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REGULATIONS cont’d from page 14
If this concerns you, please attend the Regional Board hearing on Nov. 19, 2015 in Santa Rosa. Call (707) 576-2220 for the agenda. Also, there is a letter you can download, sign, and send before that date at RRWPC website at www. rrwpc.org” www.rrwpc.org Please help pass the word.
What is the Staff Report About?
The staff report is a culmination of many years of tracking pathogen indicators in order to identify and control bacterial and other disease causing organisms. The validity of various indicators has changed over the years
and, since 1986, ‘total coliform’ and ‘fecal coliform’ data samples have been discredited by EPA. Yet even now, official Health Department data continues to utilize discredited indicators, including recent samples, and irregularly collects those that are currently favored (E. coli and enterococcus). This causes inconsistency in data analysis and reliability. The Regional Board’s charge
is to determine, through the TMDL process, as defined by the Clean Water Act (federal) and the Porter-Cologne Act (State), whether the pathogen load
is excessive, where it is coming from, and how to assign loading limits to identified contributors.
Through extensive data analysis, Regional Board Staff identified contributors to the problem, including homeless encampments, centralized wastewater treatment facilities, septic systems, storm water runoff, wild animal waste, pet waste, agriculture, livestock waste, forestlands, and more. The Draft Report attempts to calculate excessive amounts of bacterial contamination, determine roughly where they are coming from, and describe possible ways to limit human exposure. They admit their tasks are not complete, but it is unclear what public participation will be allowed once this is approved. Timeline requirements of new septic regulations (AB 885) may be driving this train.
Identified sources of pollutants...
Interestingly, the Report verified that runoff from forestlands had the least amount of fecal indicator bacteria even though Guerneville area was noted
has having a high level of contamination in spite of all our trees and our sewer system. They don’t consider the role our forests play in drinking up septic water, especially in a drought. That latter could explain much lower levels
of river bacteria in summer, which is the recreation season and of greatest concern. In fact, page 5-9 of the document indicates that Russian River Fecal Indicator Bacteria during dry periods is within acceptable limits in forestlands. Based on evidence we have seen, that appears to be the case, yet the document targets our area as one of the most problematic.
Repeatedly the assertion is made that all bacteria have statistically significant higher concentrations in wet periods, yet Report also stated wet and dry periods in developed areas had the same concentrations. Report lumped together Monte Rio, Guerneville, Rio Nido, and Forestville in their analysis of fecal coliform, without explaining why a sewered area had as many pathogens as septic areas. Furthermore, while report admitted that highest concentrations of pathogens occur in winter, they didn’t clarify whether winter pathogens (possibly coming from Santa Rosa) might be causing problems in lower river during summer.
This Report still needs a lot of work in our view. Please send letters to Regional Board staff as posted at www.rrwpc.org
Hearing date for Nov. 19th may be rescheduled
For links to News You Can Use -
all month long
Please call (707) 576-2220 and ask for Charles Reed or Alydda Mangelsdorf to find out if meeting will be rescheduled (meeting to take place near airport at 5550 Skylane Blvd. #A, Santa Rosa)
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