Public Meeting and Opportunity for Public Comment on Total Maximum Daily Load for Tributaries along the Rappahannock River

Community meeting: A community meeting will be held Wednesday, June 20, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at Westmoreland Fire Department, 52 Rectory Road, Montross, VA 22520. This meeting will be open to the public and all are welcome to participate. In the case of inclement weather or other reason for postponement, an alternate meeting date is scheduled for Monday, June 25, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at the same location. For more information, please contact Anna Reh-Gingerich,telephone (804) 527-5021 or email anna.reh-gingerich@deq.virginia.gov.

Purpose of notice: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and its contractors, Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering, will announce the development of a water quality study known as a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for tributaries along the Rappahannock River located in Essex, Westmoreland, Richmond, Caroline, and King George Counties. This is an opportunity for local residents to learn about the condition of these waters, share information about the area, and become involved in the process of local water quality improvement. A public comment period will follow the meeting, June 21, 2018, to July 20, 2018.

Description of study: Portions of the Rappahannock River and its tributaries were identified in Virginia's 2016 Water Quality Assessment and Integrated Report as impaired due to violations of the state's water quality standards for Enterococci and E. coli and do not support the designated uses of "primary contact (recreational or swimming)." The specific impairments are included in this notice. Reductions and TMDLs for the causes of the impairments have been developed and are available for community review in the TMDL report located online at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Water/TMDL/drftmdls/RappahannockRiver_Bacteria_DRAFT_FINALIZED.pdf.

How to comment and participate: The meetings of the TMDL process are open to the public and all interested parties are welcome. Written comments will be accepted through July 20, 2018, and should include the name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the comments. For more information or to submit written comments, please contact Anna Reh-Gingerich, Department of Environmental Quality, Piedmont Regional Office, 4949 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060, telephone (804) 527-5021, or email anna.reh-gingerich@deq.virginia.gov.