The ORSANCO 2011Annual Report Chairman’s Message Table To the President and Governors* of Contents The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an interstate water pollution control Chairman’s Message ...........................................................2 agency created in 1948 by the State of Illinois, the State of Indiana, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the State Departing Message from Alan H. Vicory, Jr. ...............3 of New York, the State of Ohio, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Protecting the River’s Many Uses ..................................5 State of West Virginia with approval of the Congress of the United States. The Commissioners of ORSANCO Managing Water Resources .............................................6 respectfully submit the following report of activities for a water resources program to Among emerging issues in the Ohio “The only constant is change, 2011 to: coordinate the management of River Basin are new methods of Assessing Water Quality ....................................................7 continuing change, inevitable both water quality and quantity. In extracting and processing energy change; that is the dominant 2011, the Commission began the sources and the water quality issues Special Projects ....................................................................9 The Honorable Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois factor in society today. No process of acquiring foundation surrounding them. Coal, natural sensible decision can be made grants to provide operational gas, and hydropower all present Reducing Nutrients .......................................................... 11 The Honorable Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., Governor of Indiana any longer without taking into support to its newly-formed Water both opportunity and concern. For account not only the world as it Resources Committee. Through years ORSANCO worked to lessen Protecting Drinking Water ............................................ 13 is, but the world as it will be.” The Honorable Steven L. Beshear, Governor of Kentucky the collaboration of its River the water quality impacts of coal — Isaac Asimov Users program, ORSANCO began mining and coal-fired power plants. Protecting Aquatic Life ................................................... 15 a study of total dissolved solids Now with the new methods of The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York Change is constant. The river to provide the scientific basis for shale natural gas extraction, the Public Information and Outreach ............................... 17 changes, technology changes, regulatory decisions that the states Commission will work with industry The Honorable John R. Kasich, Governor of Ohio leadership changes. For ORSANCO could not acquire on their own. as well as regulatory agencies to Advisory Committees ..................................................... 19 to stay relevant, it must strive to be The Commission also continued ensure that the waters of the Ohio flexible in its policies, cutting-edge to collaborate on developing a River Basin are protected. The Honorable Tom Corbett, Governor of Pennsylvania Financial Overview .......................................................... 20 in its science, and forward-thinking nutrient trading program to protect in its leadership. watersheds at lower costs, a benefit Finally, the Commission ORSANCO Staff .................................................................. 21 The Honorable Robert F. McDonnell, Governor of Virginia in this time of tight state budgets. experienced a change in leadership I have lived near the headwaters in 2011 with the retirement of Members of the Commission ....................................... 22 The Honorable Earl Ray Tomblin, Governor of West of the Ohio River my entire As the technology supporting its Executive Director and Chief life. Through my career as an our knowledge of water quality Engineer, Alan Vicory. ORSANCO Virginia environmental regulator, I take continues to evolve, so must our has achieved a multitude of water pride in the role I have played in reactions to it. Changes in the quality milestones during his 24- and improving the lives of the people detectable levels of pollutants, and year tenure, which are highlighted of the Ohio River Valley. In my changes in our understanding of on the following pages. I have The Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United position as ORSANCO Chairman, I the effects of pollutants on human the utmost confidence that the have witnessed the expansion of health and the environment, Commission and its competent States the organization’s mission and its inform ORSANCO’s decision- staff will continue to champion the continued collaboration with other making. Through its Pollution water resources of the Ohio River entities on issues of mutual interest. Control Standards the Commission Valley for years to come. addresses such issues, including, in *As of December 31, 2011 In addition to its traditional role, 2011, adopting a criterion for total ORSANCO continued to expand its dissolved solids, and considering mission while providing service to a variance request relating to a its member states by developing discharge of mercury in the upper 1 river. 2 Departing Message from Alan H. Vicory, Jr. To the Governors of the States wastewater treatment in all Ohio history -- I see the Commission Signatory to the Ohio River River communities, and the perfectly positioned and ready to Valley Water Sanitation Compact, emergence of the information assume the coordinating role that ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING ALAN VICORY’S TENURE Commissioners of ORSANCO, and technology revolution, which will be indispensably necessary. 1987 Alan Vicory, Jr., became the 4th Executive Director of the almost 40-year-old Commission citizens of the Ohio River Valley: has provided powerful new 1988 Ashland Oil Spill occurred; ORSANCO served as a central clearinghouse for spill information tools for communications, The opportunity to serve the and provided on-river monitoring of the spill Upon my retirement from 32 years measuring and analyzing water states and play a part in improving 1989 Ohio River Sweep began as a pilot project; the following year 14,000 volunteers participated of service on ORSANCO’s staff, quality, modeling to support the waters of the Ohio River Valley in first river-wide Sweep including 24 as Executive Director program design, and decision has indeed been a professional 1992 ORSANCO began a Volunteer Monitoring pilot project, later formalized as the RiverWatchers and Chief Engineer, I express my making. Indeed, ORSANCO dream and privilege. Program heartfelt personal thank you for has dramatically increased its 1993 ORSANCO moved into its new headquarters building the opportunity to assist in the capacities for program delivery 1993 ORSANCO developed biocriteria for the Ohio River advancement of clean streams in over the past two decades, 1995 ORSANCO initiated the Watershed Pollution Reduction Program this blessed region of the United while retaining the same level of 1995 ORSANCO reached a milestone in wastewater treatment: all Ohio River municipalities attained States, rich in our most precious of staffing since 1975! secondary treatment natural resources, water. 2000 ORSANCO consulted with the Baltic countries to implement transboundary watershed Today, the importance of management practices through the Great Lakes/Baltic Sea Partnership I am a personal witness to the ORSANCO’s services to the 2002 ORSANCO designed “Life Below the Waterline,” a 2,200-gallon mobile aquarium improvements in water quality Compact states, and to 2004 ORSANCO purchased the historic paddle wheeler, P A Denny, as a floating classroom and and the power and effectiveness the citizens and industries formed the program now known as the Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE) of partnerships and collaboration, dependent on clean, safe water 2008 ORSANCO celebrated its 60th anniversary without which ORSANCO could not for their life, recreation and 2009 The Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus was established by U.S. Congressional have spearheaded its successes so business needs is greater than Representatives to enhance recognition of Basin-wide issues cost-effectively. ever. And, as large geographic- 2010 ORSANCO initiated a full refurbishment of the Organics Detection System scale programs will be necessary 2010 ORSANCO investigated expanding its mission to include water resources management In my tenure, I have administrated going forward -- to continue 2011 ORSANCO worked with public and private interests to form the Cincinnati regional Water ORSANCO’s daily activities through the progress recorded over Technology Innovation Cluster, a partnership seeking to advance environmental protection in the completion of secondary ORSANCO’s illustrious 63-year tandem with economic development 3 4 Protecting Managing the Water Resources River’s throughout Many Uses the Basin Under the authority of its Compact, to be applied at water withdrawal the Standards. Issues under Recognition of the increasing February 2011. This meeting was ORSANCO maintains pollution intakes. This was deemed necessary consideration include water threats to the water resources an important step in facilitating control standards for the treatment to address an emerging water quality criteria for pathogens, of the Ohio River Basin, and a a more effective and coordinated of sewage and industrial wastes quality issue in the Ohio River selenium,