The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) seek written and oral comments from interested persons on the development of an Implementation Plan (IP) for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to address water quality impairments on Mill and Hawksbill Creeks in Page County Virginia.  These streams were identified as impaired due to violations of Virginia’s water quality standards for fecal coliform bacteria and therefore do not support the Primary Contact (swimming) Designated Use.  The impairments on Mill and Hawksbill Creeks both begin at their headwaters and continue downstream to their confluences with the South Fork Shenandoah River.  This includes 6.78 stream miles for Mill Creek and 19.3 stream miles for Hawksbill Creek.  TMDLs for Mill and Hawksbill Creeks were completed and approved by EPA in 2005 and 2004 and are available on DEQ’s website at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/tmdl.

            Section 62.1-44.19.7.C of the Code of Virginia requires the development of an IP for approved TMDLs.  The IP should provide measurable goals and the date of expected achievement of water quality objectives.  The IP should also include the corrective actions needed and their associated costs, benefits and environmental impacts.

            The first public meeting on the development of the IP for Mill and Hawksbill Creek impairments will be held on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 pm at the Page County Courthouse, South Court Street, Luray Virginia.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed reductions in bacteria needed in the Mill and Hawksbill Creek watersheds and to solicit public participation for the IP development.  Following the public meeting, two working group meetings will be held: a residential working group meeting and an agricultural working group meeting.  The purpose of the working group meetings is to collect specific information on residential and agricultural sources of bacteria in the watersheds, and to discuss methods by which to achieve the necessary bacteria reductions from these sources to meet the TMDLs.