’s new human health criteria (94 chemicals)

• Variances (process change in federal regs) and mixing zones

• Adding frequency and duration language

• National criteria: ammonia, cadmium

• Ohio EPA criteria: fluoride, strontium, barium, peracetic acid

IPRDSW ‐ Rules

IPR

Rules in Development:

Triennial Review Wave 3

• Antidegradation

• List of high quality waters

IPRDSW ‐ Rules

ESO

DSW ‐ Rules

Rules in Development:• Water Quality Certified Professional (WQCP) Program

• Finalizing language. Requirements listed in statute: OAC 6111.30 (J)

• Storm Water and General NPDES Permits• Drafting language to mirror federal rules

IPR

DSW – RulesRules out for comment:

• PTI: Design flow and waste strength for 100,000 gpdor less (OAC 3745‐42‐05)

• Considering up to 30% design flow reduction for treatment works, based upon the installation of low flow fixtures or water saving devices at the source of wastewater generation

• Comment deadline was 2/23/18

IPR

Future Legislative InitiativesStatewide phosphorous permit limit:

• To address threats to public water systems, recreation on inland lakes and other downstream problems associated with excess nutrients

• Currently the major POTWs in the Lake Erie Basin have a total phosphorous limit of 1 mg/L

• Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota have also placed a limit on phosphorous at 1 mg/L or lower

• Far‐field concerns!

Ohio River – 600 mile algal bloom 2015

Lake Erie

S.B. 1 Optimization ‐ Survey Results

• 112 reports from Major Facilities

• About 20 plants indicated they can meet 1.0 mg/L currently without any upgrades

• That leave about 92Majors that would need to perform additional treatment or upgrades to meet a new phosphorus limit of 1 mg/L

92 Major Facility Breakdown

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Lake ErieOhio has been working with researchers from The Ohio State University, the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a science‐based approach that uses satellite data that will serve as a credible model for Ohio to use in assessing the open waters of Lake Erie in our upcoming 2018 Integrated Report

Lake ErieRefining our Lake Erie assessment unit definitions to better reflect:

• variable characteristics• ecosystems• behavior of the Lake

Construction Storm Water General Permit (GP) Renewal

• 5th generation general permit• Public Notice Date: February 9, 2018• Public Hearing Date: March 28, 2018• Public Comment Period Ends: April 4, 2018

• To view draft general permit renewal:epa.ohio.gov/dsw/permits/GP_ConstructionSiteStormWater.aspx

Operator Shortages• Hosting a summit to address shortage of Certified Wastewater/Drinking Water Plant Operators in Ohio

• Education, training/apprenticeships, retention/succession planning, salaries, resource sharing, other barriers, etc

Questions?

Tiffani Kavalec, ChiefDivision of Surface Water

tiffani.kavalec@epa.ohio.gov

Office of Water Quality (OWQ) 2018 Overview

Martha Clark MettlerAssistant Commissioner

Paul HigginbothamDeputy Assistant Commissioner

Governor Eric Holcomb2018 Next Level Agenda

Pillar One: Cultivate a Strong & Diverse Economy Pillar Two: Maintain & Build the State’s InfrastructurePillar Three: Develop a 21st Century Skilled & Ready 

Workforce Pillar Four: Attack the Drug Epidemic Pillar Five: Deliver Great Government Service

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Agency Leadership Team

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Commissioner Pigott’s2017 Agency Initiatives 

• Permits;• Compliance;• Electronic Submissions;• Excess Liability Trust Fund; • Compliance Assistance;• Coordinated water funding; • Regionalization of water infrastructure;• Assumption of 404 Permitting.

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2018 OWQ Legislative Proposals

• Revise language to make the operator certification renewal requirements consistent between wastewater and water.

• Provide clear authority in statute for ISDH to complete the review of onsite wastewater treatment systems, including those proposed by municipalities and POTWs.

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Ambient Water Quality Standards (WQS) 2018 Initiatives

• Planning to notice Triennial Review of water quality stds.• Revising certain out‐of‐date metals criteria

– 2nd Notice posted November 15th; closed February 2nd. – Reviewing and responding to comments – biggest issue Se.

• Proposing to revise certain WQS methodologies.• Numeric Nutrient Criteria 

– D.O. data collected – being reviewed and analyzed.

• Tracking EPA’s work on harmful algal blooms.• Evaluating  U.S. EPA criteria recommendations:

– Ammonia criteria; Recreational criteria – how does it impact combined sewer overflow, long term compliance plans?

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OWQ Compliance Branch 2018 Initiatives• Work with Permits Branch to update whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing 

language/requirements.  Get all permittees to report WET data on NetDMRs.

• Keep up with NetDMR enrollment for new permittees and personnel changes at permitted facilities.

• Work with Information Services on Phase 2 of eReporting Rule Implementation Plan.  Public portal (bypass/overflow, pretreatment to be phased in over time). 

• Work with members of the professional wastewater community to improve the passing rate of exams and possible rule changes.

• Reopen operator certification rule so it can be modernized.• Continue work with IDNR Division of Reclamation to assure coal mine 

inspections meet all U. S. EPA expectations.

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Drinking Water Branch 2018 Initiatives• Track and respond to proposed changes in statute/rule regarding lead.• Work with the Indiana Finance Authority with on going sampling for lead in 

schools and water systems.• Apply for Exchange Network Grant to improve the Drinking Water Watch website 

to make it more user‐friendly and transparent.• Work with certified labs for electronic submission of data and to improve the 

quality of the lab submittals of results.• Prepare for testing of the next version of the national drinking water database –

SDWIS Prime.• Increase cross program coordination on issues like HABs to ensure there is 

awareness of drinking water issues (source water protection).• Develop a new tool for sanitary surveys to incorporate a better reporting system to 

improve inspection metrics.• Work with the major water systems to develop a program to encourage/educate 

new operators.

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• Increase NPDES permit quality and consistency while meeting issuance metrics through training, guidance development, template updates, etc.

• Continue CSO reduction progress through LTCP implementation tracking, CSO audits, level of control reviews, etc. 

‐ Implement Enhanced CSO Notification rule for CSOs in Great Lakes.‐ Respond to requests for LTCP/Federal CD amendments.

• Continue focused training of new staff in NPDES writing/stream modeling.• Support development and implementation strategies for new or revised water 

quality criteria which may require updates/revisions to 327 IAC 5.• Draft new administrative general permits:

– Temporary Discharge;– Drinking Water Treatment Plant;– Transition Allen County Homeowner Discharge from permit‐by‐rule to administrative 

general permit.

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Permits Branch 2018 Initiatives

Surface Water, Operations, Enforcement Branch 2018 Initiatives

• Wetlands– Work towards assumption of the federal 404 program.– Implement Indiana’s Wetlands Program Plan.– Track the “Waters of the U.S.” decision. 

• Storm Water– Gather public feedback on administrative general permits for 

construction, MS4, and industrial storm water.– Implement and encourage the use of online Regulatory Service Portal 

(RSP).• Enforcement

– Work to bring violators back into compliance using enforcement actions and incentives that are consistent from violation to violation as well as serve as a deterrent to future violations of water quality standards and rules.     

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Watershed Assessment & Planning Branch 2018 Initiatives

• Revise the State Nonpoint Source Management Plan.• Finalize Indiana’s Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Domestic Action Plan for 

nutrient reduction in the Western Lake Erie Basin.• Extend technical assistance for data sharing through the External Data Framework 

to secondary water quality data collectors. • Analyze the dissolved oxygen (DO) data collected in the 2017 pilot project to 

understand the significance of DO relative to excess nutrient occurrence for numeric nutrient criteria development.

• Complete the following surface water monitoring projects:– Fixed station monitoring at 165 sites across the state;– Probabilistic monitoring in the Great Lakes Basin;– Fish tissue contaminant monitoring in Upper Wabash;– Watershed characterization monitoring in Lower East Fork White River;– Cyanobacteria monitoring at 12 public beaches and the Ft. Ben dog park;– Performance measures monitoring in watersheds TBD.

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Questions?

Water Quality Standards Permitting & Compliance Challenges in Kentucky

Jory Becker, P.E., ManagerKentucky Division of Water

Sustainability and EHS Conference Cincinnati, OhioMarch 27, 2018

Today’s talk about Kentucky………

• Changes to Kentucky’s Water Regulations– 401 KAR Chapters 5 & 8– Water Quality Standards – Trienniel Review

• e-Submittals• EPA Cooperative Federalism, Program

and Infrastructure Funding

Triennial Review

• Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(c)(1) requirements:– Review/revise state water quality standards at least every three years

– Public participation• States are also required to:

– Adopt EPA recommended criteria– Develop state specific criteria in lieu of EPA criteria

– Or justify not adopting criteria

Timeline

Water Quality Standards

• Consist of: – designated uses or “goals” for Waters of the Commonwealth

– criteria to protect the uses– and an antidegradation policy/implementation procedure 

401 KAR

• Water Quality Standards are contained within 401 KAR Chapter 10– 10:001 Definitions for 401 KAR Chapter 10– 10:026 Designation of uses of surface waters– 10:029 General provisions– 10:030 Antidegradation policy implementation methodology

– 10:031 Surface water standards

10:001 Definitions• Modifying definitions that are common to 401 KAR 5:002 and 10:001 such that they match

• Eliminating definitions that are not used in Chapter 10

• Clarifying definitions– Criteria: to include narrative criteria– Existing Use: use actually has occurred or WQ supports the use 

• Adding definitions?– Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)– Long‐term CSO plan

10:026 Designated Uses

• Considering adding a designated use for CSO wet weather discharges

• Still considering options– Change nothing other than language to allow an approved Financial Capability Assessment to show “substantial and widespread social and economic impacts.”• Exception to criteria could be pursued under Section 11

– Modify language under Section 7 Recreational Criteria to suspend PCR/SCR uses during CSO events

– Create CSO limited wet weather use with requirements

10:026 Designated Uses: Domestic Water Supply

• Table B: Surface Water Intakes for Domestic Water Supply Use– Edit Table to reflect current intakes

10:026 Designated Uses: Outstanding State Resource Water (OSRW)

• Table C: Surface Water Use Designations– Adding 38 watershed basins to list of OSRWs due to Federal Threatened Species: Kentucky Arrow Darter

– Adding 11 stream segments to list of OSRWs due to Federal Threatened Species: Big Sandy Crayfish

– Added per “automatic inclusion clause” contained in 10:031 Section 8(a)3

Kentucky Arrow Darter• Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 193 / Wednesday, October 5, 2016 / Rules and Regulations– Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Kentucky Arrow Darter

Big Sandy Crayfish• Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2016 / Rules and Regulations– Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Species Status for the Big Sandy Crayfish

Arrow Darter Basins versus Segments

Critical Habitats

OSRW

OSRW

10:029: General Provisions

• Only minor edits– Deleting reference to mixing zones for bioaccumulative chemicals of concern

– Mixing zones for these chemicals were phased‐out as of September 8, 2014

10:030 Antidegradation Policy Implementation Methodology

• Table 2 Surface Waters Categorized as Exceptional Water– Adding approximately 29 stream segments to antidegradation category of “Exceptional Water”• Based upon finding an “excellent” fish or macroinvertebrate community 

10:031 Surface Water Standards• Section 4. Aquatic Life

– Revise criteria for ammonia (2013 EPA update)• Section 6. Pollutants Table 1

– Human Health (Domestic Water Supply and Fish Consumption)• Revise criteria for 94 pollutants (2015 EPA update)

– Aquatic Life• Revise criteria for Cadmium (2016 EPA update)• Allow use of biotic ligand models for metals (copper, zinc)(2007 EPA update for copper)

• New criteria for Carbaryl (2012 EPA new criteria)• Delete selenium egg/ovary tissue value (2015 KDOW update, not EPA approved)

10:031 Surface Water Standards

• Section 7. Recreational Waters– Revise criteria for E. coli (2012 EPA update)– CSO provisions (1994 EPA CSO policy)

• Section 8. Outstanding State Resource Waters– Hearing Officer decision in Carbide case– Rewrite language to clarify KDOW’s intended meaning

EPA Ammonia Criteria Update• Takes into account data for several sensitive freshwater mussel species

• There are pH and temperature relationships– At water temperatures >15.7°C, the acute criterion is determined by effects on freshwater unionid mussels

– At lower temperatures, the acute criterion is based primarily on effects on salmonids and other fish

– Throughout the temperature range, the chronic criterion is determined primarily by the effects on freshwater mollusks

Ammonia Impacts

EPA 2015 Human Health Update• Updated Exposure Inputs

– Body Weight (from 70 to 80 kg for adults 21+)– Drinking Water Consumption Rate (from 2.0 to 2.4 L/d)– Total Fish Consumption Rate (from 17.5 to 22 g/d)

• EPA Trophic Level Fish Consumption: Level 2 (herbivores) = 0.0076 kg/day, Level 3 (carnivores that consume herbivores) = 0.0086 kg/d, Level 4 (carnivores that consume other carnivores) = 0.0051 kg/d

• Updated Bioaccumulation Factors (BAF)– BAF varies for each pollutant and fish trophic level

• Updated Health Toxicity Values– considered all available toxicity values for both noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic 

toxicological effects

• Updated Relative Source Contribution (RSC)– a percentage of the reference dose’s exposure that is attributed to ambient water 

and fish consumption when there are other potential exposure sources such as ocean fish consumption (not included in the fish consumption rate), non‐fish food consumption, dermal exposure, and respiratory exposure.

E- Submittals

• Available for KPDES General Permits

• Available for Wastewater and Drinking Water Plans and Specifications

• Working toward all individual permit submittals

EPA Administration Change

• Cooperative Federalism

• Focus on Infrastructure Needs and Funding

Infrastructure Challenges• Clean Water Needs Survey (2008)

– USA total needs: 300 Billion– Kentucky needs: $2.2 Billion

• Drinking Water Needs Survey (2011)– USA total needs: $384 Billion– Kentucky needs: $6.2 Billion

• WIFEA; modeled after TIFEA – large projects and limited participation (17%)– Kentucky a small systems state

Questions?

Jory Becker, P.E., ManagerWater Infrastructure BranchKentucky Division of Water

300 Sower BoulevardFrankfort, KY

502‐782‐6887Jory.becker@ky.gov

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