On Monday, Spokane River stakeholders gathered at the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District to discuss implementation of DO TMDL, potential future nutrient trading and concerns, and next steps in what’s been a 12-year process.
The term “the devil is in the details” is one of the most used cliches you’ll hear in a meeting. That’s my opinion stated as fact, but it has to be up there. Monday was no exception as political, legal, business and conservation representatives from across the Inland Northwest gathered in Liberty Lake at a big meeting organized by Washington DOE, Idaho DEQ, and the EPA.
In attendance was Ted Sturdevant, Director of Washington Department of Ecology, Toni Hardesty, Director of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10.
Discussed was issuing permits for all dischargers in both Washington and Idaho to meet the Spokane River TMDL (total maximum daily load) , also called a Water Quality Improvement Plan. A plan that the EPA approved in May after 12 years of negotiation. Also discussed was a proposed nutrient trading program (think carbon trading) to help some dischargers meet the TMDL, while incentivizing those who will meet it.
Sound confusing? It is. And that was the theme of the meeting. How will a trading program work bi-state? What ratios of discharge and where at on the river or triburatry will be modeled? Where have agricultural representatives been at during this discussion as they’re the ones that will be trading with larger dischargers? And maybe biggest of all, what does this all mean in light of Idaho discharger’s lawsuit against the EPA to declare the TMDL void. In response, those convening the meeting urged for patience and optimism.
If you’re interested in what you missed, and next steps in this process, the Spokane River Forum is hosting Monday’s agenda, PowerPoint presentations and other hand-outs used and provided by agency staff at the meeting.
For more information on water quality trading, have a look at the EPA’s Water Quality Trading website.
Additionally, the Kootenai Environmental Alliance posted a very in depth piece on the Spokane River TMDL back in May – it provides great background on the 12-year TMDL process.
And for more analysis on the TMDL, the Spokane River Forum issued a piece in July called “Numbers, science and fairness behind Idaho discharger challenge to DO TMDL.”
