Revised Panther Creek Watershed TMDL Schuylkill and Carbon
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Revised Panther Creek Watershed TMDL Schuylkill and Carbon Counties For Acid Mine Drainage Affected Segments Prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection June 2014 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Directions to the Panther Creek Watershed .............................................................................................................. 4 Segments addressed in this TMDL ........................................................................................................................... 4 Clean Water Act Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 5 Section 303(d) Listing Process ................................................................................................................................. 6 Basic Steps for Determining a TMDL ...................................................................................................................... 6 Watershed History .................................................................................................................................................... 7 AMD Methodology .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Changes in TMDLs That May Require EPA Approval .......................................................................................... 12 Changes in TMDLs That May Not Require EPA Approval ................................................................................... 12 TMDL Endpoints .................................................................................................................................................... 13 TMDL Elements (WLA, LA, MOS) ....................................................................................................................... 13 Allocation Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Recommendations and Reasonable Assurance ....................................................................................................... 16 Public Participation ................................................................................................................................................. 19 TABLES Table 1. Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report – Streams, Category 5 Waterbodies, Pollutants Requiring a TMDL………………………………………………………….. 3 Table 2. Mining Permit in the Panther Creek Watershed TMDL………………………….. …………………. 9 Table 3. Applicable Water Quality Criteria ............................................................................................................... 13 Table 4. NPDES permits in the Panther Creek Watershed not receiving individual waste load allocations for metals ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Table 5. Combined Waste Load Allocations for BET Associates Outfalls 001, 003, 004 and 005………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………15 Table 6. Summary Table - Panther Creek Watershed………………………………………………………………..15 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Panther Creek Watershed Map ............................................................................................................................... 20 Attachment B ................................................................................................................................................ 22 The pH Method ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 Attachment C ................................................................................................................................................ 26 TMDLs By Segment ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Attachment D ................................................................................................................................................ 30 Excerpts Justifying Changes To The Section 303(d) Lists and Integrated Report/List .......................................... 30 Attachment E ................................................................................................................................................ 33 Water Quality Dataset Used In TMDL Calculations .............................................................................................. 33 Attachment F................................................................................................................................................. 55 Panther Creek Upstream/Downstream of Slum Creek ............................................................................................ 55 Attachment G ................................................................................................................................................ 57 2008 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Streams, Category 5, Waterbodies, Pollutants Requiring a TMDL .......................................................................................................... 57 Attachment H………………………………………………………………………………………………………...57 Comment and Response Document………………………………………………………… ………………….. 57 2 Panther Creek Watershed Schuylkill County, PA Introduction This report presents the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) developed for impaired stream segments in the Panther Creek Watershed (Attachment A). These were done to address the impairments noted on the 1996 Pennsylvania Section 303(d) list, and subsequent lists of impaired waters, required under the Clean Water Act, and covers the stream segments shown in Table 1. High levels of metals are the cause for these impairments. All impairments resulted from drainage from abandoned coalmines. The TMDL addresses the three primary metals associated with acid mine drainage (iron, manganese, aluminum) and pH. The Panther Creek TMDL is being revised to reflect significant changes in the watershed since the original Panther Creek TMDL was developed including the new treatment proposal of the Route 309 discharge. The TMDL for the Little Schuylkill River, to which Panther Creek flows, is being revised concurrently. Table 1. Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Streams, Category 5 Waterbodies, Pollutants Requiring a TMDL Hydrologic Unit Code: 02040203 Schuylkill Stream Name Use Designation (Assessment ID) Cause Date Listed TMDL Date Source Panther Creek HUC: 02040203 Aquatic Life (719) - 6.48 miles; 4 Segment(s)* Abandoned Mine Drainage Metals 1996 2009 Industrial Point Source Unknown Toxicity 2002 2015 Surface Mining Siltation 1998 2014** Slum Creek HUC: 02040203 Aquatic Life (727) - 1.58 miles; 3 Segment(s)* Industrial Point Source Other Organics 2002 2015 Industrial Point Source Unknown Toxicity 2002 2015 *Segments are defined as individual COM IDs. ** Siltation TMDL for Little Schuykill Watershed. Panther Creek/Slum Creek specific TMDL may be developed in the future. Report Summary Watershed Summary Stream Miles Assessment Units Segments (COMIDs) Watershed Characteristics 9.11 2 9 3 Impairment Summary Source Cause Miles Assessment Segments Units (COMIDs) Abandoned Mine Drainage Metals 6.48 1 4 Industrial Point Source Other Organics 1.58 1 3 Industrial Point Source Unknown Toxicity 8.06 2 7 Surface Mining Siltation 6.48 1 4 8.06** 2** 7** **Totals reflect actual miles of impaired stream. Each stream segment may have multiple impairments (different sources or causes contributing to the impairment). So the sum of individual impairment numbers may not add up to the totals shown. Use Designation Summary Miles Assessment Units Segments (COMIDs) Aquatic Life 6.06 2 7 Directions to the Panther Creek Watershed Panther Creek originates approximately 0.5 miles east of the Borough of Lansford in Carbon County. The stream flows southwesterly until reaching the Little Schuylkill River at Tamaqua. Panther Creek can be accessed from Interstate 81 at the Hometown Exit. Travel east on State Route 54 towards Hometown. In Hometown turn right onto State Route 309 and head south towards Tamaqua. In Tamaqua turn left onto US Route 209 and travel approximately a ¼ of a mile to where the stream crosses under US Route 209. The stream runs along the north side of US Route 209 from Tamaqua until the headwaters east of Lansford. Panther Creek is found on the 7 ½-minute Tamaqua and Nesquehoning quadrangles. It exists in State Water Plan 03 A and HUC 02040203. Segments addressed in this TMDL There is an active discharge in the Panther Creek Watershed. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation (LCN) permit has been transferred to BET Associates to operate the current anthracite surface mining operation. The permitted discharge that previously discharged to the Little Schuylkill River will be discharging to Panther Creek and is included in this revised TMDL. Because of its proximity to Route 309