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AMD and Extent in West Virginia Patrick Campbell - April 22, 2008 Slide 2 Progression Clean Water Act Process AMD in WV Slide 3 Clean Water Act: Passed by Congress October 18, 1972 Objective - To restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biologic integrity of the Nations waters. Perhaps the Laboratory & Consultant Enrichment Act? Slide 4 The CWA ingredients... Water Quality Standards for waterbodies Impaired waterbodies on 303(d) list Implement through Watershed Approach TMDLs- define and allocate control responsibility NPDES PERMITS Monitoring NPS Restoration Slide 5 e.g. Aquatic Life, Contact Rec. Slide 6 Slide 7 Slide 8 Integrated Report Due every 2 years Satisfies CWA 303(d) and 305(b) requirements 303(d) Section out for comment til May 7, 2008 Slide 9 Categories of Waters Category 1- Meeting all uses Category 2 Meeting some, others unknown Category 3 All uses unknown (unmonitored) Category 4 Impaired for a use; TMDL complete Category 5 Impaired for a use - TMDL needed (the 303(d) list) Slide 10 2008 Integrated Report Summary Designated Use Support Category 5 18% Category 1 19% Category 2 7% Category 3 41% Category 4 15% Slide 11 Primary Impacts Mine Drainage Bacterial Contamination Biological Impairment (Sedimentation/Habitat) Acid Precipitation Slide 12 Slide 13 N ~ 200 Slide 14 TMDLs Slide 15 TMDL Development in WV Slide 16 Chronology of a Typical TMDL 4 year process Noticing of TMDL candidate watersheds Informational meetings and call for data 12 months WQ monitoring/source tracking Model Selection & Development Draft TMDL w/ public meetings Finalization, EPA approval Implementation Slide 17 DEP TMDL Process HGA (2004 TMDLs) EPA approved January 2005 (Up. Kanawha, U Ohio North) HGB (2005 TMDLs) EPA approved (Coal, North Branch) HGC (2006 TMDLs) EPA approved (Gauley, Potomac DD) HGD (2007 TMLs) darned close (New, Greenbrier) HGE (2008 TMDLs) (Dunkard, Twelvepole, Yough., U Ohio South underway) HGA2 (2009 TMDLs) Cheat and Lower Blackwater watersheds HGB2 (2010) Elk monitoring underway Slide 18 Slide 19 Acid Mine Drainage Acute and Chronic effects ~ 550 Streams ~ 2500 miles Considerable work on passive technology, but silver bullet lacking Slide 20 Listing AMD in WV ArcGIS Project done earlier this year SO 4 >50 mg/l; conductivity greater than 400 umhos/cm AML Data Sheets TMDL Source Tracking Other sampler field notes Active Mining 473+ Streams Slide 21 Slide 22 Slide 23 Slide 24 What gives - 550, 473, 469, 850??? Depends - on criteria used and data availability Slide 25 Top 10 lists... Slide 26 AMD Not all Bad News! Middle Fork Blackwater River Cheat River AML Reauthorization Slide 27 Slide 28 Slide 29 Slide 30 Slide 31 Questions... Slide 32