Stakeholder Identification Plan

Transcription

1 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake St Croix TMDL Excess Nutrients Combined Stakeholder Participation Strategy Stakeholder Participation Water bodies that do not meet water quality standards are impaired. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a written, quantitative plan and analysis that is composed of specific elements for restoring an impaired water body to achieve water quality standards. EPA policy requires a public participation process with calculations presented to the public for review in establishing the TMDLs. In the TMDL process, a stakeholder is any person and/or organization with a direct interest, involvement or investment in restoring an impaired water body. The Goal of the TMDL Stakeholder Participation Strategy is to have an engaged and well informed base of experts and citizens to help shape the TMDL process. This will be accomplished by providing all the necessary scientific information to interested parties so that they can submit relevant local information before final decisions are made. Local citizens often know more about what is happening in their watersheds and this knowledge can be valuable in determining the pollutant load sources that contribute to the impairment and which mitigation activities have a reasonable potential for being successful. Knowledge of the sources of pollutants can also offer insights that may ensure the success of one pollutant reduction strategy over another. Once the final decisions are determined, a TMDL Implementation Plan (Plan) stakeholder process will begin. The Plan will include all the elements described in the TMDL Report. A separate stakeholder process will be used to ensure that the permitted and non permitted sources have an opportunity to assist in the development the TMDL Plan components. The TMDL Report will specify how the allocations will be distributed among the pollutant load sources and preliminary strategies for achieving the necessary reductions. The TMDL Implementation Plan will describe in detail the activities that will be put into practice by local authorities in order to prevent further degradation and restore Lake St Croix. Stakeholder Identification Plan Stakeholder role in TMDL Report Development Process: Provide local data and relevant information Review and comment on proposed load allocation alternatives Review and comment on draft TMDL Report during 30-day public notice Stakeholders: Sources of Phosphorous 1. Non-Permitted Urban Runoff Cities Townships 2. Non-Permitted Rural Runoff Row Crop Farmers Registered Feedlots Counties wq-iw6-04k 1

2 Certified Crop Consultants Department of Agriculture Farm Bureau Soil and Water Conservations Districts Land and Water Conservation Department Natural Resources Conservation Service 3. Municipal, industrial and agricultural permit holders Wastewater Treatment Facilities Industrial Permit Holders Confined Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit-Holders Citizens that are impacted by the impaired water body. 1. Lake Associations 2. Residents 3. Recreational Users 4. Downstream Resources Citizens that may provide support for and/or information about the potential effectiveness of proposed methods of mitigation. 1. Local Government Officials 2. Residents within a specified radius of lake St Croix 3. Environmental Organizations 4. Representatives and Agents Soil and Water Conservation Districts LCDs NRCS NGOs Sub Basin Representatives: Snake River Watershed management Board Lower St Croix WMO Sunrise WMO Valley Branch Browns Creek WD Carnelian Marine WD South Washington WD Middle St Croix WMO Geographic Targets In order to target the greatest potential reduction opportunities, a map of the St Croix Basin will be used to identify: The reaches with the highest load estimates of phosphorous that flow into Lake St Croix The geographic areas with the highest concentration of each of the Sector Sources. See Attached Maps: o Regulated and non-regulated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) o MPCA Permitted Municipal and Industrial Dischargers o MPCA Registered Feedlots and Confined Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs) o Sub Basin Representatives 2

3 Stakeholder Engagement Plan Once members of the Stakeholder Sector Groups have been identified, the following stakeholder involvement strategy will be implemented. As appropriate, the community meetings and sector meetings will take place in both Minnesota and Wisconsin with representatives from both states attending meetings. The meeting invitations will allow stakeholders to choose to attend meetings in either state. Meetings From April 2009 to August 2009: the combined Minnesota and Wisconsin Stakeholder Strategy will include at least: One Basin conference, two geographically targeted community meetings, three individual sector meetings and one final draft TMDL Report meeting. Other smaller meetings may occur if there is a need. 1. St Croix Basin Conference: April 2009 The objective for the St Croix Basin Conference is to: Communicate the history of the St Croix Basin Team, share the scientific analysis results identified in the Lake St Croix Loading Study, convey information about the TMDL process, specifically public participation opportunities. The Conference Will Include three listening sessions by sector: o Non-permitted Urban Runoff Sources of Phosphorus o Non-permitted Rural Runoff Sources of Phosphorus o Municipal/Industrial/Agricultural Permit-holders 2. Geographically Targeted Community Meetings: June 2009 The objective for the geographically targeted community meetings is to help the public become aware of the complex issues involved in the restoration efforts for Lake St Croix and how they may be impacted by the decisions that will be made during the TMDL process. Meeting Locations: Minnesota: Hinckley and Forest Lake Wisconsin: Frederic and Hudson Geographically targeted community meetings o Agriculture Representative Agents and Feedlots/Row Crop Farmers o Registered Feedlots o Non-Permitted Cities o Lake Associations o Residents o Recreational Users o Downstream Resources o Local Government Officials o Residents with in a specified radius of lake St Croix o Environmental Organizations o Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facilities o Stormwater: (MS4) o Confined Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs) 3

4 3. Individual Technical Sector Meetings: July, 2009 The objective for the Individual Technical Sector meetings is to engage the permit-holders in discussions that will ultimately lead to decisions about the implementation of activities necessary to restore and protect Lake St Croix. Individual Meetings By Sector o Minnesota North Branch - Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facilities Stillwater - Municipal Separate Storm Sewer system Permit Holders (MS4s) North Branch - Confined Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs) o Wisconsin Polk County - Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facilities Stillwater - Municipal Separate Storm Sewer system Permit Holders (MS4s) Polk County/St Croix County - Confined Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs 4. Final Load Allocation Decision Meeting: August/September 2009 The goal for the Final Load Allocation Decisions stakeholder meeting is to share how the information gathered during the previous meetings was used in the decisions included in the Draft TMDL Report. August/September, 2009: Reconvene all stakeholders that participated in the stakeholder meetings and requested participation. Stakeholder Communication Plan St Croix Basin Conference A save-the-date post card was mailed to the previous conference mailing list and all Minnesota MS4 permit holders located in the Basin. A Conference Brochure will be mailed to all stakeholders identified in the final Stakeholder Participation Strategy. A letter will be sent to all Minnesota and Wisconsin MS4s and WWTF identified in the Stakeholder Identification Plan. The letter will describe the WQ goals for restoring Lake St Croix and include information that will be presented/discussed at the Basin conference and subsequent stakeholder participation opportunities. A sign-up sheet will be circulated during the conference for anyone interested in participating in the stakeholder process. Those who sign-up will receive an invitation to subsequent meetings. The Conference will include three break out sessions by Sector where the following topics will be discussed: o What Information do you need from us to inform your decisionmaking process? o What information do you believe we need to know about you to inform our decision-making process? o Who do you think should be included in the stakeholder process? Community Geographically Targeted Meetings: 4

5 An invitation to attend the meeting will be sent to all stakeholders identified in the Stakeholder Identification Plan. A postcard invitation to participate will be sent to all row-crop farmers A press release will be submitted 30 days prior to the meeting, notifying members of the community about the agenda, location, date and time of the meetings.. A presentation will communicate the quantity and sources of pollutant loads, the proposed TMDL allocation alternatives and describe the TMDL Report and TMDL Implementation Plan processes. Participants will be asked to identify areas of concern. Sector participants will be asked to sign-up if they are interested in participating in the individual sector meetings. Fact sheets and materials will be distributed that describe the preliminary load allocations and supporting information, the TMDL process, opportunities for contributing to the decision-making process and the frame-work for the individual sector meetings. Meeting notes will be distributed to all participants within two weeks of the meeting. Individual Technical Sector Meetings. A presentation will describe the proposed load allocation alternatives and the data to support the selected allocation alternatives The stakeholders will be tasked with providing input on the final allocation alternative and preliminary strategies for meeting the selected alternative. Attendees will also be invited to participate in the subsequent TMDL Implementation Plan development process. Meeting notes will be distributed to all participants Final Load Allocation Meeting A final meeting will be scheduled for all participants to share the information received during the public participation and describe how their input was used in the development of the final TMDL Report. Public Comment Period: All stakeholders will also have an opportunity to submit comments in writing during the 30-day public comment period. 5