Information |
SUMMARY OF VERMONT WASTEWATER SEPTIC RULES
March 30, 2010
• Since 1969 Vermont has implemented various revisions to its wastewater disposal design and permitting regulations, gradually allowing more innovative design approaches to treat wastewater.
• In 2002, Governor Dean signed into law a set of septic regulations and permitting procedures that were to be implemented and improved over a 5-year period. The 2002 version and those since focused largely on closing the 10+ acre loophole and on the State taking jurisdiction over pre-existing residences.
• State oversight helped to unify myriad municipal standards or lack thereof. Designers of wastewater systems faced varied municipal approaches, and zoning administrators often interpreted local regulations differently.
• On July 1, 2007 the VT Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) activated major changes to its rules governing potable water supply and wastewater systems.
Click here for a printable PDF of the full summary.
________________________________________________________
SOURCES OF POLLUTION IN LAKE CHAMPLAIN WATERSHED
March 17, 2010
We expect to have clean water in our
rivers and lakes, and we should expect that. But we don’t have clean
water in our rivers and lakes. The rivers are carrying pollution into
the lakes, and Lake Champlain and other lakes are troubled with algae
blooms and excessive weed growth.
Nutrient pollution is the cause
of these troubles, and excesses of phosphorus and sediment are the
primary problems. These pollutants wash off the lands in the watershed
and are carried down the streams and rivers into the lakes. There are
other water quality issues, such as invasive species and habitat
protection, but most of the focus on Lake Champlain is on the reduction
of phosphorus and sediment because these have by far the greatest impact
on water quality in Lake Champlain.
To read more please download the PDF of the full article.
________________________________________________________IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN
On January 15, 2010 the Agency of Natural Resources submitted the Revised Implementation Plan for Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL. This plan will be used to establish program priorities and funding requests for the future.
There is a six page Executive Summary, followed by a full documentation of plans/responsibilities for moving forward with the work to clean up Lake Champlain. The plan is broken into various categories, such as Next Steps and Future Actions, etc. There is plenty of good information.
The Implementation Plan may be found at the top of this linked page.
________________________________________________________
BUSINESS ALLIANCE FOR A CLEAN LAKE
The Business Alliance for a Clean Lake had their inaugural kick-off and press conference on Jan. 18 in Mallets Bay, Colchester. Friends of Northern Lake Champlain is closely allied with BACL, as we share similar goals for a clean Lake. The Essex Reporter filed this excellent report.
________________________________________________________
CLEAN & CLEAR ANNUAL REPORT
Vermont Clean and Clear Annual Report, issued Feb. 1, 2010: The annual report from the Agency of Natural Resources and the AgAgency that describes the broad scope of the Clean and Clear program’s work and its accomplishments to date.
The Clean and Clear Annual Report may be found at the top of this linked page.
________________________________________________________
UVM STUDY OFFERS HOPE FOR LAKE CLEANUP
In an article from the Burlington Free Press, dated Feb. 5, 2010: A new University of Vermont study offers fresh hope for protecting Lake Champlain. The study demonstrates how a set of actions on a limited land area could dramatically reduce one major pollution source: farm runoff.
________________________________________________________
Lake Champlain Phosphorus Concentrations and Loading Rates, 1990 to 2008 -- Data from the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Program were analyzed to determine the status and trends in lake phosphorus concentrations and tributary loading rates. Published December 2009.
Useful Lake Documents
Click the following links for additional resources and information:
Current Lake Info
Current Lake Champlain lake level, water temperature, and forecast National Weather Service Forecast Office.
Newsletters
Links to PDF copies of our newsletter:
Membership
Friends of Northern Lake Champlain is working to clean up the waters in the northern Lake by addressing the land issues that are responsible for the pollution that flows into the Lake.
We need your help. Please join with us. Feel free to Contact Us with any questions you may have, or download the FNLC Membership Form (50 KB PDF) to get started today.
________________________________________________________
The New York Times has a good article about a large modern dairy in Texas with 4,000 cows, with many of the same water quality issues that our local dairies have. This well-written article highlights some of the problems and how they are addressed using "best practices".
