Weigh In on Lake Champlain Clean Up

If you missed the first round of public hearings on the Lake Champlain phosphorous cleanup plan, the second series of meetings is taking place next week – November 14-17 – in four locations across the state. This series focues on the southern portion of the lake.

Vermont state officials need to hear your opinion as to why reducing nutrient pollution is important, how we should go about doing so and what the challenges will be.  Next week is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to provide input on the cleanup plan, techincally known as the Total Maxiumum Daily Load (TMDL). See the times and locations below for the meeting that is best for you.

 

If you attended the Environmental Action Conference last month, you probably learned about why he TMDL is an important technical document. It acts as a phosphorous pollution budget so Vermonters can decide how much phosphorous we ask Lake Champlain to handle. We currently add much more phosphorous – well over doubling it in some years – than is safe for the lake ecosystem. The result – excess weed growth, potentially toxic blue-green algae blooms and low dissolved oxygen – makes the lake less usable. And those problems are likely to become more widespread, particularly with two floods of historic proportions this year.

You can file written comments if you are unable to attend and the state has asked that, if possible, you let them know if you are planning on going to one of the meetings so they can make sure the rooms are large enough. Both can be sent to Michaela Stickney, VTDEC Lake Champlain Basin Coordinator, michaela.stickney@state.vt.us

.

• The EPA’s decision finding that the 2002 TMDL is inadequate can be found here

  .

• Vermont’s revised implementation plan for the TMDL can be found here

  .

• The Lake Champlain Basin Program’s State of the Lake Report, which includes information on phosphorous loads, can be found here.

 

And as always, if you have any questions or want to talk water, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 802-223-2328 x119.

 

Thanks for all that you do,

 

Kim L. Greenwood, Water Program Director and Staff Scientist

 

Meeting Schedule

1. Monday November 14-1-3:30pm
Municipal, Wastewater Treatment Facility & Water Supply Sectors
Hosted by Vermont League of Cities and Towns
Middlesex Town Hall
5 Church St. (corner of Route 2 and Church St.)
Middlesex, Vermont
(802)229-9111

2. Tuesday November 15-9-11:30am
Mid-lake Watershed Groups & Municipal Sectors
Hosted by Addison County Regional Planning Commission
Addison County RPC Offices
14 Seminary Street
Middlebury, Vermont
 (802) 388-3141

3. Thursday November 17-1-3:30pm
Agricultural Sector
Hosted by Poultney-Mettowee NRCD
Kehoe Conservation Education Center
636 Point of Pines Road
Castleton, Vermont
(802)287-8339 @ Poultney Mettowee NRCD

4. Thursday November 17-5-7:30pm
South Lake Community Geographic Sector
Hosted by the South Lake Group
Green Mountain College, Gorge Room
1 Brennan Circle
 Poultney, Vermont
(800) 776-6675