Outreach team meeting notes
- From
- Karen Tommasulo
Thank you all for your participation last Thursday. The after-meeting summary is attached. As always, please contact me
any time if you see news developing in your district or division.
Karen Tommasulo
Public Information Officer
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
517-284-6716 | 517-599-5733
tammasulok@rmichigan. gov
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Outreach Team Meeting Notes
Nov. 12, 2015
Executive
Flint water
e Constantly evolving situation that has been in the news daily, taking a lot of staff
time in both Executive and ODWMA
e lf you hear any questions from staff, feel free to call (or have them call) Karen at
517-284-6716. Since the situation is complex and evolving, | want to be available
to answer questions.
Lake Erie Phosphorus Reduction Plan
e InJune, Gov. Snyder signed an agreement with several provinces and states to
reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie by 40 percent.
e WRD released Michigan’s plan on Nov. 2, and is accepting comment until Dec. 7.
The plan includes:
o Maintain the reductions achieved in discharges from the Detroit Water and
Sewerage Department as a result of tightened permit limits.
o Modify the permit limits for the Wayne County Downriver Wastewater
Treatment Plan to establish limits consistent with limits at the Detroit
Water and Sewerage Department.
o Develop a specific plan to achieve the target reduction in the Maumee
River basin, working in close partnership with Indiana and Ohio.
o Help develop a better understanding of harmful algal blooms’ presence,
timing and cause in Michigan waters, including the Great Lakes.
o Help develop a better understanding of the role of invasive mussels in
causing Lake Erie algae blooms as well as the effects of potential invasive
mussel controls.
o Understand the specifics of what has caused a 36 percent reduction in
phosphorus from the River Raisin since 2008 and continue to reduce
nutrient loads that can contribute to site-specific or seasonal water quality
fluctuations.
Meet Eric Shaw
e Eric joined the Communications Office two months ago, coming to us from
MDOT.
e He is responsible for overseeing web content as well as producing videos.
e With his help as well as many others’, the DEQ launched its fully redesigned
website Nov. 16. The website is not stagnant, so if you see areas for
improvement, contact Eric at 517-284-6726 or [email protected].
AQD
Changes to Air Pollution Control Rules Parts 1 & 2 out for public comment
e Extended comment period runs through Dec. 18, with two hearings in Lansing on
Dec. 7
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ODWMA
Flint Drinking Water (Ongoing...)
See above
Revolving Loan — Round 3 for SAW Grants (November)
$97 Million in SAW Grants for FY 2016 for Planning, Design, Rate Method,
WAMPs, SWAMPs, and SVV/MPs.
134 communities will be awarded SAW Grants for Round 3. Grant awards in
November.
There will be a Loan Arranger blurb. A press release?
Revolving Loan — 1st Quarter FY 2015 Loans (November)
3 wastewater projects with a pre-bid estimate of $41.5 million.
Wayne County, Milford, and Detroit with unknown principal forgiveness.
We plan to issue a press release every quarter with information on each project
in accordance with U.S. EPA’s signage guidance. See Page 5 which states that,
“_..it may be appropriate for the state agency to issue a formal press
release...Distributing a single prepared statement concisely summarizing the
project purpose and the joint funding from EPA and state resources can reach a
wide audience as the statement goes through multiple news outlets...”
Revolving Loan — 4" Quarter FY 2015 Loans (September)
3 drinking water projects totaling $3,865,000: Genesee County (for Mt. Morris
Twp), Loch Alpine, and Oakland County with $265,000 in principal loan
forgiveness.
17 wastewater projects totaling $67,375,000: Belleville, Oscoda Twp,
Washington Twp, Hamtramck, Bruce Twp, Huron River GID (2), Livingston
County, Macomb ID, Burton, Milford, Plainfield Twp, Kinross Twp, Houghton
Lake, Hillsdale, Zeeland, and St. Ignace with $3,150,000 in principal loan
forgiveness.
Press release for 3 and 4" Quarter Loans is temporarily on hold
Michigan Revised Total Coliform Rule
21 minute YouTube video on changes for noncommunity water supplies
(NCWS): Introduction to the Michigan Revised Total Coliform Rule
This presentation is intended for water system owners/operators. On April 1,
2016, the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) will go into effect replacing
current regulations. It is expected that many noncommunity water supply
systems will have increased coliform bacteria monitoring. Owners/operators will
be taking on a more active role in assessing their water supply for possible
deficiencies in the case of a coliform positive water results. The video is an
introduction to the RTCR and the requirements that apply to all NCWS, including
coliform bacteria sampling frequencies & system assessments. There are nearly
10,000 NCWS in Michigan. A Noncommunity Water Supply is a water system
that provides water for drinking or potable purposes to 25 or more persons at
least 60 days per year. NCWS includes schools, restaurants, motels,
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campgrounds, and churches that are not connected to a community (municipal)
water supply.
QEA
Events
e In FY15, 75 live and web-based trainings (20 more than last year) with over
8,600 people were conducted on DEQ regulations, programs, initiatives, etc.
e FY 16 started out with a bang with 3 large conferences — Environmental
Remediation and Risk Management Conference, State of Lake Ml/Great Lakes
Beach Assoc Joint Conf, and 2015 MI Green Chemistry and Engineering Conf —
already trained over 1,000 people just in Oct and early Nov alone!
e Excellent cross training opportunities coming up with Air Quality 101 webinar
series and Water Quality webinars -
3308 3333-265165--,00. him!
DEQbicle
e Goal to release next week — much smaller issue due to workload
GovDelivery
e Over 66,000 subscribers receiving news from the DEQ programs
e Conducted a review on how lists are being used, since this is a key
communications tool in the department.
e Weare in the process of making changes to some of the topics and
format/design templates for existing lists.
QOGM
Proposed Oil Well — City of Southfield Oakland County
e Word of Faith #16-27 proposed oil well, Jordan Development Company,
proposed City of Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan. Work of Faith is a very
large megachurch with about 22,000 congregation members, and the well is
situated within large woodlot within the 110+ acre campus.
e DEQ has sent notice to City of Southfield and has been in communication with
them, the City will be submitting comments within the next week or so. The City
does have a drilling moratorium and some proposed ordinances/resolutions.
e The Oakland Press has published at least one initial story, mostly just facts of
who what and where.
Mineral Wells FOIA Appeal 6723-15
e DEQ has received a FOIA appeal related to the State Beaver Creek D4-11, a
mineral well permitted under Part 325, Beaver Creek Township, Crawford
County. Permittee is Marathon Oil Company
e The OOGM had denied original FOIA request due to strict confidentiality
requirements under Section 324.62508(d) wherein test well information must be
held confidential for 10 years.
e Ban Michigan Fracking website does talk about this, but to OOGM knowledge
has not been covered elsewhere.
RRD
Legislation to harmonize various parts of brownfield rules coming soon
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Updating cleanup criteria: RRD will put together three outreach documents, each written
at different levels of technical expertise
Clean up conferences went well and included many networking opportunities for the 750
participants statewide
Jackson District
Brownfield loan for Jackson County Airport expansion project
e Will help realign runway to meet FAA standards
e But realignment needs to run through area of a former landfill
Kalamazoo District
WRD now fully using MiWaters, and experience is improving
Flemming Brothers Oil Company RRD enforcement case on the radar
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