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Healthy Waters Priority
"The Next Generation of Water Protection"
...creating innovative tools that move beyond traditional water protection approaches.
National Information
"Together, with our partners in the Mid-Atlantic Region, we have accomplished much in the past 35 years. With the next generation of environmental protection upon us, our tools continue to evolve to meet these new challenges. Today, with our partners' work as the basis for comprehensive, Mid-Atlantic Healthy Waters plans, we take a fresh look at protecting the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Region."
National Guide
National Academy of Public Administration's 2007 Report, Taking Environmental Protection to the Next Level (PDF) (45 pp, 3.4MB, About PDF)
On this page
- Background and Approach
- Healthy Waters Components
- "4" Priorities
- Progress through State and Interstate Collaboration
Background
In order to maintain and build upon the progress made in the 35 years since the Clean Water Act was enacted, we recognize the need to redefine the way we protect our water resources to keep up with today’s challenges. The Healthy Waters Priority is a collaborative approach using the best available data to sharpen our focus, and appropriately allocate and mobilize resources to maximize efficiency in watershed protection and restoration. Although significant progress has been made, the challenges of water protection continually evolve; therefore our water protection tools must evolve. The Healthy Waters Priority is centered on accomplishing our goals using innovative tools in a collaborative, holistic manner. The focus is on policy innovations that will have broad impacts. For additional information see The National Academy of Public Administration's 2007 Report, Taking Environmental Protection to the Next Level (PDF) (45 pp, 3.4MB, About PDF) which examines trends in water protection and makes suggestions for the next generation in water protection.
Our Healthy Waters Priority is based on these ideas so that we can:
- achieve greater and faster advances in preventing waters from becoming polluted in the first place, and
- improve those waters that are polluted.
Our Approach
- Coordinate Regional actions to accelerate the pace of water protection.
- Partner with States, Interstates and the Regulated Community to extend our reach.
- Make better use of indicators to set our goals and target our activities.
- Balance restoration with prevention and protection.
- Promote "Green Solutions for Blue Water" by designing protection strategies that mimic how natural systems protect themselves.
Healthy Waters Components
- 4 Priority Sectors
- Agriculture
- Reduce nutrient, sediment, pathogen and toxic impairments of waters caused by agricultural lands.
- Developed/developing lands
- Eliminate nutrient and sediment loads and the destruction of habitat caused by developed and developing lands.
- Mining
- Protect healthy waters and restore degraded waters within watersheds affected by coal mining.
- Transportation
- Agriculture
- 4 Priority Pollutants
-
With 4 Methods
- Wholesale Policies
- Prevention Partnerships
- Integrated Strategies for on-the-ground activities
- Green Solutions
Progress Through State & Interstate Innovations
Pennsylvania
REAP (PDF) (2 pp, 41K, About PDF)The Resource Enhancement & Protection Tax Credit Program (REAP) offers transferable tax credits for the establishment of riparian forest buffers, no-till planting equipment, barnyard renovations and other conservation "best management practices" (BMPs).
PA Statewide Mercury Rule This plan will reduce the amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania by enhancing the state's current mercury emission regulations.
Virginia
Virginia Healthy Waters Cleanup Plan (PDF) (61 pp, 721K, About PDF) This plan lays out clear objectives, well-developed strategies, predictable time frames, realistic funding needs, commonsense mitigation strategies, and straightforward recommendations, all umbrellaed under measurable environmental outcomes and quantifiable pollution reductions to improve the waters of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay.
Poultry Companies Tackle Water Pollution This agreement will lower the phosphorus level in waste produced at poultry farms by introducing the enzyme phytase into chicken feed. This effort will reduce the environmental footprint of the participating poultry farms and thus reduce their adverse environmental impact on the surrounding Virginia rivers and waterbodies.
Maryland
Statewide Ban on Phosphorus in Dish Detergent This policy will ban phosphorus in commercial dish detergent by reducing the amount of phosphorus in the dish soap formula from 7% to 0.5% over two years.
Delaware River Basin Commission
PCB Levels Reduced in Delaware River The Delaware River Basin Commission's rule establishes pollutant minimization plan (PMP) requirements for point and nonpoint discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Delaware Estuary. It also sets a goal of reducing PCB loadings by 50% in five years.
Research by University of Pennsylvania Students Under the Capstone Project- Undergraduate and graduate level students in environmental
studies are being given the opportunity to conduct research into policies which could prevent the pollution of streams on an area-wide basis. Examples include phosphate bans in areas near bays and watershed-wide permits for certain pollutants. EPA and/or Penn staff are supervising the work of the students.
Partners
US EPA Region 3, US EPA Headquarters, District Dept. of the Environment, Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Maryland Dept. of the Environment, Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Delaware River Basin Commission, Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
Contact
Dr. Debra Forman (forman.debra@epa.gov)
US EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-814-2073
