Friday, August 30, 2013

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES Singeltary comment submission

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES Singeltary comment submission
 

 
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:56 PM
Subject: NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES
 

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES
 
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ or commission) has made available for public comment a draft Implementation Plan for Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries.
 
The purpose of the public meeting is to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft Implementation Plan for Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries in Brazoria and Galveston Counties.
 
The Implementation Plan is a flexible tool that governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations involved in TMDL implementation will use to guide their program management. The commission requests comment on each of the major components of the Implementation Plan: description of control actions and management measures, implementation strategy and tracking, review strategy, and communication strategy. After the public comment period, TCEQ may revise the draft Implementation Plan, if appropriate. The final Implementation Plan will then be considered for approval by the commission. Upon approval of the Implementation Plan by the commission, the Implementation Plan will be made available on the TCEQ Web site.
 
A public comment meeting for the draft Implementation Plan will be held on September 12, 2013, at 6:30 p.m., at City of Dickinson, City Council Chambers, 4403 Highway 3, Dickinson, Texas 77539.
 
At this meeting, individuals have the opportunity to present oral statements when called upon in order of registration. An agency staff member will give a brief presentation at the start of the meeting and will be available to answer questions before and after all public comments have been received. Written comments should be submitted to Roger Miranda, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087 or faxed to (512) 239-1414. Comments may be submitted electronically to www5.tceq. texas.gov/rules/ecomments by midnight on October 7, 2013, and should reference the Implementation Plan for Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries.
 
For further information regarding the proposed Implementation Plan, please contact Roger Miranda at (512) 239-6278 or Roger.Miranda@tceq.texas.gov. Copies of the draft Implementation Plan will be available and can be obtained via the commission's Web site at: www.tceq.texas.gov/implementation/water/tmdl/tmdlnews.html or by calling (512) 239-6682.
 
Persons with disabilities who have special communication or other
 
 
 
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES
 
 
Adopted February 8, 2012Approved by EPA June 6, 2012
 
Implementation Plan for Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries
 
 
 
 
Adopted February 8, 2012 Approved by EPA June 6, 2012
 
Implementation Plan for Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries
 
 
 
 
Greetings TCEQ et al,
 
I would kindly like to comment on this NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES, and my comments are as follows. please be advised that I tried submitting this comment to ;
 
 
 
it said it would not accept any html, Error Message: Please do not use HTML in the body of your comments.
 
and even after removing all the html links, the form still would not let me submit. so I submit my comments to you as follows ;
 
 
 
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES
 
 
Singeltary Comment ;
 
 
The TCEQ efforts to bring back quality water, instead of polluted water to the Dickinson Bayou and it’s Tributaries, are greatly appreciated. However, I think it all will be futile, IF the Dickinson Bayou is not dredged out to where the water can flow freely with the tidal movements.
 
We all know that Dickinson Bayou is and has been blocked up for some time. Dickinson Bayou is like peeing in your own bathtub. eventually, you have to pull the plug. the water has been bad for some time due to not much tidal movement in and out of the spillway inlet and outlet. Via the FOIA, I received the HL&P construction permits back in the 60’s, and the dredging that the Army Corp of engineers said would come, and be maintained constantly, never happened. This constant maintaining of a dredge was to be done all the way to the ship channel, to prevent just what has happened, and it says so in the permit. In my opinion, all the precautions put forth in this plan, will be futile and for nothing, IF this dredge is not finally done, and I mean properly, all the way to the ship channel, as was stipulated in the permit, and maintained. just look at the problems in the past we have had with flounder fish kills along the Bacliff and San Leon Shore Lines, and fish kills inside of Dickinson Bayou. something is wrong, something has been wrong for years, and I believe that due to Dickinson Bayou not being dredged and maintained properly, to allow for a maximum flow, by HL&P is/was a cause to a great many of our problems in Dickinson Bayou, and surrounding waters. I also believe that HL&P should foot the total bill for this, or the Army Corp of engineers, for not making sure HL&P maintained the dredge over the past 5 decades or so. ...
 
 
Thank You,
 
Kindest Regards,
 
Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas 77518 flounder9@verizon.net
 
 
 
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
 
Dickinson Bayou: A TMDL Project and Use Assessment for Bacteria Troubled Waters
 
Dickinson Bayou: A TMDL Project and Use Assessment for Bacteria
 
 
 
Saturday, August 11, 2012
 
Galveston County BACLIFF TEXAS FLOUNDER FISH KILL MASSIVE AUGUST 11, 2012
 
(see video of the dead flounder floating)
 
 
 
VIDEO FLOUNDER KILL
 
 
Galveston County BACLIFF TEXAS FLOUNDER FISH KILL MASSIVE AUGUST 11, 2012
 
see video of massive flounder kill with Seabreeze article September 6, 2012 ; Thousands of Flounder Killed on San Leon Bacliff Shoreline (AGAIN)
 
 
 
 
additional sources for flounder kill video;
 
 
 
 
September 6, 2012
 
 
 
Thousands of Flounder Killed on San Leon Bacliff Shoreline (AGAIN)
 
There was a major flounder kill on August 12th, 2012. Flounder up to 4 pounds were floating down the shoreline of the San Leon/Bacliff area. “This is the 6th year in a row that this has happened” said angry Bacliff resident, Terry Singletary. He said, “I’ve reported it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2010, 2011 and of course this year in 2012. It is not the red tide.” I agree with him. He also reported it to the Galveston Bay Foundation. Their representative told Singletary that they were very concerned and that they would look into it. As of press time, he has not heard back from them.
 
The only thing killed and floating this year again was thousands of flounder. The red tide kills a variety of fish. Mr. Singletary reported to the Seabreeze, along with resident Robert Redfield last year, and we reported on it. This year Singletary reported it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife in Dickinson and also to the T.P & W. laboratory on Todville Road. He has pictures and videos. He talked to the Dickinson office of Texas Parks and Wildlife on August 14th and on the same day he sent them pictures and a video. Three days later they returned his call. They tried to convince him, like they did in 2010, that it is a blue algae bloom. Singletary asked them if they saw the video. The biologist said they have not even looked at it. He called the laboratory on Todville and they did not even want him to send them the video. The lady said, “If we want to look at the video we will ask you for it at a later date.” Two weeks later they are still not interested.
 
The flounder kill appears to have started around the HL&P Spillway mouth dumping into Galveston Bay. This morning as this paper was being printed, I was in my boat with a representative from an independent lab catching mud samples from each end of the H.L.& P. canal. We do not know where the contamination is coming from but at least we are doing something about it unlike the Texas Parks and Wildlife who are once again sitting on their ass doing nothing.
 
As we reach press time, September the 5th, we are waiting on the results of these samples. We already know that the H.L.&P. canal was not dug to the specifications of the original permit. The canal was required to tie into Dickinson Bayou on one end and they were to dig the Bayou out wide and 18 feet deep all the way to the channel. This side called the “inlet” side of the canal was not properly dug according to the permit. Two miles up from the Dickinson Bayou bridge, the bayou runs 20 feet deep or more. On the “Bay” side of the Dickinson Bayou bridge it averages 8 feet in depth. As anybody should know, water does not run uphill. So, all containments would stay in the bayou unable to escape. A good question would be who was overseeing the digging of the H.L.&P. canal and why did no one catch this colossal mistake? Or was it a mistake at all?
 
As of this time we have not jumped to any conclusions and we are not saying that the canal is at fault for the flounder kills. We will have to wait until the sample results are returned.
 
Dickinson Bayou is almost completely dead. The state has posted signs at all boat ramps saying do not eat fish from this bayou or swim in the water. Does this sound like a healthy vibrant bayou to you? We have been fighting a new sewer plant proposed to dump an additional one million gallons per day of treated water into Dickinson Bayou. Do you think this bayou can take any more abuse and survive? What do you readers think of this? Your comments would be greatly appreciated.
 
We will be reporting on this next month as we know more.
 
Steve
 
 
 
On May 10, 1972, Mr. D. E. Simmons, Vice President of Environmental and Inter-Utility Affairs for Houston Lighting and Power stated in writing to the Corp of Engineers that
 
 
"continued maintenance is planned." In response, the Corp of Engineers issued a Public Notice on November 9, 1972 announcing plans for the HL&P proposals which included the obligation for the utility company to perform continued maintenance dredging. It was understood and agreed upon that the utility would maintain the canal by periodically dredging it and the adjoining bayou, in order to prevent what has now happened. As stated earlier, no such dredging has ever been performed since that 1972 statement. Due to the fact that the dredging maintenance was never performed, the HL&P canal and Dickinson Bayou have both filled in on the ends. This has caused what is called a ''Hydraulic Effect". Hydraulic Effect on Dickinson Bayou means the bayou is twenty-five to thirty feet deep until it gets close to the bay where it shoals to just six or eight feet. That that the bayou cannot ever flow correctly and get properly flushed out. All of the sediment from runoff collects into the mud of the bayou (ie: fertilizer, pesticides, and the waste from the sewer plants.) If the mouth of this bayou and both sides of the HL&P canal were continually dredged as stipulated in the original permit, this hydraulic effect would not be in play. If the bayou was dredged as stipulated in the permit, the lab analyst said that Dickinson Bayou would healing itself immediately. He said, "Mother Nature will eat up all the black muck with natural bacteria once there is a normal oxygen level and good tidal flow. This applies to the canal as well.
 
 
Dickinson Bayou and the shoreline can be fixed. It can be a vibrant, aquatic productive estuary once again. Dolphins, alligators, and all manner of wildlife once lived there. The reason our bayou has died is because someone didn't do what they said they were going to do, what they were in fact obligated to do legally.
 
 
Who is responsible for this major screw-up? I believe it is a combination of HL&P not doing the dredging they agreed to do, and the Army Corps of Engineers not verifying that work was performed. It all has to do with money. We have put all of the documentation on our web site. To see the flounder kill video and copies of the permits and the drawings of the proposed dredging that was never done please visit ; www.SeabreezeNews.com/bayou
 
 
You do not need to be a subscriber to see this information.
 
 
A special thanks to Terry Singeltary of Bacliff for all of his help and support. Also, thanks to Texas A&M Galveston Marine Biology Department for their input. We are not finished with our investigation. Look for continued coverage in the next issue of the Seabreeze News. We will be in contact with the Galveston Bay Foundation and their attorney, seeking their knowledge and expertise.
 
 
We hope to find some way to open up Dickinson Bayou and both sides of the HL&P canal in order to facilitate the healing and restoration of our bayou and shorelines, as was expressly promised in the contract.
 
 
I have never been a ''tree hugger", but we cannot stand by and allow our coastal waters to be destroyed in the name of the almighty dollar, especially when the solution to the main problem is so simple. If you have any information to share or "comments please write us at the Seabreeze News or send an email to: steve@Seabreezenews.com. Steve Hoyland Sr. www.SeabreezeNews.com Spillway inlet outlet canal Permit 5972 Hwy 146 Bacliff Texas pdf file HL&P HP ROBINSON Spillway inlet outlet canal Permit 5972 Hwy 146 Bacliff Texas pdf file
 
 
Department of the Army December 9, 1963
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
August 6, 2010 Got Flounder? Not in San Leon.
 
During the month of July, flounder and stingray have been floating up dead all along the San Leon/Bacliff shoreline on the north side. Our freelance reporter, Terry Singeltary, ob- served dead flounder floating by in groups of twos and three's with an occasional five or six. These are big, mature flounder, from two to seven pounds. Along with these flounder, dead stingrays have been seen floating by. Mr. Bobby Redfield, who lives on Bayshore Drive, also observed the same thing and gave me a call. This went on for several days. We received eight more calls where someone people left messages regarding dead flounder floating around the spillway, but did not leave their names and numbers. Our reporter contacted Lance Robinson, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist located at the Dickinson office and expressed his concern about the destruction of these fish. Mr. Robinson said that they were aware of this problem and knew the cause. It turns out that a water treatment plant in the Bacliff area has a discharge pipeline that dumps into the HL&P outlet canal and goes out by way of the spillway and follows the tide. Since there is no longer any pressured flow discharging from HL&P, the chemicals from this treated water build up, removing all of the oxygen from the bottom of the water along the shoreline. The fish that live on the bottom of the bay, like flounder and stingray, cannot survive. This has been going on for years and has not been addressed. With the three sewer plants dumping into Dickinson Bayou and the de- pletion of flounder it makes you wonder why anyone in their right mind would want to put another sewer plant dumping into our precious, fragile resources. Mr. Robinson said they were having a meeting on this very subject. The meeting was to take place one week ago from this newspaper printing. Our reporter has put a call in to Mr. Robinson three days prior to this publication and at this time has not been called back. Maybe the Texas Parks and Wildlife has to contact the CCA and ask them how they should handle it. As we know more, you will know more. Do you fisherman ever wonder why there may be a shortage of flounder? With all of the sewer plants up and down the Texas coast dumping water treatment chemicals into our bays, creeks, rivers, bayous, estuaries, it's no wonder that the flounder are disappearing. What are you going to do about it Texas Parks & Wildlife? Are you going to keep cutting back the limits with the fisherman until you stop fishing for flounder forever, or are you actually going to address the problem? It's time for you Texas fishermen to wake up and let your voices be heard.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
kind regards, terry
 
 
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518


 

 UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2013

August 31, 2013


Dear Steve and Seabreeze et al,

Further to my comments on the NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES (see those comments below), I still say you can’t continue to pee in your own bathtub (Dickinson Bayou), and never pull the plug, because eventually, you are going to be sitting in a cesspool, which is where we are today. The Implementation Plan, or the (I-Plan), that describes the strategy and activities watershed stakeholders and that of the TCEQ, which they will carry out to improve water quality in Dickinson Bayou and three of its tidal tributaries, all sounds good, but yet out of all the strategies put forth, the most important thing to be done was omitted from the plan. IF as stipulated in your plan, all those that discharge their waste by-products into Dickinson Bayou, i.e. domestic wastewater treatment facilities, sanitary sewer overflows, industrial facilities, a municipal solid waste facility, and regulated storm water dischargers, and the potential un-regulated bacteria sources identified in the TMDL include livestock, wildlife, exotic animals, domestic pets, and malfunctioning on-site sewage, facilities, etc., and remember, all this doggy poop and livestock poop that goes into the ‘Dickinson Bayou Bathtub’, is ‘untreated’, and not to forget the new wastewater treatment facilities that the builders want to cram onto Dickinson Bayou, but out of all your contingency plans put for in your I-Plan, all 7 of your Management Measures (Voluntary Activities), and or of your 4 suggested Control Action (Regulatory Activities), NO WHERE in your plans, did I see the most important factor of alleviating the problems in Dickinson Bayou (the bathtub), NO WHERE did I see where anyone is yet to pull the plug. you can do all of what you have put forth in your plans, but nothing will work in my opinion, until the mouth of Dickinson Bayou is dredged out all the way to the ship channel. anything else will be futile. you can ignore it all you want. you can waste years of implementing plan after plan, keep flushing those toilets, and keep letting everything under the sun poop, and or industrial flush in that bathtub we call Dickinson Bayou, build, build, and build some more, and continue to ignore the most important factor, and Dickinson Bayou will continue to die. You have to flush the toilet, and HL&P, and the Army Corp of Engineers, in my opinion, are responsible for this. This all stipulated in my submission to the TCEQ below. But I will go one step further, in my opinion, to let one more industry, and or one more housing addition be allowed to discharge into Dickinson Bayou, they too should be responsible for a continued maintained DREDGE OF DICKINSON BAYOU, ALL THE WAY TO THE SHIP CHANNEL, NOT PART OF THE WAY, ALL THE WAY, because part of the way will just discharge the bathtub along to the surrounding shorelines. you must flush the bathtub to the ship channel.

IF YOU READ ON PAGE 117-118 OF THIS VERY DOCUMENT, YOU WILL SEE WHERE IN MY OPINION, THE TCEQ AND OR THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS FAILED US TERRIBLY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR OWN POLICY.

THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE WITH THE HL&P HP ROBINSON DISCHARGE INLETS AND OUTLETS AND THE MOUTH OF DICKINSON BAYOU, ALL THE WAY TO THE SHIP CHANNEL, ALL ALONG, PLEASE READ ;


page 117 ;


Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is responsible for regulating the discharge of contaminants to surface water, groundwater, soil, and air through a wide variety of programs, and conducts public outreach and education in support of these programs.

The TCEQ also conducts monitoring and assessment of surface waters to determine compliance with water quality standards.

*** TCEQ conducts Section 401 certification reviews of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 permit applications for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S., including wetlands. These certification reviews determine whether a proposed discharge will comply with state water quality standards. TCEQ also admin-administers the SEPP, an innovative approach to resolving enforcement actions and improving environmental quality. SEPs are comprised of a wide variety of activities including wetland protection and restoration. TCEQ hosts the Galveston Bay Estuary Program and also provides extensive outreach materials. www.tceq.texas.gov/index.html.

Implementation Plan for Eight TMDLs for Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 109 For Public Comment, September 2013

http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/waterquality/tmdl/80dickinsonbac/80-DickinsonBacteriaI-PlanComment.pdf



WHY DID TCEQ AND OR ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS FAIL TO ENFORCE THE PERMIT BELOW, TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT DREDGE FOR THE MOUTH OF THE DICKINSON BAYOU, UP TO AND FROM THE DICKINSON BAYOU HL&P HP ROBINSON PLANT INLET, OUT TO THE SHIP CHANNEL, AS WAS STIPULATED IN THE PERMIT?


see maps of the DREDGE that should have took place long ago from the FOIA documents in the files below...


 Department of the Army December 9, 1963


 https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1eF4xXstSVGUkllWVpOLWZjZTA/edit



 www.SeabreezeNews.com/bayou



Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
flounder9@verizon.net




From: Roger Miranda
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 4:28 PM
To: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Cc: mailto:cyork@tamu.edu ; Linda Broach
Subject: RE: NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES

 Dear Mr. Singeltary,

We have received your comment. It will be accepted as part of public comment on the Dickinson Bayou and Tidal Tributaries Bacteria TMDL I-Plan and you will receive a response from the TCEQ after the end of the Public Comment Period.

Also, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Roger Miranda, P.G. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC203 P.O. BOX 13087 Austin, Texas 78711-3087 (512) 239-6278 (voice) (512) 239-1414 (fax) Roger.Miranda@tceq.texas.gov






NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ADDRESS BACTERIA IN DICKINSON BAYOU AND THREE TIDAL TRIBUTARIES


Singeltary Comment ;


The TCEQ efforts to bring back quality water, instead of polluted water to the Dickinson Bayou and it’s Tributaries, are greatly appreciated. However, I think it all will be futile, IF the Dickinson Bayou is not dredged out to where the water can flow freely with the tidal movements.

We all know that Dickinson Bayou is and has been blocked up for some time. Dickinson Bayou is like peeing in your own bathtub. eventually, you have to pull the plug. the water has been bad for some time due to not much tidal movement in and out of the spillway inlet and outlet. Via the FOIA, I received the HL&P construction permits back in the 60’s, and the dredging that the Army Corp of engineers said would come, and be maintained constantly, never happened. This constant maintaining of a dredge was to be done all the way to the ship channel, to prevent just what has happened, and it says so in the permit. In my opinion, all the precautions put forth in this plan, will be futile and for nothing, IF this dredge is not finally done, and I mean properly, all the way to the ship channel, as was stipulated in the permit, and maintained. just look at the problems in the past we have had with flounder fish kills along the Bacliff and San Leon Shore Lines, and fish kills inside of Dickinson Bayou. something is wrong, something has been wrong for years, and I believe that due to Dickinson Bayou not being dredged and maintained properly, to allow for a maximum flow, by HL&P is/was a cause to a great many of our problems in Dickinson Bayou, and surrounding waters. I also believe that HL&P should foot the total bill for this, or the Army Corp of engineers, for not making sure HL&P maintained the dredge over the past 5 decades or so. ...


Thank You,

Kindest Regards,

Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas 77518 flounder9@verizon.net



==============================================


Executive Summary

On February 8th, 2012, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) adopted Eight Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries (Segments 1103, 1103A, 1103B, 1103C, 1104). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) on June 6th, 2012. This Implementation Plan (I-Plan) de-scribes the strategy and activities watershed stakeholders and the TCEQ will carry out to improve water quality in Dickinson Bayou and three of its tidal tributaries.

This I-Plan is based on the TMDL report and its subsequent revisions, which are documented in updates to the state’s Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP). The TMDL identified potential regulated and unregulated sources of indicator bac-teria. Regulated dischargers in the Dickinson Bayou watershed include domestic wastewater treatment facilities, sanitary sewer overflows, industrial facilities, a municipal solid waste facility, and regulated stormwater dischargers. Potential un-regulated bacteria sources identified in the TMDL include livestock, wildlife, exotic animals, domestic pets, and malfunctioning on-site sewage facilities.

This implementation plan, or I-Plan:

 describes the steps watershed stakeholders and the TCEQ will take to achieve the pollutant reductions necessary to restore and protect water quality,

 identifies the means by which these activities will be implemented,

 outlines the schedule for implementation of these activities, and

 describes how stakeholders and the TCEQ will track implementation of these activities and monitor improvements in water quality.

The ultimate goal of this I-Plan is the reduction of bacteria concentrations in each of the assessment units of Dickinson Bayou Tidal (Segment 1103), Bensons Bayou (1103A), Bordens Gully (1103B), and Geisler Bayou (1103C) and Dickinson Bayou Above Tidal (Segment 1104) to levels that meet the criteria defined in the state wa-ter quality standards to support contact recreation.

In concert with the TCEQ, the stakeholders of the Dickinson Bayou watershed de-veloped seven management measures and four control actions that will be used to reduce bacteria contributions.

Implementation Plan for Eight TMDLs for Dickinson Bayou and Three Tidal Tributaries

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 2 For Public Comment, September 2013

Management Measures (Voluntary Activities)

1) Improve management of on-site sewage facilities (OSSFs).

2) Improve wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs).

3) Promote increased participation in existing conservation and cost-share pro-grams.

4) Restore and repair riparian zones.

5) Preserve and restore natural wetlands.

6) Construct treatment wetlands.

7) Provide demonstrations and encourage installation of stormwater best man-agement practices including rain gardens, bioswales, and rain water harvesting.

Control Action (Regulatory Activities)

1) Implement stricter bacteria limits and stricter enforcement measures for WWTF effluents.

2) Increase compliance and enforcement by the TCEQ.

3) Revise penalties and violations for sanitary sewer system (SSSs) and WWTFs.

4) Improve reporting requirements for sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).

This I-Plan identifies responsible parties, technical and financial needs, monitoring and outreach efforts, and a schedule of activities for each management measure and control action. It describes the process that the TCEQ and stakeholders will use to assess progress and adjust the plan periodically.

The TCEQ will track the progress of this I-Plan in restoring the affected use. Water quality data will be collected for five years to identify trends and compliance with the water quality standards. If standards are not attained by the end of the moni-toring period, the TCEQ and watershed stakeholders should reevaluate the TMDL and the I-Plan and take appropriate action. The TCEQ will report the results of im-plementation tracking and evaluation on its web site, at regional forums and to stakeholders as needed.

Introduction

snip...



http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/waterquality/tmdl/80dickinsonbac/80-DickinsonBacteriaI-PlanComment.pdf




 
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