Urban Waters Federal Partners Anacostia Pilot Jeff Corbin EPA Senior Advisor to the Administrator September 20, 2011 Anacostia River Business Summit EPA Urban Waters Vision EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s vision for the Urban Waters Effort is to protect and restore America’s urban waterways and reconnect communities – particularly underserved communities – to their urban water environments. Messages From Communities Urban Waters Vision People Value their Urban Waters • Urban waters are viewed as treasured centerpieces of urban revival and worth restoring • Restoration efforts result in improved appearance, odor, quality and health of water People Want Equitable Access to Water • People want to have equitable access to waterfronts and waterways • Culturally diverse uses should be recognized. • Upfront planning and community involvement in revitalization efforts result in maintained or enhanced public access People Link Water to Other Urban Priorities • Urban waters are relevant to urban priorities such as education, employment, safety, health, housing, transportation and quality of life • Economic incentives (jobs, business opportunities) are part of restoration efforts Related Activities Brownfields (EPA) Green Infrastructure (EPA) Sustainable Communities Partnership (EPA, DOT, HUD) America’s Great Outdoors (DOI) Environmental Justice (EPA) Bay TMDL Clean-Up Plan Urban Waters Intended Outcomes Connection to urban waters: Greater access to urban waterfront and greater public participation in waterfront activities, such as recreation, volunteer monitoring, clean-ups, education and leisure activities Understanding of urban waters and their potential: Greater public involvement and awareness. of urban waters and their potential for improving public health, economic development, and the quality of life. Sense of public ownership of urban waters: Greater public benefit from improvement efforts, especially in underserved communities, and consequent increased priority given to the improvement of urban waters. Protection and restoration of urban waters: Acceleration of the measurable improvements to urban water quality. Community revitalization: Promote equitable community improvements that capitalize on the social and economic benefits derived from improved urban waters and adjacent lands. Urban Waters Cycle Trick the program! Urban Waters Federal Partnership List of Agencies (Alphabetical by Acronym) CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CNS Corporation for National and Community Service CDC US Department of Health and Human Services – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention DOI U.S. Department of Interior DOC-EDA U.S. Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration DOC-NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration DOD –USACE U.S. Department of Defense – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers DOT U.S. Department of Transportation EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development NIH-NIEHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – National Institutes of Health – National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture WH DPC White House Domestic Policy Council About the Urban Waters Federal Partnership – Anacostia Watershed The Anacostia River Watershed is one of seven national pilot locations The Partnership seeks to: ◦ Promote more efficient use of federal resources; ◦ Recognize and build on local efforts by engaging community partners; ◦ Work to leverage area resources and stimulate local economies to create jobs; ◦ Learn from early and visible victories to fuel long-term action. 8 Anacostia –A Legacy Of Federal Commitment EPA, US Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, NOAA, FWS, USGS and Department of Defense – along with other dedicated Partners in D.C. and Maryland have worked for well over 18 years to bring about improvements in pollution control and watershed health. 9 Progress-To-Date A $2 billion Control Program underway by DC WASA to remove 98% of the combined sewer overflows Clean Water Act Enforcement settlement in suburban Maryland (WSSC) yields over $200 million in sewer enhancements to prevent overflows Wetlands Projects at Kingman, Bladensburg, Kenilworth, Fringe areas adding over 80+ acres of filtering capacity 3 Storm Water Permits (MS4s) cover the entire drainage area – opportunities to promote innovation in a regulatory context Progress-To-Date DC/MD are national showcases for Low Impact Development demo projects Innovative approach to storm water runoff focusing on using nature to filter nature Over $8 million in federal funding Green Roofs supported by DC WASA enforcement settlement (DC now largest acreage on East Coast) Department of Transportation co-sponsorship of joint funding with EPA to extend projects this year Trash Free Potomac Initiative launched by Alice Ferguson Foundation in 2005; Trash Free by 2013! Local Government commitments to action Pollution Budgets approved and in place for major pollutants (TMDLs) Progress-To-Date Implemented (with D.C. & MD) the first interstate river Clean Water Act trash TMDL - Impairments for Contact Recreation and Protection & Propagation of Fish DC - Upper and Lower Anacostia River MD - tidal and non-tidal Anacostia River To restore water quality, the TMDL requires capturing or removing more than 600 tons (1.2 million pounds) of trash from the watershed annually! Progress –To-Date Address Sediment Contamination through Public/Private Networks ◦ Anacostia Watershed Toxics Alliance Stresses public/private partnerships to address toxics issues; Strengthened the Scientific Basis for Action on sediment issues Produced a Toxic Chemical Management Strategy ◦ Outstanding University Consortium tapped to apply innovative capping solutions Sediment Capping Demonstration Underway ◦ Site Clean-ups Accomplished: Navy Yard, NPS sites, Wash. Gas Light, GSA Southeast Federal Center What are we doing? - NOW Environmental Improvements Through Green Infrastructure (GI) “Ground-Breaking”, GI-Driven Proposed MS4 Permit for D.C. Sample Features: ◦ 350,000 square feet of green roofs ◦ Green Streets & Green Alleys Program ◦ 4,000+ trees planted annually; ◦ 100,000 + pounds of trash removed annually from city streets to prevent it washing into storm drains. Will serve as an innovative model for other municipalities What are we doing? - NOW Watershed Restoration & Green Infrastructure (GI) for Managing Wet Weather Runoff ‣Continued Support For Implementation of The Anacostia River Watershed Restoration Plan (ARP) - Produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers through federal, regional, multijurisdictional cooperation. ‣President’s Chesapeake Bay Executive Order- Requiring Federal Facilities & Local Governments to Reduce Stormwater Runoff From Public Lands ‣Working with DDOE and Fed Agencies in Phase II WIP Bay Restoration Plan What are we doing? - NOW Focus On Underserved or Economically Distressed Communities Connected to the Urban Waters NPS and others working to increase accessible recreational and environmental opportunities for surrounding communities NPS and EPA helped to launch Groundwork Trust Anacostia to support residents’ ability to- ◦ improve their local environment, ◦ reclaim vacant lands for conservation, recreation and economic development and ◦ reconnect residents to parks, open space and the River. What are we doing? - NOW Restoration & Research U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and EPA assisting DC to implement stream restoration on the Watts Branch. USFWS also focusing on environmental health-- through a study of Brown Bullhead cancers and monitoring of Snakehead predatory fish. USGS, EPA, MDE, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties are monitoring real-time surface water quality at three sub-watershed sites. FWS, NOAA and EPA supporting angler’s subsistence fishing study and outreach effort by Anacostia Riverkeeper. What are we doing?- NOW Sustainable Economic Development & Increased Recreational Access Economic Development Agency has developed a five-year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy that spotlights D.C. Wards 7 and 8 and includes Urban Waters Initiative goals. USDA- Forest Service, NPS, EPA and other partners are working to promote community-led urban forest modeling, forest stewardship, and invasive species removal projects. Continued development of the 16 Mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail – NPS & DOT What are we doing?- NOW Green Jobs Training Green Jobs/Green Career Training for Earth Conservation Corp: MOU between ECC and EPA to provide and promote green job training, mentoring involving EEPA staff cleaning Anacostia. NPS and EPA support local green job training programs and NPS operates “green teams” to provide summer jobs to local youth and to educate the youth about the environment. What are we doing?- NOW More Sustainable Communities (People, Planet, Profit!) The Chesapeake Bay-Anacostia Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns (G3) Initiative unites a town's green vision with tools needed to accelerate local greening efforts. The result is greater watershed protection, community livability and new green economic opportunities. Where Would We Like To Go? Aligning New Partners and Opportunities to accelerate the pace of restoration and protection ‣ Given The Significant Federal Presence, We’re Starting With Improvements & Enhancements - Targeting Our Federal Lands and Facilities. ‣ We’re Also Evaluating Opportunities Through New Federal Agency Partners, Like HUD and Health &