Stuart F. Bruny, P.E. ORSANCO Commissioner
Established 1948
Authorized by Congress
Eight signatory States (IL, IN, NY, KY, OH, PA, VA, WV)
“Pledge cooperation” to abate interstate water pollution in Ohio River valley compact district Created ORSANCO to coordinate and implement
3/state (gubernatorial appointments); 3 federal (Presidential appointments)
State EPA director ex-officio
One federal is EPA Regional Administrator Budget: $2.5 million from states & USEPA Staff – 23
981 Miles from Pittsburgh to Cairo
Drinking water source for 5 million people (33 intakes) 120+ species of fish; rich in
mussels
230 million tons of cargo transported annually; 20 locks and dams
Recreational water resource
38 power generating plants
Regulatory – establish Ohio River Pollution Control Standards
Monitoring (lots of it) & assessment Spill Detection/Response (monitoring,
communications)
Clean Water Act/Safe Drinking Water Act
implementation coordination (TMDLs, NPDES, etc…)
Applied research (pharmaceuticals, mercury) Public Involvement programs (volunteer
Referred to as 305(b) report
ORSANCO completes for Ohio River.
Recommendation for states’ 303(d) Lists of
waters requiring TMDLs.
Based on ORSANCO monitoring data. 2012 Impairments
◦ All 981 miles impaired for PCBs and dioxin based on
historical high volume water quality data.
◦ 630 miles impaired for contact recreational use based on
exceedances of E. coli &/or fecal coliform criteria.
◦ Recent previous assessments have temperature and
Commission initiated study to characterize total
dissolved solids (TDS) and its primary
constituents in the Ohio River and selected tributaries.
Weekly sampling conducted at 11 Ohio River
sites and on 5 tributaries for a suite of parameters.
Sampling effort ran for 1 year (Dec 2011 – Dec
2012).
Data assessment is ongoing.
Dissolved Solids Analytes 1. Sodium 2. Potassium 3. Magnesium 4. Calcium 5. Lithium 10. Bicarbonate
11. Total Dissolved Solids
Supplemental Parameters pH Conductivity Temperature Stream flow Coordinate THM
sampling when possible
6. Chloride
7. Sulfate
8. Bromide
TDS Standard 500 mg/L Highest levels observed during low-flow period in Aug/Sept.
Levels on the Ohio
River did not
approach the 500 mg/L standard (max observed 368 mg/L) TDS was higher on tributaries,
particularly the Big Sandy and
Mission (per Compact) has been
focused on water quality
Growing importance of integrating
quality and quantity management
Droughts and shortages…not just a
“west of the Mississippi” issue anymore
2009 Strategic Planning Workshop
◦ Outcome: ORSANCO should become more
“holistic” in its services to the states
Committee Role:
◦ To study, discuss and evaluate water resources issues of concern or interest to the Commission and basin states
◦ Provides a forum for states and federal agencies to discuss water resources issues (meets 3 times annually)
◦ Current membership includes:
◦ Committee must be financially self-supporting
States
Indiana Kentucky New York Ohio
Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
Federal
Tennessee Valley Authority US Army Corps of Engineers US Geological Survey
Effort funded by private foundation grants Initial focus to complete three water resource
characterization studies
1. Water resources inventory and characterization
Characterize current water resources issues (i.e. water use,
inter-basin transfers, climate change, E-flows)
2. Examination of laws and regulations
Comparison of existing state and federal rules/regs governing water resources
3. Evaluation of Commission role in water resources management
Define appropriate role for Commission and develop funding mechanism for future WR activities
Timeline
◦ Reports #1 and #2 to be completed 2013 ◦ Report #3 to be completed 2014
Methyl Mercury fish tissue data was collected
in hybrid striped bass samples.
40% of samples exceeded ORSANCO’s MeHg
fish tissue criterion of 0.3 mg/kg.
Hybrid striped bass considered “worst case”
scenario.
ORSANCO’s Technical Committee decided
river would remain “unassessed” until fish tissue data from other commonly consumed species was collected and evaluated.
Some states have listed Ohio River for
mercury impairments. OEPA does not include Ohio River in any listings.
ORSANCO prohibition on mixing zones for
bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (mercury).
Effectively will require discharges to meet
0.012 ug/L for total mercury at end of pipe.
PPG requested and received a variance from
this prohibition.
Ironton has requested a variance from
ORSANCO – has already received variance from OEPA.
ORSANCO is developing formal variance
Objective:
•Project at Hannibal L&D in
area of mercury discharge variance request by PPG Inc. Natrium, WV mile 120
•A single site-specific
bioaccumulation factor for methyl Hg
•Calculated from direct
measurement of methyl mercury in water and
12 Equal Discharge Increment (EDI)
composite water samples (1 year/Monthly)
◦ Analysis for total and methyl mercury, filtered and
unfiltered
◦ Known methylation factors: DOC, D SO4,
Chlorophyll-a
12 composite fish tissue analyses:
◦ 4 TL4 composites
◦ 4 TL3 composites
◦ 4 TL2 composites
Objectives:
Create inventory of FGD systems and ash ponds
on the Ohio River (FGD type, installation date, discharge location).
Characterize total and methyl mercury discharges
from FGD systems.
Data will be used in conjunction with mercury
trend analyses to investigate potential impacts from these discharges.
Four sample events (quarterly) at four coal-fired power generation facilities Three sample locations per facility:
◦ Upstream baseline or raw inflow
◦ FGD wastewater post treatment
◦ Fly/bottom ash pond final discharge
Analytical parameters to be monitored:
•Filtered total Hg •Unfiltered total Hg •Filtered methyl Hg •Unfiltered methyl Hg •Selenium •Bromide
•Dissolved Organic Carbon •Dissolved Sulfate
•Total Dissolved Solids
2012 revisions of bacteria criteria for protection
of recreational use.
◦ Fecal coliform criteria removed.
◦ Numeric E. coli criteria revised as follows:
◦ 130 cfu/100mL as 90-day geometric mean.
Previously 30-day.
◦ 240 cfu/100mL in more than 25% of samples.
Previously single sample max.
Max. Temperature criterion of 110 deg F added
for protection of human health from body contact exposure.
USEPA Region 5 is completing a bacteria TMDL for
the entire Ohio River.
About 2/3 of the river is listed as impaired. ORSANCO has been involved:
◦ Monitoring to generate data to support the modeling effort.
◦ Provide technical expertise on the Ohio River.
◦ Collection of other necessary data.
Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS model being
utilized.
There will be a continued public involvement
process (one set of meetings held in 2009).
Fish Community 1957-present
Macroinvertebrate Community 1964-present Fish Tissue Contaminants 1970-present
Supplemental Data Collections
◦ Mussel Community 2012
◦ Periphyton Community 2007-2012
◦ Water & Sediment Chemistry 2007-present
Lockchamber Rotenone 1957-2005
◦ Long term trends analysis
Night-time Boat Electrofishing 1990-present
◦ Aquatic Life Use Assessments [305(b)]
Uses Modified Ohio River Fish Index (mORFIn)
◦ Probabilistic Pool Surveys (15 sites/pool)
◦ 18 Riverwide Fixed Stations (sampled annually since 2004)
Benthic Trawling 2006-2008
Collected at electrofishing sites Methods
◦ Rockbaskets 1964-1971
◦ Hester-Dendy (HD) 1968-present
Shallow (2-3’ of water) & Deep (10’)
◦ D-Frame Net Kicks (Kicks) 2004-present
Recently developed multi-metric index ◦ Uses combination of Deep HD & Kicks
Draft numeric index has been developed and will
be evaluated over the next couple years.
Initial results seem to compare reasonably with
fish surveys.
Objectives:
◦ Monitor contaminants levels & track trends
◦ Provide information to states to support fish
consumption advisories (www.orsanco.org/fca)
◦ Provide information for 305(b) assessment of Fish
Consumption Use
Analytes
◦ PCBs
◦ Mercury (total & methyl) & other metals
◦ DDTs, Chlordanes, and other pesticides
◦ PBDEs, PFCs, Dioxins, etc on occasion
Fish tissue contaminants of concern include
Mussel Community 2012
◦ Initial explorations for use as bio-indicators
Periphyton Community 2007-2012
◦ Draft diatom multi-metric index recently completed
Water & Sediment Chemistry 2007-present
◦ Used to create condition gradients for biotic data
2200 Gallon Mobile Aquarium
Set-up at various events along river
◦ Approximately 10-12 events April-October
Filled at event with
water & fish
In May 1977, the Commission voted to expand it’s
monitoring capabilities to include volatile organics (VOC’s), in response to an ongoing Carbon Tetrachloride release into
Kanawha River that February.
◦ 6 downstream water utilities were unprotected and vulnerable with no ability to detect volatile organics routinely; water quality was
compromised and communities were served contaminated water for over a week.
ODS is designed to be a Spills Detection Network.
Samples collected from Ohio River at 14 drinking water
utilities (one on Kanawha River).
At least 1 source water sample is analyzed per day from each
site.
◦ In 2012, nearly 4,200 VOC samples were collected from ODS locations and analyzed.
Less than 2% of the time, reportable detections found–(that’s a good thing!)
◦ Most common detections are Chloroform, (THM’s), Benzene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, and TCE.
Continued partnerships with water utilities, the Water Users Advisory Committee (WUAC), and
industry has kept ODS operational for 34 years.
◦ In kind services provided by ODS host sites over the past two years totals over $1.4M.
Operational and maintenance costs are estimated to be over $200,000 annually when renovation is completed.
Methylene Chloride 1,3 Dichlorobenzene 1,1 Dichloroethylene 1,4 Dichlorobenzene 1,1 Dichloroethane 1,2 Dichlorobenzene
Chloroform 1,1,1 Trichloroethane
Acrylonitrile Carbon Tetrachloride
1,2 Dichloroethane Benzene
trans-1,2 Dichloroethylene Trichloroethylene
cis-1,3 Dichloropropene 1,2 Dichloropropane
trans-1,3 Dichloropopene Dichlorobromomethane
Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene Toluene
1,1, 2,2 Tetrachloroethane Tetrachloroethylene
1,1,2 Trichloroethane Dibromochloromethane Trichlorofluoromethane Ethylbenzene
Napthalene Chlorobenzene
Styrene (co-elutes with o,p xylenes) Bromoform
Water Utility
Early 90’s technology CMS5000 process GC GC/MS technology
In 2008-2010 ORSANCO was able to obtain
$4.4 Mil in funding to support a network wide renovation and upgrade. The Renovation will allow the ODS to:
◦ Use automated sample injection to increase
frequency of analysis to 4-6 times daily
◦ Reduce analysis time
◦ Increase number of VOC’s that can be identified
◦ Increase number of monitoring sites
Project began with Electric
Power Research Institute 2008 feasibility study.
◦ Power plants compliance cost ranged from $20-180 per lb of nitrogen
◦ Typical farmer BMP cost $2-4 per lb
Project funding to date
from project partners and grants: $5 Million
Advisory groups from
Power Industry, Agriculture, WWTP’s, Environmental
Groups.
◦ WWTP advisory group from NACWA
Project Partners
◦ Electric Power Research Institute
◦ American Electric Power
◦ Duke Energy
◦ Hoosier Energy
◦ Tennessee Valley Authority
◦ American Farmland Trust
◦ Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
◦ ORSANCO
◦ Hunton & Williams
◦ Kieser & Associates
◦ US EPA
An option for compliance with permit limits. A permitted source of nutrients with a high
compliance cost pays a non-point source
with a lower reduction cost to install nutrient best management practices.
Full Scale Program 38 Power plants 230,000 Farmers Thousands of WWTP
Pilot phase will test out procedures developed
for the program
Pilot Trading Plan signed by Ohio EPA,
Indiana DEP, Kentucky DEP August 9, 2012
$100,000 will be spent on BMP’s in each
State.
◦ Projects are currently being scoped
◦ Installation of BMP’s this spring/summer
◦ First credits for sale in September 2013
Problem:
◦ Nutrients are one of the most common causes of
impairments to water in the U.S.
◦ USEPA has directed all States to develop numeric
nutrient criteria
Objective:
◦ Collect a long term dataset for development of numeric
nutrient criteria.
◦ Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Some algae cause taste and odor problems with drinking
water. These issues have become more common on the Ohio River.
Some algae can produce toxins which are harmful to humans
Parameters: total phosphorus, nitrate/nitrite, TKN, ammonia, phytoplankton algae identification, chlorophyll a. Frequency: 2/month. 12 months/year for nutrients. 9
months/year for algae.
7locations
West View, PA ORM5 Wheeling , WV ORM87 Huntington, WV ORM306 Northern KY ORM463 Louisville, KY ORM600 Evansville, IN ORM792 Paducah, KY ORM936
EPA has mandated that states develop numeric
nutrients criteria.
Criteria development for the main stem of the Ohio
River began in 2002.
Development of numeric criteria have proved to be a
difficult task.
There are not obvious cause-effect relationships
between concentrations of nutrients and impairments caused by nutrients.
There are occasional algae blooms and drinking water
taste & odor problems that are associated with nutrients.
Continuing to look at other indicators such as
changes in macroinvertebrate communities resulting from nutrients.
Unknown as to when numeric criteria may be
