City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
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Consideration of a Request to Approve the “Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Action Plan for 5% Compliance” (Phase 1) for Submittal to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
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ISSUE: The City of Alexandria is required to submit the Chesapeake Bay TMDL 5% Action Plan to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) by October 1, 2015 to comply with the City’s stormwater general permit.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Approve the submission of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL 5% Action Plan (Phase 1).
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: In an effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, localities, including the City of Alexandria (the City), have been given targets for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from the City’s stormwater. These reduction targets will be enforced through the City’s General Virginia Pollution Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) general permit. The MS4 general permit requires the City to develop and implement the “Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Action Plan for 5% Compliance” to meet the reduction target by June 30, 2018.
DISCUSSION: The Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan identifies strategies the City will use to meet the required 5% reductions. These proposed TMDL strategies are consistent with prior presentations to Council and the community. The 5% - or Phase 1 - reduction targets must be achieved by June 30, 2018, Phase 2 requires an additional 35% reduction by July 1, 2023, and Phase 3 requires the remaining 60% reduction to be achieved by June 30, 2028. In order to meet these aggressive reduction targets and subsequent phases, the City’s goal is to go above and beyond 5% and achieve a 15-20% reduction during Phase 1. The primary strategies in the 5% plan to reach the City’s goal include:
• Redevelopment credit through the City’s more stringent local ordinance
• Lake Cook regional pond retrofit
• Ben Brenman regional pond retrofit
• Eisenhower Avenue Block 19 pond
• Retrofitting City facilities, with some recent examples including: Fire Station 206 Bioretention, Burke Library StormFilter and Bioretention, and Charles Barrett Elementary School StormFilter and Bioretention
The Action Plan includes possible strategies in addition to the primary strategies to take advantage of changes in technologies, site conditions or other opportunities. These additional strategies are part of a comprehensive, “all of the above” approach to maximize benefits and minimize impacts. Some of these additional strategies include: Public private partnerships, urban nutrient management, forest buffers, nutrient trading, and an integrated CSO/Stormwater approach.
The draft “Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan for 5% Compliance” was advertised for public comment, and responses are incorporated into the plan. The Action Plan must be submitted to VDEQ by October 1, 2015.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding currently approved in the FY 2016 - FY 2025 CIP will allow the City to comply with the 5% reduction targets for Phase 1 and reach the City’s goal of going above and beyond to achieve 15% to 20% reductions. Over the last two years, Council approved and the City was awarded a total of $2.95M from Virginia’s Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) in matching grant funds for the purpose of retrofitting the Lake Cook and Ben Brenman regional ponds.
ATTACHMENT:
Final Draft of “Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Action Plan for 5% Compliance” dated June 30, 2015.
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Acting Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES)
William J. Skrabak, Deputy Director, T&ES, Infrastructure & Environmental Quality
Lalit Sharma, Division Chief, T&ES, Sanitary Infrastructure Division
Jesse E. Maines, Watershed Management Planner, T&ES, Sanitary Infrastructure Division