Chesapeake Bay Watershed,
Stormwater and Environmental
Stormwater, and Environmental
Justice
Baltimore, MD
October 26, 2010
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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What is Environmental Justice?
Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national
origin, or income with respect to the development,
implementation and enforcement of environmental laws
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies.
…everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from
environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision‐making
process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, work.
The Clean Water Act:
The Objective
“to restore and maintain the chemical,
physical, and biological integrity of the
Nation’ waters ”
Nation s waters.
Photo Credit www.tripadvisor.com
and on the water whenever
The Clean Water Act:
The Goals
Eliminating the discharge of
pollutants into navigable
waters; and
Achieving interim water
quality that will protect fish,
shellfish, and wildlife while
providing for recreation
(“fishable and swimmable”) in
and on the water whenever
attainable.
Image Credit: Middleton Evans
The Clean Water Act:
The Tools
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permitting program
authorizes and regulates certain
discharges (§ 402) including stormwater
discharges (§ 402), including stormwater
discharges.
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Background
• On December 28, 2009, EPA issued a Federal
Register Notice announcing a national
rulemaking to establish a program to reduce
stormwater discharges from new
development and redevelopment and make
other regulatory improvements to
strengthen its stormwater program.
• One of the preliminary considerations
included exploring specific stormwater
provisions to protect sensitive areas.
Purpose of Today’s Discussion
• Today’s discussion will focus on:
– EPA’s preliminary considerations for
stormwater requirements within the
Chesapeake Bay watershed;
– Concerns you have regarding stormwater
management in your community;
– Ways EPA can better help your community
achieve its stormwater goals; and
– Tools and resources that your community
needs to successfully manage stormwater.
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Stormwater Challenges
1. Increased amounts
of stormwater and
pollutants…
2. Enter the municipal separate
storm sewer system (MS4) or a
nearby waterbody…
3 Which can lead to stream degradation and
3. Which can lead to stream degradation and
increased pollutants entering waterbodies
Why is stormwater a problem?
Increased stormwater volume can cause
flooding, scouring and sewer overflows.
Stormwater pollutants:
– Cause beach closures and swimming illnesses
through bacterial contamination
– Include trash in the Baltimore harbor
– Impact fisheries through excess:
Sedimentation (smothering fish eggs),
Nutrients (reducing available dissolved oxygen)
Metals (posing a health risk to people who eat the fish)
Temperature (affecting cold‐water fish and other biota)
Stormwater pollutants can also increase the costs of
treating drinking water supplies
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Baltimore’s Stormwater Challenges
Baltimore’ harbor and rivers
impaired f
ariety
Baltimore’ harbor and rivers
impaired f
ariety
Baltimore s harbor and rivers are impaired for a variety
of pollutants from many sources, including
stormwater
stormwater:
Patapsco River Lower
Patapsco River Lower
North Branch is impaired
for phosphorus, sediment,
PCBs, fecal bacteria
Jones Falls watershed
Jones Falls watershed
Jones Falls watershed
Jones Falls watershed
is impaired for sediment
Baltimore harbor is
Baltimore harbor is
Baltimore harbor is
Baltimore harbor is
impaired for trash, PCBs, and nutrients
Baltimore City’s impervious cover = 45.1%
Baltimore City’s impervious cover = 45.1%
Alteration of Hydrologic Cycle
MDE, http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/WaterPrograms/SedimentandStormwater/index.asp
All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.
– Toni Morrison
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed
• Over 64,000 square miles of land drain into the
Over 64,000 square miles of land drain into the
Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries
• Major urban areas include:
Major urban areas include:
– Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD
– Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
– DC
– Annapolis, MD
Annapolis, MD
– Richmond, VA
Richmond, VA
– Hampton Roads, VA (Norfolk
Hampton Roads, VA (Norfolk‐Virginia Beach)
Virginia Beach)
AND
Stormwater Management
Then…
~AND~
Now
Direct Conveyance to Surface Waters
Big Basins
Era of the Big Basin
Stormwater management designs
that manage only discharge rates
often exacerbate the
problem.
Natural systems
respond to runoff volumes,
frequencies durations and
frequencies, durations and
temperatures as well.
Paradigm Shift:
Moving away from the curb and gutter,
big basin approach
Shift from the concept of moving
stormwater as far away as quickly as
possible in large, buried collection and
conveyance systems.
Shift towards the concept of managing
stormwater the way mother nature
would do it: where it falls; plants & soils.
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Green Infrastructure Approaches Mimic
Natural Hydrologic Site Conditions
Infiltration ‐ Evapotranspiration ‐ Capture & Use
Protecting areas with natural
Protecting areas with natural
ecological functions
Amended soils
Amended soils
Impervious cover removal
Impervious cover removal
Bioretention
Bioretention
Permeable pavements
Permeable pavements
Green roofs
Green roofs
Cisterns & rain barrels
Cisterns & rain barrels
US Department of Transportation Headquarters
Washington DC
Stafford County, VA
Cisterns & rain barrels
Cisterns & rain barrels
Trees & expanded tree boxes
Trees & expanded tree boxes
Reforestation & restoration
Reforestation & restoration
Infill & Redevelopment
Infill & Redevelopment
Parking & street designs
Parking & street designs
Water Conservation
Water Conservation
Bioinfiltration
Vegetated Swales
Parking Lot Infiltration Areas
Rain Gardens
Curb Extensions
Planters
Permeable and Porous Pavements
Green Roofs
Green Walls
Pocket Wetlands
Vegetated Buffers & Landscaping
Rainwater Harvesting & Use
empera ures
Green Infrastructure Benefits
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Cleaner water
Cleaner water
Stable hydrology/baseflow maintenance
Stable hydrology/baseflow maintenance
Reduced flooding
Reduced flooding
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Cleaner air
Cleaner air
R duced urban t
R duced urban t
Reduced urban temperatures
Reduced urban temperatures
Jobs creation
Jobs creation
Water supply
Water supply
Energy savings
Energy savings
Cost savings
Cost savings
Habitat protection
Habitat protection
Habitat protection
Habitat protection
Community benefits: recreation, public health
Community benefits: recreation, public health
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Tree & Canopy Programs
Trees intercept, and evapotranspire significant
amounts of water
Trees filter pollutants
Canopies shade and cool paved surfaces
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Watershed 263 in Baltimore created a long‐term
project to educate, sustain, and improve water
quality in the city
– 800 trees planted
– Restored schoolyards, vacant lots,
landscaped major streets
– Monitoring of storm drains
Green Infrastructure Costs
Prince George’s County Subdivision built
Prince George’s County Subdivision built
with half LID, half tradition stormwater
measures saw significant savings from LID
Seattle, WA project redesigned a city block
Seattle, WA project redesigned a city block
utilizing LID techniques
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Summary
Stormwater can have a significant impact on
the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries if not
managed properly.
The good news: There are a lot of options
to improve stormwater management within
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Changes to the stormwater regulations will
strengthen programs.
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Feedback
What do you see as effective and ineffective
strategies for managing stormwater in your
community?
How can the federal government be a more
effective partner in helping to manage
stormwater in your community?
What additional tools and resources would help
your efforts to successfully address the impact
of stormwater in your community?