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MassDEP Seeks Public Comment on Plans to Limit Phosphorus Contamination in Plymouth's White Island Ponds
Public Meeting on Pollution in both East and West Ponds is May 7 in Plymouth Town Hall
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will hold a public meeting Thursday, May 7, 2009, seeking comment on a draft report identifying the need to limit and reduce total phosphorus levels in the waters of both East and West White Island Pond in Plymouth and Wareham.
The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the Mayflower Room, first floor, of Plymouth Town Hall.
At the public meeting, MassDEP staff will present a draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report, which is required under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act. The report outlines proposed controls to address excessive algae and weeds, which impair uses in White Island Pond, including swimming, and aquatic life. The TMDL is essentially a "pollution budget" designed to restore the health of an impaired waterbody.
The draft report focuses on phosphorus inputs from commercial cranberry bogs, as well as phosphorus from homes. MassDEP anticipates that the effective implementation of the White Island Pond TMDL will require comprehensive actions for reducing watershed sources of total phosphorus by up to 73 percent to meet the TMDL target concentration in the pond.
MassDEP is cooperating with the growers, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, the UMass Cranberry Experiment Station and the local White Island Pond Conservation Alliance, Inc. to determine which methods are most effective to achieve the TMDL.
A copy of the draft TMDL report for phosphorus, a complete listing of all lakes, rivers and coastal waters on the Massachusetts Impaired Waters list, and a further explanation of the TMDL Program are available on MassDEP's website at: http://mass.gov/dep/water/resources/tmdls.htm.
The public comment period ends on May 22, 2009. Written comments can be submitted to: Dr. Mark D. Mattson, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management, 627 Main Street, second floor, Worcester, MA 01608. Electronic format comments should be sent to: mark.mattson@state.ma.us. All comments should refer to file number: MA95166-2009-1 CN 330.0.
MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
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