Trash Limits for MS4s in Anacostia Watershed - Trash TMDL

U.S. EPA, the District of Columbia, and the state of Maryland have announced a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for trash in the Anacostia River, making the Anacostia the first interstate river in the nation with such a Clean Water Act (CWA) trash limit. Each year, hundreds of tons of trash and debris are illegally dumped or washed into the Anacostia with stormwater runoff. As a result, the District and Maryland have both included the Anacostia River on their respective lists of impaired waters due to excessive quantities of trash and debris.

The TMDL requires capturing or removing more than 600 tons (1.2 million pounds) of trash from the watershed annually. To complement this TMDL, the EPA, as the permitting authority for the District, and the state of Maryland are developing MS4 storm sewer permits which will serve as key implementation tools requiring municipalities in the Anacostia watershed to achieve the trash reductions required in the TMDL. In addition, continued implementation of the Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan for the District of Columbia supports achievement of the limits.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Stormwater Permitting & Regulatory Support, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP), Stormwater Monitoring and Stormwater Training.

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