|
The Maryland Department of the Environment recently proposed revisions to the system used to prioritize applications submitted for clean water funding from the agency. The changes to the Integrated Project Priority System (IPPS) were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“EPA Region III applauds MDE for its continuing efforts to provide affordable financing to the highest priority water quality problems in the State,” said Lee Murphy, chief, Municipal Financial Assistance Branch, EPA Region III Water Protection.
The revisions pertain to applications for the Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund (WQSRF) program as well as the following cost-share grant programs: Nutrient Removal, Supplemental Assistance, Small Creek and Estuaries Restoration and Stormwater Pollution Control.
"The State is proud to help jurisdictions with funding from capital grants and loans in order to provide solutions for water quality problems," said Secretary of the Environment Kendl P. Philbrick.
The original IPPS, developed in 1999, assigned rating points based on three criteria - existing conditions, proposed project benefit,and water quality improvement. Since then, MDE’s Technical and Regulatory Services Administration (TARSA) has compiled significant amounts of new information regarding surface water quality. The focus of the IPPS revisions was to incorporate this new information into the water quality improvement criteria, as well as reflect current Department priorities.
As part of the revised IPPS, a fourth criterion was added - State priority watershed. The State priority watershed criterion was created to assign points to watersheds that are targeted by the State for multi-agency restoration efforts (e.g., Corsica River). In addition, the water quality improvement criterion was updated significantly to acknowledge current water quality information. These criteria involve non-attainment of dissolved oxygen standards in tidal waters (points assigned to tidal Bay segments not meeting dissolved oxygen criteria in open water), listed impairing substances and approved Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) (points assigned if eight-digit basin is listed as impaired by nutrients, sediments, or bacteria OR if a TMDL has been approved for any of those substances; bonus point if multiple impairment listings, multiple approved TMDLs, or at least one of each), and the integrity of biological communities in the non-tidal waters (points assigned to projects in eight-digit basins with mean fish and/or benthic index of biological integrity (IBI) of less than 3).
Several other changes were made during the revision process:
- Points for wastewater treatment facilities and sanitary sewer overflows in the existing conditions section have been increased.
- Onsite septic systems now appear in two categories in the existing conditions criteria – surface water and groundwater – to acknowledge both possibilities and to insure proper scoring in the water quality improvement section.
- Points for Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) projects have been specified in the proposed project benefits section.
- Points for Small Creek and Estuary Restoration and Stormwater Pollution Control projects have been increased in the proposed project benefits section.
- Points for expansion projects have been specified in the proposed project benefits section.
- The “Bypass Mechanism and Intended Use Plan (IUP) Amendments” section was modified to clarify the definition of “emergency project” and define the circumstances in which such a project might be funded. The modifications also specify that MDE may pro-actively bypass delayed projects.
The proposed IPPS revisions were the subject of a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing held on March 10. The revised IPPS was used to rate and rank clean water project pre-applications received this year, resulting in the Draft Federal Fiscal Year 2006 Intended Use Plan (IUP) for the WQRLF and its associated Project Priority List (PPL) and is available on MDE’s website at:
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/waterquality/Pages/
WaterQuality.aspx
The approved IPPS document is available on MDE’s website at
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/waterquality/Pages/
WaterQuality.aspx and
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WQFA/Pages/index.aspx. For additional information, please contact Elaine Dietz at (410) 597-3908 or
Elaine.Dietz@maryland.gov.
|
